WHEEL is a logical next step to act on the findings from the UNIGOV project on the main challenges facing Libyan HEIs. In a divided country, with no reliable countrywide HE data collection since the outbreak of the 2011 revolution, a vision of the role of HE is missing. Libyan universities are limited in their ability to collaborate & share knowledge. They also suffer from lack of funding, poor technological capabilities and no possibilities of professional development.To address all of the above, WHEEL will formalise a Network of HEIs to foster interinstitutional collaboration and dialogue and to allow the Consortium, which represents around 75% of Libya’s university population, to act as a unified voice in lobbying for policy developments. The Network will gather a comprehensive dataset of current HE statistics collected through the WHEEL project (Blueprint policy document). The creation of an online platform to facilitate the activities of this Network will be accompanied by technological upgrades within each Libyan HEI. The main efforts will go towards improving institutional management, capacity and other key functions (quality assurance, development of research & innovation capacities, etc.) through a series of ‘train the trainer’ workshops and regional & national conferences.As the Libyan members of the Consortium will own all outcomes and products after the project ends, the WHEEL Network and its findings will be sustainable in the long-term. In the short term, the Consortium’s institutional and technological capacities will be improved and the HEIs will possess qualified and trained staff to continue to progress these capabilities. Effective regional & national dissemination through newsletters & social media will attract non-member HEIs to the Network, which will gain a critical mass to influence policy and promote development in other local HEIs, but also to continue to develop and expand the Network, which crosses political and geographical borders.

The aim of the project is to improve Libyan HEIs' role for the economic and social development of the country. The specific objective is to enhance HEIs specific capacities to connect academia and research activities to the labour market and civil society trough the establishment of TTOs - Technology Transfer Offices. HEIs in Libya need support, on the one hand, in improving their internal organisational capacity and on the other hand, in networking and coordinating to gain international visibility and to maximise the impact of their work. They have to play a stronger role in order to be active actors and to promote innovation processes. Actually there are several universities with an high level in academic community that could revoulizionise process by expoliting research results. The Technological Transfer Office represents the academic window on the market, it will give visibility to ideas and researches of the Libyan Universities giving them a role in the promotion of innovation and creativity, enhancement of social dialogue and accompaniment of youth to labour market. Thus, the present project, after a thorough analysis of the legal, social and economic situation of Libya, as well as of the level and the potentialities of scientific and technological research in the Universities, will be aimed at developing a complete and updated academic system on the subject of the valorisation and exploitation of the academic research results. In order to achieve the objectives and to tackle the identified challenge, the project has a multidisciplinary approach focused on:- Developing new innovative and multidisciplinary abilities to promote HEIs activities;- Facilitating the exchange, flow and joint creation of knowledge among the universities.- Stimulating the entrepreneurial spirit and abilities of HEI’s staff in order to propose innovative actions;- Creating thematic national and international network.