Nationally, it is estimated that around 75% of Jews are affiliated to Synagogues. For many Jews religious practise involves an uneasy tension between modernity and belief in civil liberties/human rights; and Torah mandated rejection of non-heteronormativity. This project sets out to engage with LGBTQI Jewish participants to complicate the binary narrative of either observant Jew or someone who identifies as LGBTQI and in so doing explores the nature of community, belonging and community (dis) and (re)connection. 'Ritual Reconstructed' is inter-disciplinary in design, and includes a core of theological and philosophical conceptualisations, wedded to theoretical understanding of the nature and impacts of 'community membership' (and disconnection therefrom) viewed and theorised through innovative arts practices. The findings will then be treated to theological and practice analysis and re-presented as a vehicle for both policy and transferable religious practice development within the Jewish and other faith communities. Judaism (and by extension Christianity and Islam which share a common root) is a religion in which traditional rituals and practices often marginalise members of the LGBTQI communities as a result of a presumptive heterosexuality. Despite this, religious traditions often play a key role in shaping identities, providing adherents with a set of values, hope and a sense of meaning. For members of minority ethnic groups who have experienced histories of disconnection, discrimination and exclusion and who are still regarded as in some senses 'othered' a sense of ethno-faith based disconnection from 'mainstream' society may also exacerbate a sense of 'difference' and division from other members of the LGBTQI communities. This may manifest as a sense of distance from LGBTQI normative social expectations and cultural values (i.e wishing to spend Friday night in a Jewish cultural/community setting; or tensions around being seen as 'religious' within broadly secular LGBTQI communities) adding to a set of multi-layered disconnections for individuals seeking to balance competing identities and social demands. Emergent progressive Jewish thought and discourse around ritual practice considers that it is possible to 'queer Halakhah' in a way which may indeed not rupture with tradition or be distinct from earlier forms of Rabbinic thought, enabling this project to contemplate non-linear and future oriented approaches to enhancing community well-being and re-connecting LGBTQI Jews to the wider Jewish community. The project will follow LGBTQI participants throughout the ritual cycle engaging with community members as they create and illustrate (on film) the processes of recreating ritual (e.g. LGBTQI Havurah; 'queer Seder'; alternative Purim parties and the incorporation of alternative translations into traditional Haggim (Yom Kippur/Rosh Hashanah) liturgy. The process of recreating ritual will lead to a film, presented in 'chapters', which may be used in educational settings, which will be launched at an end of project event in which philosophers, theologians and LGBTQI participants (some of whom may be members of the rabbinate) will discuss the meaning and process of such reconstructed ritual in recreating interleaved LGBTQI-Jewish identities. In addition, participants will engage with a 'ritual bricolage' project in which personally meaningful ritual objects are (re)viewed and presented through film, story, music or plastic art (in a format to be decided by the participants themselves), culminating in an exhibition which can be toured alongside the film product.

The ELEVATE project addresses the process of internationalisation of Moldovan higher education as the one that requires immediate national and institutional response and joint action. Enabling national HE bodies and HEIs to strategically manage comprehensive internationalisation in the provision of education, research, mobility and services are regarded to be the project’s overall objective and the main underpinning of Moldova’s accountable and complementary role in EHEA and ERA.The project's key target groups are Moldovan academics, researchers, students and administrators who are participating or wish to participate in international collaboration. The qualitative leap in the process of internationalisation they will benefit from stems from the project's main outcomes: 1. Creating and implementing national legislative that has been lacking to date: Accreditation Standards for Joint and Double degrees, National Strategy of Internationalisation of Higher Education and Research and National Strategy of Academic Mobility and Recognition of Degrees (in line with the National strategy Education 2020). 2. Developing and implementing effective university strategies on comprehensive internationalisation & academic mobility along with coherent institutional measures capable of steering internationalisation, improving institutional capacities for the growing participation in international projects.Through partnering with a large Joint venture company in Moldova, the ELEVATE addresses the link between employability and internationalisation, so as to raise public awareness of competences valued in the domestic and global labour markets. The project will transfer tailor-made know-how, best practices and expertise from the EU partners to app. 300 members of the Moldovan HE community (authorities, academics, students and staff) during the study visits and trainings and a much wider array of HE stakeholders during workshops and forums.

STINT emphasizes problems which are related to non conformities of procedures for recognition of qualifications in accordance with international documents within EHEA. Existing legislation in B&H concerning recognition of foreign qualifications hasn't been completely harmonized with Lisbon Recognition Convention. Without harmonized recognition procedures mobility of students, teachers and nonteaching staff can't be realized on the appropriate way. In comparison to internationalisation recognition mechanisms represents the cornerstone of the internationalisation of HE and mobility. The project activities are focused on institutional and national strengthening of internationalisation and recognition mechanisms. Projects outputs are oriented on detail analysis of current state in B&H, strengthening of HEIs through developing and implementing strategies and indicators for internationalization, improving national recognition model, improving HEIs capacities (human and physical), developing of criteria for assessing internationalisation and theirs incorporation in existing criteria for accreditation of HEIs.All project results will be published and available to public in order to ensure that different target groups achieve the projects benefits. Taking into consideration different cultural context, linguistic diversity, all important documents will be translated on local languages in order to be understandable and useful to wider audience, with respect that deeper project goals are focused on employment, continuation of education, cooperation with international institutions, etc.Expected impact of the project is modernisation of HE system in B&H as well as strengthening of HEIs capacities for internationalisation. Established and harmonized B&H recognition system should contribute to creating linkage between Lisbon Recognition Convention and EHEA Mobility Strategy 2020.

