Chemical engineering and technology are the foundation of innovative fields such as: nanotechnology, biotechnology as well as modern technologies of medicine production. The growing demand for innovative products makes the need for chemical engineering and technology specialists grows as quickly as the development of our civilisation. To meet this demand, it is necessary to analyse and improve the effectiveness of higher education of the students majoring in Chemical Engineering and Technology in Europe.The strategic aim of this project was the development and implementation of the unified module of English courses into the curriculum of Chemical Engineering and Technology according to the Bologna process and the best practices created by the project members which were formed by the universities from four member countries. The Project Coordinator was Cracow University of Technology, Poland, and the other three partners were: Muenster University of Applied Sciences (FH-MS), Germany, National Graduate School of Engineering Chemistry of Lille(ENSCL), France, and The Polytechnic Institute of Bragança (IPB), Portugal. The partnership enabled the development of novel IT educational tools and an online cooperation platform where the students could learn, teach and co-create the content of novel courses in Chemical Engineering and Technology. Moreover, the teaching component was strengthened by a conference organized at the end of the project as well as 3 short-term joint staff training events. At the end of the project and the EU funding, the developed course modules were introduced into the regular curriculums and have become accessible to all the interested parties on an e-learning platform (open educational resources).The major advantages of the e-learning platform are: asynchronous, convenient, and self-paced learning (especially if students have other commitments), easier communication between students and tutors from different partner countries, selection of a preferred method of learning, time-saving (attending the place of education is not necessary; students do not have to leave their daily routines), and also adjustment to the personal needs of every participant. Additionally, the online courses have been organised in a way that it enabled the testing of tools developed by the partnership of students and tutors. Moreover during the trainings meetings of the joint staff, the tutors showed how to use these tools.The results of this project which we have achieved:a ) the results achieved during the project: (i)innovative and international academic cooperation model consisting of the representatives of the four partner universities,(ii)the acquired knowledge and experience of project participants,(iii)greater cooperation and mobility skills in an international environment,(iv)improving language and communication skills,b ) the results achieved at the end of the project:(i)new educational offer tailored to the expectations and requirements of the job market for all partner universities, (ii)development of online courses available on the e-learning platform for Chemical Engineering and Technology(Open Educational Resources), (iii)development of an e-learning platform in English,(iv)other educational materials.In relation to the project impact, it attracted more international students from the EU and other countries to an existing international M.Sc. programme in Chemical Engineering and Technology. Due to the improved self-learning and collaboration components, barriers between different groups of students (domestic, European, international) were reduced. The existing scheme for double graduation at the partner universities was strengthened and might be extended with further partners. For other stakeholders like companies, the project improved their relation with the European students and enhanced the opportunity to recruit graduates who have a better and up-to-date back ground knowledge, therefore reinforcing their European and international dimension. For the National Agencies and the European Commission, the project contributed to the success and visibility of the new Erasmus+ programme.The courses which were developed and introduced during the project lifetime have been available to the member universities at a dedicated website, and therefore the public has free access to them. Moreover, the member universities have ensured the availability by integrating the results into a regular course work/curriculum to guarantee their sustainability. Since these courses have been a part of double graduation processes at the member universities, the students automatically use these elements. The courses have been based on the current knowledge to meet the requirements of future employers from the European and global labour markets.

