"The DECODE Sustainability project aims at fostering the institutionalisation of Sustainable Development in university department to spearhead their contributions to sustainability, aimed necessary for addressing challenges in European societies, industries and economies. The DECODE Sustainability project will develop a tool-based process to ensure an innovative, relevant and dynamic upskilling and collaborative approach that stimulates entrepreneurial and engaged thinking and acting in deans, aiming at strengthening their commitment and decisions towards increasing sustainability impacts.Higher Education is considered a pre-requisite in the advancement of sustainability due to their mandate of creating knowledge and forming new leaders with the competences and vision to foster change (EC 2019; Cheeseman 2019). However, HEI efforts, although echoed across national strategies and policies, remain at an operational level that has yet to transcend to a systemic embeddedness (UNESCO 2015). The DECODE Sustainability project addresses the need of strengthening the link between HE and sustainability by providing HEIs with a suitable tool-based process to institutionalise SD at the department level and contribute to its impact.To accomplish its primary goal of institutionalising SD at departmental level, the project puts HEI deans in the focus. HEI deans are often regarded as the main driving force behind strategic initiatives such as SD, yet the assumption that HEI deans possess the relevant skills to ensure strategising and operationalising SD often does not hold waters. In the practical domains HEI deans struggle to pursue this aim, due to the lack of clear goals, and unknown barriers and strengths (GUNi, 2019). Currently, HEI SD initiatives hinge on curricula development and student initiatives (Mula 2017). However, a lively enacting of SD in HEI is scarce and demands a transformation starting from individual mind-sets towards SD, fostering departmental change. DECODE Sustainability pillars are entrepreneurship and engagement as the vehicle to enable such change as it empowers staff to create public value, as prioritised by the Renewed EU Agenda for Higher Education (EC 2017).The principal aim of the DECODE Sustainability project is creating departmental governance changes that are effective and efficient in the creation of sustainability impact. For this purpose, the project will:1)Facilitate the identification and understanding of key challenges and opportunities in integrating SD into HEI departments 2)Create a vibrant ""sustainability community"" of deans and their representatives 3)Dissect the complex task of departmental SD integration into smaller pieces (process steps, tools)4)Foster deans’ abilities to integrate SD as a corner stone of their academic unit 5)Create a clear path and decisions to increase departmental contributions to SD Project approach and outputsThe DECODE Sustainability project will (1) establish a baseline report to ascertain SD needs in HEI, (2) design innovative tools and training program to upskill deans and representatives in SD through entrepreneurial and engaged thinking and acting, (3) facilitate communication and share of experiences of deans and representatives towards enhancing SD impacts in their departments, and (4) provide a tool-based process to roadmap future action towards SD impact. The project includes five intellectual outputs:IO1 – DECODE HEI Sustainability Analysis: a mapping of the status of the integration of SD within academic units at HEIsIO2 – DECODE Deans Council and Platform: an implementation framework for the Council creation, and a web-based platform (DECODE Connect) for interaction, collaboration and peer-learningIO3 – DECODE Toolkit: a collection of instruments and best practices supporting systemic change in university departmentsIO4 – DECODE Impact Pathways and Impact Roadmaps Framework: a framework for generic Impact Pathways to advance departmental contributions to sustainability, and a framework for the creation of department-specific Impact Roadmaps (based on generic Pathways) which will outline the guide actions to promote positive changeIO5 – DECODE Empowerment Program for Impact Roadmap Design: a training program aimed at equipping deans and their representatives for sustainability with the right knowledge, skills and tools to design a department-specific Impact Roadmap The outputs will(1) decode the complex task of SD integration in academia into a comprehensible and manageable tool-supported process(2) contribute to positioning SD at a tactical level and equip deans and their representatives with the right knowledge, skills and peer-learning mechanisms(3) create substantial advancements in SD integration in departments through a holistic framework that is comprehensive in scope whilst easy to implement in practice"

EU Commission encourages the implementation of an inclusive green economy, able to generate growth, create jobs and reduce poverty through sustainable management. Most initiatives delivered leave behind social enterprises - a strong job creator and business developer reaching 2.8 million social economy enterprises in EU, employing about 19.1 million people. An overview from partner countries showed that progress arose on circular economy training, but yet with little expression, and it’s a fact that no partner has specific training measures for social enterprises.CIRCULAR LOOPS aims to foster the approach of circular economy in social enterprises, by promoting the concept of social circular economy. The project looks for the creation of a transferable package of resources to improve knowledge about social circular economy in each context. Circular Loops objectives are:_To identify social economy