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.

PAgES aims at contributing to the modernization of the HE in Libya through a bottom-up approach for the design and pilot of a Master Course in Cross-Media Journalism. The Master targets young people studying communication and young professionals, in the field of digital journalism. The Master Course will be designed by means of a participatory approach, involving teachers from the EU and Libya, students and journalists. Teachers will be provided with the required skills for the delivery of the Master through a set of CB initiatives: online Repository for Training Faculty, online Space for discussion and study visits at two EU universities. The length of the Master Course is of 2 year (120 ECTS), and it will be taught in English. The aim of the project is to promote a local expertise, and we expect the Master to be held in all Libyan Universities. The first year will be piloted during the lifetime of the project. Wider Objective
Contribute to the modernization of HE in Libya and support the implementation of the Bologna Process. Improve Journalistic skills of Libyan youth in order to contribute to the democratization process of the country. Libyan condition is aptly described by Freedom House, according to which“The fall of the Qadhafi regime lifted restrictions on the long-repressed media sector. Citizen journalism became more common, and media outlets publications multiplied in number. However, media freedom is increasingly limited and many journalists have censored themselves”. According to Reporters Without Borders, “political impasse” is making journalism risky and difficult: Libya ranks 163 out of 180 countries in the World Press Index, while it ranked 155 in 2011, the year of Qaddafi’s death. It is necessary to define new skills and engender a new awareness of the part played by information in the building of a democratic country. Euro-Mediterranean cooperation is of paramount importance, with respect to this goal.

Africa is a crucial player to tackle the world energy challenge since major global energy, climate and sustainable goals depend on the future of this region. Energy demand in Africa will increase by 50% from 2012 to 2040 according to the International Energy Agency. Altough African greenhouse gases will share around 5% of global emissions at 2040, major climate change impacts will hit this vulnerable region with extreme wheater events and socio-economic disruptions. Finally, the achievement of 2030 Sustainable Development goals will depend on how the access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy will be provided in Africa. Beyond these challenges, energy can be a game changer to promote sustainable development in Africa. Northern Africa has a key role because of its overlooking position on Europe, its historical tradition in the energy field and the huge potential in renewable sources. Libya has the largest proven oil reserves in Africa as well as a huge potential for renewable energy, however, the country still depends on fossil fuels. The current conflict and its reflection on the energy scene have made urget a transition of the national energy system. The overall objective of this proposal is to develop an innovative educational platform based on new courses and digital tools able to capture the disrupting changes of the future energy transition based on the growing use of renewable energy and access to modern energy services.A Master in Renewable and Sustainable Energy will be conceived basing on a multi-level approach to capacity building. In addition, the project aims to engage citizens in sustainability via the creation of a MOOC for citizens.In the long-term, this project will affect three target groups including 1) government, with an increase of economic development and job creation, 2) organization, with a multi-stakeholder commitment from the public to the private sector, and 3) individuals, with an increase of skills and engagement.

The Euro-African Network of Excellence for Innovation and Entrepreneurship - INSTART – aims at improving the knowledge triangle by promoting an effective Innovation culture in Higher Education, and starting up Innovative modes of association and interaction between Universities, Businesses and Society in order to enhance the socio-economic environment across the South Mediterranean Region (MED).The Consortium is composed of 4 Universities, and one Scientific and Technological Park from EU countries - Spain, Portugal, Italy and Poland- and 12 Universities from Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia with support from social partners as Chambers of Commerce, Clusters, Networks and Associations from these MED countries. Making university’s activities more visible and accessible to companies and other stakeholders is important to contribute to economic growth by combining their collective knowledge and skills. The INSTART project develops innovative mechanisms to promote University Excellence in Innovation and Entrepreneurship and to increase University-business cooperation through the Mediterranean. To catch up on knowledge production, INSTART will implement the training Transversal Accelerator Program with innovative learning tools for different targets groups (professors, technical, graduates, postgraduates), focuses on new skills in Innovation and Entrepreneurship having a transversal impact on interesting disciplines for the Region (as Agriculture, Economics, Education and Engineering). In order to improve the capacities, create and reinforce structures of Innovation at the MED Universities, the project will develop a training Program including a visit period in Europe, and thus starting a best practice transfer Systems for long-term cooperation between MED-EU Universities. INSTART project is designed to encourage Mediterranean Higher Education Institutions to become a referent for innovation and entrepreneurship in the labour market and society as a whole.

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.