"<< Background >>European HEIs are increasingly becoming socially engaged and thereby increasing their role regarding regional and social development. The European Commission’s latest Higher Education Modernisation Agenda points out that since 2011 a great contribution was made in strengthening collaboration between higher education, research, and business. But beyond the economic impact, social or civil responsibility is less developed and therefore must be emphasized (Higher Education Modernisation Agenda, 2017). The CoCreAid project will have a direct impact on SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT by connecting NGOs from RURAL AREAS with HEIs. This will address SOCIAL CHALLENGES and address NEEDS OF CITZIENS FROM RURAL AREAS while providing INCLUSION. However, due to the ongoing pandemic, social and physical distance, co-creation between HEIs and NGOs are hampered. Consequently, the actual aim of promoting social progress and overcoming social challenges cannot be achieved. This is because social challenges can be overcome jointly through co-creation projects between HEIs and NGOs. Indeed, the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic further destabilises already ongoing co-creation projects and creates barriers between higher education institutions and the rest of society. A needs analysis by MUAS have shown that due to the pandemic situation, a large number of co-creation projects fail due to a lack of appropriate methods and tools for collaborations. Therefore, a digital CoCreAid Kit could support the collaboration between HEIs and NGOs to overcome these barriers and to continue and strengthen the cooperations. Depending on the course of the project, individual co-creation methods help to overcome transfer barriers. This will be done by providing a graphical user interface (GUI) with digital co-creation tools. Co-creation tools are methods that enable the co-creation activities along the whole process of co-creation (project definition, co-creation and (re)integration (Lang et al. 2012)) in consideration of the characteristics and barriers of co-creation projects (e.g. actors from different sectors and disciplines with different backgrounds, experience, and languages are working together). To do this, we use methods (such as e.g. appreciative inquiry, nudging, river of life, smart PICO, expectation matrix, UTAUT Modell, lean canvas, persona, usability tests, design thinking) from different disciplines (e.g. engineering, social sciences, life science, and economics) from different disciplines (such as engineering, healthcare, and other disciplines). We take the most effective methods and transfer them to the NGO context of co-creation for social impact. The unpredictable context of Covid-19 creates new opportunities of fostering DIGITAL AND INNOVATIVE ways of promoting CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, which can be embedded in co-creation projects with HEIs and NGOs. This project will use the opportunity to realise an “easy to use” graphical user interface to provide digital co-creation tools to project leaders of both NGOs and HEIs. The aim is to overcome both SOCIAL AND SPATIAL BARRIERS between NGOs and HEIs.The project will integrate CITIZENS from rural areas and promote collaborations through access to DIGITAL CO-CREATION TOOLS. This will help to OVERCOME BARRIERS AND ADRESS SOCIAL CHALLENGES. The project will enable the implementation and development of high-quality co-creation projects digitally, between NGOs and HEI. The aim is to increase social impact in the participating European countries and beyond.<< Objectives >>The focus of the project is to overcome barriers in cooperation that arise when HEIs and NGOs co-create. Furthermore, DIGITAL COMPETENCES will be strengthened among these cooperation partners by the practical application of the digital CoCreAid Kit. In addition, citizens in rural areas will be given access to the cooperation, thus contributing to addressing social challenges. As we are planning to develop the CoCreAid Kit 4.0 that we are aiming for, we will also use this product in cooperation within this project. In this way, we will show how much it facilitates the cooperation and thus contributes to social engagement. The co-creation projects between NGOs and HEIs are very important as the pandemic situation has brought new social challenges. Through successful co-creation projects, these social challenges can be addressed and overcome. Even before the pandemic, it was difficult for interest groups from rural regions to cooperate with HEIs and the pandemic situation has now worsened this situation. We are creating opportunities to overcome these barriers with our CoCreAid Kit 4.0. Accordingly, our OBJECTIVES of this project are: To create a greater awareness and understanding of transfer barriers in co-creation projects between HEIs and NGOs (PR1) To develop an “easy-to-use” graphical user interface (GUI) to ensure an equivalent “face-to-face-activity” in the digital space. The GUI offers different selection options and guides the user to the individual co-creation methods depending on the project progress. After the selection process, the users can apply the co-creation methods interactively (PR2) To increase capacity among HEI and NGO representatives in the development of digital skills, with the hands-on use of digital co-creation tools (PR3) To improve the inclusion of citizens from rural areas via NGOs in co-creation projects with HEIs (PR3) To scale the use of the digital tools to a broad target group, via multiplier events (PR4)<< Implementation >>In order to achieve the objectives of the project we are planning to implement the following activities: PHASE 1: EXPLORATION PR1: “Report on digital solutions for co-creation”: Compilation of research results and best practice solutions