practices across partner countries, its characteristic and key successful factors;_To co-create a creative methodology and methods to support managers of social enterprises to introduce circular economy in their businesses; _ To setup a learning programme for managers of social enterprises to boost social circular economy practices;_To adapt the ‘social circular business model canvas (SCBMC)’ into digital and using a strategic design approach;_To design and implement a peer-mentoring programme for social enterprises to guide them into the process of ‘go circular’.To achieve these objectives, partners develop 3 intellectual outputs:IO1-Mapping the Scene: inspiring practices and methodology to go social circular: methodological framework starting with an onsite analysis of each partner country regarding practices being implemented and which could inspire innovation;IO2- Enabling solution for social enterprises to ‘go circular’: systemic and integrative learning programme, which comprises the implementation of the methodology created (IO1), a online learning platform for distance learning and interaction, a board game tol help managers of social enterprises and mentors to develop and monitor the process, and f2f and online learning materials to expand the knowledge of managers of social enterprises;IO3 - Peer-mentoring programme: group mentoring process to support and advise managers of social enterprises to implement circular economy principles in their businesses.Circular Loops expected results are:_35 inspiring practices from social enterprises to incorporate circular economy documented in 1 catalogue_20 techniques which compose 1 methodology for development of circular economy in social enterprises_1 online learning platform for digital learning, embedding the process of ‘go circular’_1 course curricula to guide the learning programme_12 face-to-face materials, 18 online materials and 1 step-by-step process available through the online learning platform, composing 1 learning programme to boost circular economy for social enterprises_1 board game by challenging managers of social enterprises and mentors to develop and monitor the process_6 specific resources for mentors within 1 peer-mentoring programme created to support directly managers of social enterprises, covering group mentoring (goal-oriented model/ structure) and packed into 1 instruction manual for mentors_1 instruction guide for social enterprises, on how to use the methodology, methods and the game_24 social enterprises involved in the collection and validation of inspiring practices _72 consumers involved in the research phase (IO1) _36 experts in the field involved in the validation of IO1_108 managers of social enterprises engaged in the learning programme _6 trainers involved_18 volunteer mentors involved_235 stakeholders, managers of social enterprises, experts in circular economy and social business, adult educators, business advisors, advocates, policy-makers, among others, in multiplier events_723 people accessing the online learning platform_20 staff and volunteers members of partner countries reached by 1 short term joint staff training_6 transnational project meetings, involving a total of 62 representatives of the partner organisations, from 6 different countries_6 validation workshops within IO1_12 pilot events for the learning and mentoring programme _54 group mentoring sessions _12 multiplier events, including 1 final conference_6 country reports on the experimentation phase and 1 pilot reportAt the end of the project, partners foresee that managers of social enterprises successfully complete the learning and mentoring programme, rating it with good satisfaction, being committed with a circular economy implementation plan and disclaiming it to customers and suppliers. Moreover, partners look for requests from managers of social enterprises for further training and capacity-building for their staff.

WATERLINE aims to create a European Digital Water Higher Education Institution (HEI) Alliance, based on the quadruple helix model of innovation, leading to the development of the Alliance’s research, educational and entrepreneurship capacities. This shall leverage the individual, institutional and regional resources required for a transformative structural and sustainable learning and innovation environment. To achieve this, WATERLINE has five specific objectives: (1) support consolidation of the Alliance by co-creating a common governance framework, and a Research & Innovation (R&I) capacity building plan; (2) co-create a portfolio of water components for Master level and transform emulative laboratories in partner Widening HEIs into assisted and virtual reality. These structural changes will lead to transformed and more competitive R&I HEIs; (3) strengthen WATERLINE researchers’ R&I capacity excellence by implementing activities, such as summer schools to enhance education and R&I skills, and proposal writing workshop; (4) build a European network of academics/researchers who, together with quadruple helix actors, will allow knowledge flow in water domains and extended reality technologies. This allows greater involvement of regional actors in the R&I process and enhances one of the major societal challenges: water-related education. Moreover, it will strengthen academic and business links through academia-to-business meetings and a hackathon to mainstream entrepreneurship mindsets. WATERLINE will, finally, (5) sustain the alliance by, (i) establishing ambassador networks, (ii) identifying the R&I funding landscape, thus increasing participation in HE and the mobilisation of resources in the water sphere, and (iii) creating synergies with EU initiatives, institutions, other projects and networks.

