<< Background >>The EVALUATE project was a European policy experimentation which examined the impact of virtual exchange on student teachers involved in initial teacher education in European countries and regions. Virtual exchange involves students in online intercultural collaboration with partner classes under the guidance of teachers or facilitators. Between 2017-18, the project consortium worked with teacher trainers from 34 institutions of initial teacher education and organised 25 virtual exchanges.<< Objectives >>The guiding research question for the study was:Will participation in virtual exchange contribute to the development of competences which student teachers need to teach, collaborate, and innovate effectively in a digitalised and cosmopolitan world?The specific research questions were:What impact will virtual exchange have on student teachers’ digital pedagogical, intercultural and foreign language competences?<< Implementation >>Our study was a randomized field trial involving student-teachers studying at ITE institutions in the participating regions of the EU as well as other countries of the European Union. There were two rounds of field trials in the study: The winter semester of 2017-18 and the spring semester 2018. In total 1018 participants were included in the overall sample set, making this, to our knowledge, the largest research study of Virtual Exchange to have been carried out to date.<< Results >>The project’s achievements included: 1) Recruiting and training teacher trainers from 16 countries to run Virtual Exchanges in their classes and engage their students in our European Policy Experiment (EPE)2) Authoring and disseminating training materials3) Analysing the data and writing up and publishing our EPE study4) Running regional workshops on Virtual Exchange 6) Organising dissemination events including a final conference and presentations at the European parliament.

The I-MOVE+ Consortium includes European Union (EU) Public Health Institutes, SME and Universities. It aims at measuring and comparing the effectiveness (VE) and impact (VI) of influenza and Pneumococcal vaccines and vaccination strategies a in the elderly population in Europe. The goal is to develop a sustainable platform of primary care practices, hospitals and laboratory networks that share validated methods to evaluate post marketing vaccine performances. The objectives are to identify, pilot test, and disseminate in EU the best study designs to measure, on a real time basis, VE (direct effect) and the VI of vaccination programmes (indirect and overall effect) against laboratory confirmed cases of influenza (types/subtypes) and pneumococcal disease (serotypes), and clinical outcomes. Cost effectiveness analysis will be conducted. Results will allow to understand factors affecting specific VE, the duration of protection of influenza and pneumococcal vaccines, the interaction between vaccines, the role of repeated vaccinations, the occurrence of serotype replacement (pneumococcus); identify vaccine types and brands with low VE; guide the decision of the WHO committees on vaccine strain selection (influenza); provide robust benefit indicators (VE and VI) and cost benefit and effectiveness results; guide vaccination strategies (schedules, doses, boosters). This EU member state collaboration will respond to questions that require studies based on large sample sizes and sharing of expertise that cannot be achieved by one country alone. It will allow the best methods to be used and results to benefit to all EU countries whatever their current public health achievements. Results will be shared with international partners.

The rationale is based on relevant Bologna/EHEA documents and their priorities. Promotion of mobility, reaching of the Leuven targets and internationalisation will gain more focus in other national (ESF funded) projects, thus this field will gain somewhat less emphasis. Planned activities: • Support of student centred learning and promotion of innovative and ICT based teaching methodology. • Activities leading to more inclusive higher education, better access and completion rates.• University-business relations, entrepreneurship, more relevant graduate profiles and employability • Further implementation of structural reforms: (regional) capacity building of HEIs and improvement of Bologna/EHEA tools (ECTS, credit recognition, mobility windows, partner countries)Results: teachers in HEIs will be trained in innovative methodology, a database on innovative/digital methodology practices will be developed, a set of proven measures tackling SD will be created; 2 rounds of EHEA classes in schools, UBC, entrepreneurship and innovation will be tackled in conferences and PLAs, Bologna/EHEA tools and ECTS will be revisited and discussed and seminars will be devoted to more successful access to EU grants. Target groups: decision makers, stakeholders in the field of HE; university teachers open to new methods, HEI staff involved in curriculum development and, international relations; students in secondary schools; HEI leaders and staff responsible for inclusion, employers, staff of businesses, stakeholders from partner countries, local and regional partners of HEIs.Impact: Student centered HE, staff will be familiar with ICT tools and digital methodology. HEIs will become more inclusive and will be able to implement proper measures; more disadvantaged young people will be able to access and complete studies. Graduate profiles will be more relevant to employers. Bologna tools and ECTS will be revised, mobility windows widespread, HEI cooperation capacities improved.