for cocreation in a digital environment. PR1-A1: Desk research: Research for digital solutions (e.g. platform and interaction opportunities) for digital co-creation. Determine existing good practices of digital co-creation between HEI and NGOs. PR1-A2: Qualitative research: In-depth interviews to get a deeper understanding of the requirements and demands of involved actors towards graphical user interfaces digital methodologies in co-creation projects across European HEIs (target group: academics who lead co-creation projects between HEIs and NGOs), n=40 and across Europe NGOs (target group: project coordinators working in NGOs collaborating with HEIs), n=40 PR1-A3: Consolidation of the findings from the desk research and qualitative research about digital co-creation methods in a synthesis report PHASE 2: DEVELOPMENT PR2: “Digital Co-Creation Aid Kit 4.0” – Building on the “Report on digital solution for co-creation” PR2 creates a graphical user interface that is easy to use for both HEIs and NGOs and citziens, allowing custom selection of co-creation tools. This can be used to replace personal face-to-face activities and make projects fluent using methods from different disciplines. Social challenges can be addressed and at the same time social engagement is promoted. PR2-A1: Based on the results from PR1, a graphical user interface is created. PR2-A2: Integration of co-creation tools into the graphical user interface: Starting from A1 - A2 includes the function that suitable tools are suggested and explained to the user. PHASE 3: IMPLEMENTATION AND REFINEMENT PR3: “Digital co-creation tools pilot testing and validation report” – Pilot testing of the CoCreAid Kit 4.0. The CoCreAid Kit with the integrated co-creation tools are used in projects between NGOs and academics & citizens. Validations are produced in the form of a report. This validation will be used for further improvement of the digital methods. PR3-A1: Pilot testing of the CoCreAid Kit 4.0 in 20 co-creation projects. PR3-A2: Validation of the CoCreAid Kit 4.0 based on a quantitative survey and a focus group. PR3-A3: Modification of the CoCreAid Kit 4.0 as final version, according to the insights of the survey and the focus group. PHASE 4: EXPLOITATION AND VALORIZATION PR4: “CoCreAid Kit 4.0 user guideline” - Aggregation of the experiences of the developed CoCreAid Kit 4.0 in a guideline form, customised for academics, NGOs and for citizens, incorporating cultural and contextual differences in the use of the tools in form of tips etc. Guidelines allow attracting more academics, NGOs and citizens, enabling them to use the CoCreAid Kit 4.0 and scale the project on the European level. PR4-A1: CoCreAid Kit 4.0 user guideline for HEIs PR4-A2: CoCreAid Kit 4.0 user guideline for NGOs PR4-A3: CoCreAid Kit 4.0 user guideline for Citizens PR4-A4: Dissemination of the guidelines via partner networks and multiplier events<< Results >>After completion of the project, it will be possible for NGOs and HEIs to successfully implement co-creation projects in a digital form of face-to-face activities. Social and spatial distances can be overcome as digital methods (e.g. appreciative inquiry, nudging, river of life, smart PICO, expectation matrix, UTAUT modell, lean canvas, persona, usability tests, morphological box) from different disciplines (e.g. engineering, social sciences, life sciences, and economics) and knowledge domains (e.g. university business cooperation, community engagement, new product development, new service development, design thinking, creativity techniques, service design, outcome driven innovations, client-centred innovations, knowledge intensive services development, scrum, lean start-up, prototyping, agile management, quality assurance) are transferred to the cooperation of HEIs and NGOs. Through developing an ""easy-to-use"" graphical user interface, an equivalent face-to-face activity is made possible. By making this digital product easy to use for NGOs, HEIs and citizens, the CoCreAid Kit 4.0 can be used despite low digital competences. At the same time, it also promotes digital skills. The GUI offers different selection options and guides the user to the individual co-creation methods, depending on the project progress. After the selection process, the users can apply the co-creation methods interactively. Specifically, the following Project Results are planned: PR1: “Report on digital solutions for co-creation” - Compilation of research results and best practice solutions for cocreation in a digital environment. PR2: “Digital CoCreAid Kit 4.0” – Building on the “Report on digital solution for co-creation” PR2 creates a graphical user interface that is easy to use for both HEIs and NGOs, citizen, allowing custom selection of co-creation tools. This can be used to replace personal face-to-face activities and make projects fluent using methods from different disciplines. Social challenges can be addressed and at the same time social engagement is promoted. PR3: “Digital co-creation tools pilot testing and validation report” – Pilot testing of the Co-Creation Aid Kit 4.0. The CoCreAid Kit with the integrated co-creation tools are used in projects between NGOs and academics. Validations are produced in the form of a report. This validation will be used for further improvement of the digital methods. PR4: “CoCreAid Kit 4.0 user guideline”- Aggregation of the experiences of the developed CoCreAid Kit 4.0 in a guideline form, customised for academics, NGOs and for citizens, incorporating cultural and contextual differences in the use of the tools in form of tips etc. The guideline allows attracting more academics, NGOs and citizens, enabling them to use the CoCreAid Kit 4.0 and scale the project on the European level. The guidelines and the CoCreAid Kit 4.0 will be disseminated in multiplier events."