CONTEXT: The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the digital transition within VET, leading to a steep rise in online/remote teaching. Despite the many positive aspects of this catalytic change towards digitalization, the speed of the transformation has left little time to address the risks involved. Teachers in particular face a higher risk of digital overload or burnout than ever before. Long hours sitting in front of artificially lit screens, improvised home settings, the challenge of communicating effectively online and the constant flow of communications from bosses, colleagues and students present them with a radically new set of challenges. Growing scientific evidence from workers in digital environments has shown that unconstrained use of devices can have strong negative consequences. Multitasking and constant notifications are associated with lower levels of creativity and concentration, the difficulty of effective interpersonal communication causes higher stress, while heavy screen use is linked to eyesight problems and headaches . Collectively called “technostress” these issues are caused both by the technology AND by organisational expectations, and lead to deterioration in productivity/performance and in employees’ mental and physical health. Our Partner organisations report VET schools suffering staff shortages and increasing levels of absence due to digitally induced stress and it is not surprising that as far back as 2016 the influential JISC framework placed five other digital capabilities within the overarching capability of digital identity and wellbeing. TARGET GROUPS / NEEDS For this reason, Digital Balance targets two groups a)VET teachers. In 2019 only 39% of teachers in the EU felt well prepared for using digital technologies in daily work and the EC’s recent consultation on Digital Education Action Plan showed that more than 50% of respondents plan to further enhance digital skills in response to the Covid crisis.b)VET management and department heads (often teachers themselves). Their work is diverse but they share a common challenge: how to optimise digital teaching and the use of technology without compromising staff’s performance and wellbeing. They need greater awareness and knowledge to lead change in organisational policy and practice.OBJECTIVES & ACTIVITIESWorking with these two groups, our objective is clear: design, develop and implement a new approach to train VET teachers, leaders and managers in digital wellbeing. The end result will be to improve educators’ own digital competences, while also boosting the capacity of VET institutions to manage the digital transition in a way that marries high quality teaching with the wellbeing of those involved. Our specific objectives are: a)Produce 3 new resources that enable the integration of policy and practice to support digital wellbeing for teachers and encourage proactive behaviour at personal level. Namely; IO1 Digital Balance Analysis Report, IO2 Digital Wellbeing Resource Park, IO3 Digital Balance Empowerment Programmeb)Rigorously use, test and refine the resources in collaboration with 72 managers/department heads and 96 teachers, optimising their effectiveness and readying partners for immediate implementation.c)Ensure strong uptake of the resources with a persuasive dissemination campaign so that 840 VET managers, department heads and teachers use the resources in the project lifespan, with hundreds more after completion.IMPACT:Digital Balance will boost the capacity of VET institutions to manage the digital transition in a way that marries high quality teaching with the wellbeing and long-term productivity of those involved.The project makes a clear contribution to targeting organisational level change across a wide range of different types of VET organisations and the dissemination strategy will target regional and national stakeholders and policy makers. For this reason, we are sure that Digital Balance can contribute to substantial change in our wider VET systems at regional and national level AND ensure that VET is not left behind by other sectors which are more digitally competent.At national and international level, Digital balance is a very timely and relevant project in light of the Digital Education Plan, especially components of digital readiness, and in light of the ongoing work to define, build and evaluate digital competences in education. Dig Comp, Dig Comp Edu and Dig Comp Org have been circulating as frameworks for competence development for many years now, but their impact has been limited, especially in VET. Recently digital pedagogical competences have been advanced, but wellbeing and professional digital competences are often left out. Digital balance will address this gap and enhance the practical value of the frameworks to the lives of teachers and VET institutions.

Higher education sector is an area with high potential and relevance for the overall development of Albanian society and economy. For a pro-European development of the country, young academics, researchers, project managers, innovators and students are of crucial importance. Thus, it is a main motivation for this consortium to enhance an enabling higher education environment that supports university to society collaborations in order to co-produce knowledge and research with impact that is not only academically insightful, but also applicable to the development of Albania in light of European integration. The project strengthens institutional and human resources capacities in HEIs in Albania through the establishment of Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Brokerage unit (USIA) that link in an institutionalised and sustainable way university to business, government, civil society and media. The capacity building programme, models, guidelines, best practices, strategies and pilot programmes of cooperation (Second a Researcher, Policy Lab, Policy Challenge Fund) contribute to modernisation of HEIs governance and their integration in European Higher Education area. USIA will set up partnerships and launch collaborative projects between university and business sector, SMEs, start-ups, NGOs, CSOs, think tanks, public bodies and media with the aim to co-produce knowledge and research that are applicable to local priorities. The project will establish and expand a Quadruple Helix network and online platform which will offer networking, matchmaking, brokerage, dissemination, competences development, support and valorisation for academic and non-academic actors. The project widens participation in Erasmus+ CBHE by bringing together different typology of HEIs in Albania and actors from civil society, public and private sector. The project prioritises women in academia, research and innovation.