"Esteban Gonzalez Pons stated in his speech for the 60th anniversary of the Treaties of Roma in front of the European parliament: ""Europa is not a market, it is the will to live together. …"". However, this will and ability to live together is a process that starts in the schools and last as long as we live. Crucial role in that process is taken by the period of the university education and the academic years. These are times and the places where the young people learn to communicate efficiently and with respect to others opinion based on experience, knowledge, skills and abilities. It is up to the university professors along with students themselves to form specific attitudes not to be intolerant, ignorant or discriminative. Therefore, it is of extreme importance that the university professors & assistants are well prepared and educated to support students to argue and form their points without prejudices and complexes.Currently, in Romania and all partner countries there is no training or other course for university professors & assistants how to work in an intercultural & cross-cultural (ICC) environment. Although there some courses like ethno-pedagogy, ethno-psychology, intercultural teaching, etc. in the university programmes, it is still a great challenge for the professors themselves to work within an ICC environment given the fact that a good percentage of university students in Romania are from different ethnicity and different cultures. The rationale for the current project are multifold but the major are:• The university education is a stimulus & preparation for acquiring a profession and specialty in life. Therefore, the way the education is conducted in the university is of utmost importance for the subsequent development of the students.• Lack of national qualification & qualification programmes for university professors & assistants in ICC training & education in neither of the partners’ countries.• Unawareness of the university professors & assistants about the main and additional forms of pedagogical interaction in ICC educational environment.Therefore, the main aim of UniCulture project is to develop an innovative, holistic and interactive approach for training of university professors & teaching staff to conduct educational process in ICC environment.The specific objectives of the proposal shall be to:-Raise the awareness of the university professors & assistants about the need to adopt their teaching styles to the constantly changing and dynamic environment in the universities.-Develop the competences of the university professors & assistant in intercultural and cross-cultural communication with the students during and outside the lectures.-Stress the importance of proper and adequate intercultural & cross-cultural communication as a mean for better social inclusion of different cultural & vulnerable groups of students.The main target group of the project shall be the university professors & assistant that work on a daily basis in an environment that is getting more and more diverse, intercultural and demanding.UniCulture project will develop a holistic & integral approach targeting university professors & assistants. UniCulture training pack will include:1) Handbook for teaching staff to develop their personal & professional competencies how to work in ICC environment as well as how to overcome the ethnical stereotypes & prejudices in the educational process. It will guide the professors thought the contemporary approaches, methods and tools in ethno-pedagogy, ethno-phycology & intercultural education. 2) Workbook for teaching staff with practical examples & case studies on how the taught methods & techniques can be applied in everyday life. It will include also interactive tests & exercises that will support the teachers in the learning process.3) Manual for trainers to facilitate the conduction of UniCulture training course.4) Guide on intercultural communication & social inclusion that will provide the link between working in such environment & support the inclusion of vulnerable groups. The Guide will develop the needed competences in the professors & assistants to support the social inclusion process in the universities.UniCulture training pack will be created to support the university professors & assistants `to further develop their social & intercultural competences. It will provide the necessary theoretical and practical knowledge for recognition & application of interactive techniques for various forms of pedagogical interactions in ICC environment. Moreover, UniCulture will enhance the access & active participation of students from vulnerable groups & minorities in the educational & social processes in universities. Thus, it will foster the social inclusion and will fight the discrimination patterns in societies. UniCulture proposal shall be developed together by 3 universities, 2 NGOs & 1 associate university in response to all mentioned above topics & aims"

The warming of the climate system is unequivocal and continued emission of greenhouse gases will cause further warming and changes. Islands are particularly vulnerable to Climate Change (CC) consequences but the coarse spatial resolution of available projections makes it difficult to derive valid statements for islands. Moreover, science-based information about the economic impacts of CC in marine and maritime sectors is scarce, and current economic models lack of solid non-market assesment. Policy makers must have accurate information about likely impact chains and about the costs and benefits of possible strategies to implement efficient measures. SOCLIMPACT aims at modelling downscaled CC effects and their socioeconomic impacts in European islands for 2030–2100, in the context of the EU Blue Economy sectors, and assess corresponding decarbonisation and adaptation pathways, complementing current available projections for Europe, and nourishing actual economic models with non-market assessment, by: • Developing a thorough understanding on how CC will impact the EU islands located in different regions of the world. • Contributing to the improvement of the economic valuation of climate impacts by adopting revealed and stated preference methods. • Increasing the effectiveness of the economic modelling of climate impact chains, through the implementation of an integrated methodological framework (GINFORS, GEM-E3 and non-market indicators). • Facilitating climate-related policy decision making for Blue Growth, by ranking and mapping the more appropriate mitigation and adaptation strategies. • Delivering accurate information to policy makers, practitioners and other relevant stakeholders. SOCLIMPACT addresses completely this Work Programme providing advances in the economic valuation of climate-induced impacts, and in climate and economic models, allowing downscaled projections of complex impact chains, and facilitating the resilience capacity of these vulnerable lands.