"<< Background >>Gender equality is a key priority within UNESCO’s work on heritage, creativity and cultural diversity: ‘The equal participation, access and contribution to the cultural life of women and men are human rights as well as cultural rights, and an important dimension for guaranteeing freedom of expression for all. Besides, UNESCO’s recent report Gender equality: heritage and creativity, highlights the need to be proactive in order to accelerate the process of putting policy into practice by promoting equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities for women and men, and girls and boys, in the fields of heritage and creativity (UNESCO, 2014)On the other hand, the COVID 19 poses a threat to the arts and creative industries, as some companies and self-employed persons suffer significant losses. Many freelancers and micro-enterprises work in the creative industries and they depend more than others on events and markets for earning money (The Federal Government’s Centre of Excellence for the Cultural and Creative Industries, 2020). Besides, lots of businesses in the art and creative industries have been affected or had to close down, creating a negative impact on female entrepreneurs not only economically but also psychologically. The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed and magnified the cultural and creative industries’ pre-existing volatility. Due to the precarious nature of their work, women working in the cultural and creative industries were particularly impacted, namely in relation to their income, access to social security and freedom of movement and artistic creation (UNESCO, 2021). Although the second chance policies in Europe are an excellent instrument to give some peace of mind to entrepreneurs to start again after a failure, they only focus on the legal and economic part. Moreover, many of these policies aim to ""produce"" more entrepreneurs and not so much on the need to preserve the stock of entrepreneurs (European Commission, 2011). For this reason, an excellent second chance policy is essential to send the message that entrepreneurship cannot end up as a ""life sentence"" if things go wrong (European Commission, 2011; Jourová, 2016).The failure of a venture should not be seen as the end of an entrepreneurial journey. The literature suggests that entrepreneurs can learn from failure, developing more mature entrepreneurial skills that can lead to personal growth and enhance success in future ventures (e.g., Cope, 2011). However, adverse psychological reactions to failure, such as grief or anxiety, can impede learning, preventing positive outcomes from failure (e.g., Shepherd, 2003). Positive results may include learning but also innovation (e.g., Fischer et al., 2018). Therefore, we suggest that it may be worthwhile in the current pandemic to support failed female entrepreneurs financially and psychologically, to help them make the best of their situation, thus benefiting both the individual and society as a whole. Understanding the above, the needs we want to address thanks to RestART Europe are:•To be pioneers in offering a mentoring program that initially seeks to train mentors with the necessary skills to be the vehicle to equip second-chance female entrepreneurs with the entrepreneurial and 21st-century skills needed for both entrepreneurship and the arts and creativity sector.•Mentoring schemes for women in the cultural sector are necessary to facilitate confidence-building and the empowerment of women. The European Commission should launch mentoring schemes tailored to cultural programs, such as Erasmus Plus or Creative Europe (Voices of culture, 2019). That is why we want to highlight the scarcity of opportunities and mentoring programs that seek to support women who have failed or are failing. On the contrary, after situations of failure, and especially for women, strong psychological support and necessary tools should be provided to enhance the female entrepreneur's confidence to start a business again.<< Objectives >>RestART Europe aims to bring together second-chance female entrepreneurs in arts and creative industries and potential mentors in a dynamic community to improve the quality of mentoring and generate a positive impact for both female entrepreneurs seeking a second chance, and the arts and creative industries that have been affected by the pandemic. This goal will be achieved by providing flexible and innovative training to potential mentors and developing a set of instruments and courses that help mentors to address the business and psychological needs of female entrepreneurs seeking a second chance after failure. To guarantee the achievements and sustainability of the project, we have established two target groups.a. Main target group: Mentors are critical actors in the project as they will provide personalized guidance to female entrepreneurs. Mentors can be but not limited to:•Female entrepreneurs or company leaders•Entrepreneurial graduate students with ventures from HEIs projects partners •Expert actors in arts and creative industries b. Second target group: Represented by the end users/beneficiaries of the project:Women looking for a second chance to undertake entrepreneurial projects in the arts and creative industries, independent of the female entrepreneurs, have already failed (e.g., bankruptcy, discontinuation of work) or are currently failing, including:•Part-time female entrepreneurs: students and entrepreneurs at the same time or employees and entrepreneurs at the same time•One-person enterprises and the self-employed; businesses that employ no staff or freelancers•Nascent female entrepreneurs: women that are planning a new venture•New firm female entrepreneurs: with a new business that is between four and 42 months old•Established business owners: over 42 months old (European Monitoring Centre on Change, 2011).We are work under the definition of EU Regulation No 1295/2013 on the Creative Europe Program about arts and creative sectors, composed of architecture, libraries and museums, artistic crafts, audiovisual (including film, television, video games, and multimedia), tangible and intangible cultural heritage, design, festivals, music, literature, performing arts, publishing, radio, and visual arts.’The principal aim of the RestART Europe project is to equip and encourage with the necessary digital skills, hard entrepreneurial skills and 21st century skills, female entrepreneurs in the process of undertaking a business, after a failure, in the arts and creative industries, through the support of trained mentors, who previously enhanced their knowledge and skills. For this purpose, the project will:•Facilitate the identification and understanding of the critical challenges and opportunities that women face in starting a new business for the second time in the arts and creative industry.•Identify the main hard entrepreneurial skills and 21st-century skills required for second-chance female entrepreneurs who want to start a business in art and creative industries after a failure.•Enhance entrepreneurial skills and capitalize on the innovative potential of second-chance female entrepreneurs by exposing them to real-life problems and projects, guiding them via trained mentors and exposing them to relevant networks•Enhance the skills of mentors in an integrated way to replicate this effect and generate an impact on female entrepreneurs in the arts and creative industries.•Create dynamic networking between mentors and second-chance female entrepreneurs in the art and creative sector through an online and interactive platform•Foster awareness and understanding of arts and creative sector and contribute in the European restoration of the arts and creative industries•Stimulate collaboration, interdisciplinarity and innovation by bringing together actors from art, business, female entrepreneurship, and public spaces.<< Implementation >>The implementation of activities for RestART Europe requires five main stages, comprised by each of the project PRs.1) Understand the status quo, needs, desires and skills needed from female entrepreneurs who seek a second chance, after business failure, in the arts and creative sector, and mapping the drivers and competencies that mentors should have when providing mentoring to female entrepreneursPR1: STATE OF R-ART ANALYSIS REPORTIdentifying second-chance female entrepreneurs' needs and opportunities for the development of mentoring will allow a real impact on this population and contribute to the reactivation of the art and creative industries. Besides, the State of R-Art will be tasked with identifying main ""hard"" entrepreneurial skills and ""soft"" 21-century skills for female entrepreneurs and their relevance to the arts and creative sector. Also, the project consortium will document and create the Report with a set of guidelines detailing how to forge a successful mentoring for female entrepreneurs and the drivers to become a mentor, and the main capacities needed. The Report will include desk research, qualitative and quantitative data, and summarized findings and recommendations will be posted on the online platform Ment-Net.2) Bring together a community of European mentors with second-chance female entrepreneurs in an online and interactive platform and evaluate the relationship between mentors and second-chance female entrepreneurs (mentees)PR2: ONLINE PLATFORM MENT-NET AND MENTORING SCOPEThe online and interactive platform Men-Net aims to provide the necessary online resources for adequate interaction and exchange between mentors and second-chance female entrepreneurs (mentees), acting as a portfolio of knowledge, contacts and offering training and support of tools. Besides, the Mentoring Scope aims to specify the relationship between mentors and second-chance female entrepreneurs in the arts and creative industries, the interaction, and the main success factors.3) Creating a Comprehensive toolkit for mentorsPR3: THE RESTART MENTOR'S TOOLKITThe project consortium will devise a set of tools to be utilized from mentors in training second-chance female entrepreneurs arts and creative industry. The tools will be stemming from the outcomes and lessons learned from within PR1. The tools identified and collected will be digitized and, where possible, converted into an interactive format to increase the participation of mentors and related staff during and after the project. 4) Providing guidance and training to mentors for successful integration in the development of mentoring to second-chance female entrepreneursPR4: MENTOR CAPACITY BUILDING PROGRAM AND HANDBOOKThe implementation of the Handbook will contribute to providing a tangible, precise, and efficient guide to the mentors on the proper use of the Toolkit (PR3), which will allow the mentors to get the most out of this Toolkit. At the same time, the online capacity-building program for mentors through different courses, developed according to the needs and wishes of the mentors collected in PR1, will contribute to strengthening the knowledge and skills of the mentors.5) Piloting the project results before where second-chance female entrepreneurs will be equipped with skills to create again their own entrepreneurial project under focused mentorship.PR5: RESTART HOPE The piloting of the central PRs of RestART Europe project will enable the consortium to evaluate the online and interactive platform Ment-Net, Toolkit, and practice modules. They will be integrated and test the mentorship of at least 50+ second-chance female entrepreneurs (minimum 10 female entrepreneurs nominated per each project partner) matched and mentored in the pilot. The core of the RestART HOPE will be entrepreneurial projects in the arts and creative sectors designed by second-time female entrepreneurs' groups under the guided mentorship of the training mentors.<< Results >>The project results will strengthen the arts and creative sector through potential entrepreneurial projects from second-chance female entrepreneurs, supported by trained mentors. Instead, it will serve as a positive influencer for many stakeholders of our society. The project aims to have the following impacts:INDIVIDUALMentors Mentors can be but no limited to: 1) female entrepreneurs or company leaders; 2) entrepreneurial graduate students with ventures from HEIs projects partners, and 3) expert actors in arts and creative industries. Mentors are critical actors in the project as they will provide personalized mentoring to female entrepreneurs. As a result, the project will:•Equip mentors with the knowledge, skills, and learning mechanisms through appropriateonline material and peer-to-peer exchange mechanism•Raise motivation to create more effective, efficient, and innovative mentoring for female entrepreneurs•Strength the relationship between mentors and second-chance female entrepreneurs (mentees)Second-chance female entrepreneursRepresented by the end users/beneficiaries of the project. They could be women looking for a second chance to undertake entrepreneurial projects in the arts and creative industries, including 1) those who have already failed (e.g., bankruptcy, discontinuation of work) or 2) are currently failing, such as: a) Part-time female entrepreneurs; b) Self-employed or freelancers; c) nascent female entrepreneurs; d) new firm female entrepreneurs; and e) established business owners (European Monitoring Centre on Change, 2011).In Cope’s study (2011), learning is emphasized as a process and recovery and re-emergence from failure are seen as a function of distinctive higher-level learning processes that allow entrepreneurs to learn about themselves and entrepreneurship (Atsan, N., 2016). Besides, research has shown that women are judged more harshly for their mistakes than men and may respond by being more risk-averse, as a result, some women may not seize leadership opportunities and that worries those committed to achieving gender equity (Kramer, J., 2019). For this reason, one of the outcomes expected is to equip the second-time female entrepreneurs with the necessary tools to become entrepreneurs for the second time. To build their confidence and encourage them to start up again in the arts and creative industries. As a result, the project will•Identify, develop and enhance hard entrepreneurial skills and 21st-century skills from second-chance female entrepreneurs•Encourage female entrepreneurs to undertake businesses, after an initial failure, in the artsand creative industries•Strength and improve the relationship between mentors and second-chance female entrepreneurs (mentees)INDUSTRYArts, cultural and creative sectors are among the most affected by the current coronavirus (OECD, 2020. The arts and creative industries benefit from the project thanks to second-chance entrepreneurs better prepared with the primary skills for the 21st century and with the necessary tools to learn after failure, which will impact, as a success story, on the new generation of businesses led by these women, contributing to job creation. In addition, there will be a greater awareness of other stakeholders in the arts and creative industries.The transnational implementation of the project is essential to achieve its success and viability. The existing knowledge, cooperation, and experiences are disseminated with a multiplier effect in many potential mentors, positively influencing female entrepreneurs in the arts and creative industries, looking for second chances. Through the exchange of learning and experiences between peers, the cooperation between mentors, institutions, and experts in the industry, and a dynamic community we can create significant advances in inclusion and support for second-chance female entrepreneurs, helping to recapture the art and creative sector."

As Europe and the rest of the world seek to green energy supply, solar photovoltaic (PV) systems are rapidly spreading and evolving to meet demand, accompanied by a commensurately growing need for skilled PV professionals. At the same time, low quality PV systems and low PV education levels persist in many countries, with significant deficiencies in practical knowledge and skills. As such, there is a demonstrable need for quality and more widespread PV education in Europe and elsewhere. Existing study programmes in Europe are limited by classroom capacity and are unable to meet existing let alone growing demand, while alternative (Coursera, Edx) PV learning resources are less sophisticated and cannot replace the learning outcomes of an accredited university. Of the few fully online PV programmes available, outcomes could benefit from broader collaboration between both teachers and learners.Within this context, the PV-iTeach project was developed in order to train pre-career and continuing education PV professionals that would otherwise be unable to obtain an in-depth PV education in the absence of PV-iTeach. Additionally, the project seeks to establish an emerging hub of PV networks and professionals that will serve to connect PV stakeholders across Europe and around the world while establishing itself as a top destination for top-quality PV training and education.The PV-iTeach project will be carried out by a consortium of five European universities: the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), the Technical Hochschule Köln in Germany (TH Köln), the Fachhochschule Münster in Germany (FH Münster), Dalarna University in Sweden (DU), and the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg in Germany (Uni Freiburg). Each of the partner universities brings significant knowledge and experience in different but complementary aspects of photovoltaics in addition to practical experience in implementing related online learning. The core educational output of PV-iTeach will take the form of a course catalogue consisting of a minimum of ten courses, with each course focusing on a different PV topic. Courses will be derived from existing in-person courses at each of the partner universities and enhanced for an online setting. In order to enhance online learning outcomes, a special focus will be placed on the integration of collaborative elements for students in the form of special webinars, group projects, etc. to encourage active participation of learners. A special virtual/gamified course will also be designed which will emulate real-world PV systems in a simple graphical environment. Students accessing the virtual course/game will be able to connect different PV system components, take measurements in real time, and otherwise interact with PV systems based on real world scenarios. All of the course content, collaborative elements, and the virtual course/game will be hosted on a modified and optimized version of the open-source ILIAS e-learning platform and be freely and openly available. A fee of €80 is envisioned for students wishing to receive a certificate to verify their completion of a given course. Students with less financial capacity may apply for a grant which will waive the certificate fee, with a target of 20% of participants being eligible.PV-iTeach will be implemented on the principle of full commitment and shared responsibility among all five partners, demonstrated through a rotating Chair structure, consensus decision-making, and co-financing commitments from each partner. All partners commit to developing at least two courses per university to be available on the platform, while other project activities (e.g. project meetings, summer school, virtual/gamified course) will be led by a specific partner with support from others. The expected impacts include i) a greater number of trained PV professionals in Europe and beyond, especially in geographic areas with a great need for skilled PV professionals but with fewer opportunities to receive training, ii) the exchange of knowledge and experience across national borders through collaborative elements, thereby enriching the experience and outcomes of learners while also allowing teaching staff to enhance course content for PV-iTeach as well as existing physical courses at their respective universities, iii) a demonstrated application of innovative online teaching and enhanced learning outcomes that can be replicated in other areas, and iv) the creation of a foundation for an ongoing hub of trained PV professionals within Europe and beyond.PV-iTeach aims to have 1000 students taking part in courses by the end of the funded project period, with additional students envisioned thereafter. Measurement of educational outcomes will be measured through student surveys and related assessments. As PV-iTeach is envisioned to continuously grow after the project timeframe, longer term benefits related to the project objectives are expected for many years into the future.

<< Background >>The INTERLOCALITY consortium is composed of partners from 5 different countries (Denmark, Germany, Finland, Netherlands, and Italy), including four HEI’s and a job- and international mobility agency whose common focus revolves around international students and their employability. The COVID-19 pandemic has made the importance of inclusion and equality of opportunities in education even more evident. In accordance with Eurostat data EU-27 unemployment rose to 7,5% in February 2021 (est.16 million). More than 3 million are youngsters under 25 years. International students are in the one of the vulnerable migrant groups of being significantly affected by challenge of unemployment. Common for the local regions of the participating HEIs is a basic and increasing need for highly skilled and qualified workers within the fields of business administration and engineering. While companies experience a need for qualified workers, international degree students and graduates struggle to find their way into local companies despite the outspoken need. This calls for action to support both sides of this gap between the two groups ensuring continued growth and innovation within the companies and thereby local regions. While all partners have tried to solve these challenges by testing out different methods and initiatives within their own institutions and local environments, the need for joining forces around a common European, sustainable approach seems evident and has been reinforced by the realization of how similar both our challenges and environments are. Speaking to a European agenda of battling risen unemployment rates among the youth the importance and relevance of joining forces and creating transnational partnerships as the key to overcome challenges of the European labour market is definite.<< Objectives >>The objective of INTERLOCALITY is to increase local employability among international HE degree students within the fields of engineering and of business administration. International degree students often struggle to find internships and employment locally. Although these are crucial issues for HEIs’ student attraction and retention, it is not within the power of the HEIs to secure employment for their students. In this they rely completely on companies and organisations to hire students. There is a widely acknowledged gap between HE studies, and employment and INTERLOCALITY aims to bridge that gap by supporting 1) the international degree students, 2) staff at HEIs and 3) companies and 3rd sector staff taking upon a quadruple helix approach involving all four main actors that influence the local employability of international degree students, namely international degree students themselves, HEI staff, local companies and the surrounding society.<< Implementation >>In WP 2 we firstly map and analyse the needs among students and employers in local companies (T2.1) before developing a prototype for an International Alumni Monitoring Tool (IAMT) (T2.2). The IAMT will track and collect objective general data on the mobility and career steps of the international student, and subjective data on their perception of their participation on the labour market. Furthermore, the IAMT will provide guidelines on how to transfer and build a monitoring tool in another regional/national context than the participating countries (T.2.2.5).In WP3 we will develop what we call the International Talent Journey (ITJ). This journey will through Pre-Internships (T3.3) give the students at the HEIs a structured qualification process for international students, based on the identified needs, gaps, skills mismatch and lack of opportunities and connect them better with the local labour market. In this WP we will also provide a user guide for how this can be done (T3.6). WP4 consist of a Online Staff Training Modules and Assessment Tool, where we develop and test 3 online training modules addressed to staff at HEIs, companies and third sector organizations and associations, development and testing of a digital assessment tool (T4.2) and a user guide to adapt the open-source modules and digital assessment tools to the local needs of HEIs, companies and third sector actors (T4.5). All project partners are responsible for local dissemination events to ensure all actors in the target audience of dissemination taking on their part of the responsibility by working together to create sustainable ecosystems. Structures for national as well as international dissemination has been developed to ensure a large degree of transferability and impact to similar national and international HEI’s. All ending with a final international conference in Eindhoven (NL) to finish off the project.<< Results >>The expected key project results are:INTERNATIONAL ALUMNI MONITORING TOOL (IAMT)The IAMT prototype to track and collect objective general data on the mobility and career steps of the international student, and subjective data on their perception of their participation on the labour market, their intentions to stay, and the factors that hinder or enable their international career and personal and professional development. The development manual will provide HEIs information on the content elements of the IAMT, as well as guidelines on how to transfer and build a monitoring tool in another regional/national context.INTERNATIONAL TALENT JOURNEY (ITJ)A structured qualification process for international students, based on the identified needs, gaps, skills mismatch and lack of opportunities. The ITJ consists of two interconnected areas addressing the gap between the students and the local labour market from theoretical qualification point of view and opportunity to participate in low threshold contact formats with regional employers.ONLINE STAFF TRAINING MODULES AND ASSESSMENT TOOLThis entails development and testing of 3 online training modules addressed to staff at HEIs, companies and third sector organizations and associations, development and testing of a digital assessment tool and a user guide to adapt the open-source modules and digital assessment tools to the local needs of HEIs, companies and third sector actors.All key project results are crucial in the support of the overall objective of increasing local employability among international HE degree students within the fields of engineering and of business administration.