Empirically informing a European theory of justice is a complex and challenging endeavour, however the emergence of current social crisis, and the resulting inequalities and unfairness, bring about the need to revise the premises that facilitate translation of the theory into concrete guidance to effective social policies and coherent programs and practices. To respond to this challenge, a trans-disciplinary Consortium has been organized to provide a comprehensive series of empirical data, in different ecological levels, in order to understand differences in perceptions of inequality. Through a case study on an extreme expression of inequality and unfairness - LONG-TERM HOMELESSNESS – organized in a multi-method and convergent design, HOME_EU is focused on understanding: a) How much inequality do EU Citizens accept regarding Homelessness; b) How the people with a lived-experience of Homelessness (both present and past) perceive the opportunities, choices and capability gains with the services and the existing social policies; c) What strategies consider the service providers to be more effective in reversing Homelessness; d) How social policies and policy key stakeholders contribute to effectively reverse Homelessness; and e) Develop a generalizable indicator (correlating the different ecological levels of analysis) based on the data gathered by each partner country on the key elements of policy and program efficacy. We believe that with this journey into an extreme situation, we are able to generate translational knowledge about the ecology of long-term Homelessness and contribute towards the advancement of an empirically based EU theory & practice of justice as fairness.

Tertiary education is most important for an educated society aiming for social equity, justice and a responsible citizenship. For higher education (HEd), the drop-out rate is an indicator for (in)efficiency. For the student, a complete drop-out from the education system is related to high personal and social costs. Despite various efforts in recent years still too many students in the EU drop out before they graduate. To prevent students from dropping out many universities increased their measures of support for students. But just providing unrelated services shows not to be sufficient. Universities need a holistic support system, with inter-related elements targeting different needs of a heterogeneous student body.ObjectivesTo tackle the issues mentioned above, the main objective of the project was to prevent students from dropping out of the HEd system by fostering their reflection processes, giving them the possibility to learn significant strategies based on their individual needs and showing them the broad but focused range of support available at their university and beyond. Institutionally, the project aimed at providing universities with an online platform, that enables a concentration of information of their support services, a delivery of these information individualized to issues of a particular student and a set of online learning modules that can increase students’ skills.Outcomes and productsIn more detail these objectives included the following activities and products: 1. Literature Review and Conceptualization. This output provides the overarching theoretical framework for the project and conceptualizes the need and the linkage between the Self-Reflection Tool (SRT) (IO2) and the content of the Online Learning Platform (IO3). This paper is an important contribution to the comparative research and prevention of drop-out in HE in Europe, considering that provides a state-of-the-art in the field of drop-out and adaptation to the University and includes indications on how Higher Education institutions can promote successful adaptation and decrease drop-out rates. The literature review guided the development of the following steps and outputs so that the conceptualization of the project is theory and evidence-based.2. The development of an online self-reflection tool (SRT 2.0/2.1) that helps students to reflect on their study situation, receive a feedback and identify potential fields of risk. This tool serves as an “early warning system” for students. The results can, for instance, be taken to personal advisory and channel this process. The detailed feedback, besides given information on the measured construct and more specific information on the results obtained, also directs students to the online learning platform. 3. The provision of adequate measures of support for students who face the risk of dropping out by: a) a self-directed online training platform conceptualised and designed in accordance with contemporary approaches to education process, andb) an individualized bundle of information on sources of support at the universities and beyond.The online training platform includes 6 modules all connected to the measures from scales incorporated in in the SRT and to the feedback provided by it. The information given about the sources of support is provided based on four different profiles of students and, in some cases, is linked to the feedback provided by the self-reflection tool. Target groups and participants: a) The main target group of the project are HEd students The universities that can use the platform (partner Universities and two others in each country) cover about 450 000 – 500 000 students.b) The university support system represented by their student advisors. They can use the tools and products of the project to support and focus the advisory process.c) Universities at large were targeted by the project to implement and adapt the web platform for their own institution (a total of 16 Universities have their own versions of SUnStAR)Impact Students will profit from using the SUnStAR platform by an enhanced reflection process, learning of relevant skills and receiving individualized information. Universities can improve their image and efficiency by holistic counselling and advisory services. Also, these services can be improved by directing students seeking support to the right service. Furthermore, students receive information on how they perceive their study situation and become better aware of their strengths and weaknesses in relation to their studies to adjust their own measures of support. Finally, with all these services more students will be better supported so that they will be more likely to complete their studies . Consequently, by reducing the drop-out rate more heavily needed skilled employees will enter the labour market.On EU-level, the project outcomes can strengthen the goal attainment on graduation from higher education set by the EU.

Child care is an area that includes practitioners who have been trained in a formal setting, or have learned by experience or through a planned setting with no learning objectives. Informal childcare plays an important role in European countries, as parents increasingly use it, sometimes in combination with formal care. Nevertheless, child care provisions in the EU differ substantially regarding existing structures and systems, workforce qualifications, and as a result in childcare coverage rates and quality.VALCHILD aimed to tackle this deficit/challenge by assessing informal childminders’ prior learning against pre-set guidelines through a purpose-made and scientifically grounded validation scheme that can be adopted in a European context. Further to this, the project also aimed to facilitate the training provision for childminders by enabling VET providers to improve and customize training programs that match the learners’ different levels of learning. In particular, project objectives involved: 1) developing a validation mechanism, including a toolbox and a recommendation & certification scheme for childminders to make their knowledge, skills, and competences recognised and visible, 2) supporting low-skilled childminders to seek personalised learning pathways for further training and qualifications, and 3) supporting the integration of harmonised validation practices by relevant stakeholders across the EU, by anchoring the VALCHILD validation framework to existing best practices and EU priorities.The partnership comprised 5 partners with complementary skills and long experience and expertise in the childminding sector and in recognition of skills. ECI, IPERIA, ESEIMU, ISPA hold a long-standing expertise in the childminding sector, practices, training, education and support of occupational interests for informal childminders. EC-VPL has significant experience in the Validation of Non-formal and Informal Learning, and lifelong learning-strategies. PROMEA brought significant Research and Development capacities and experience in the implementation of training activities and the delivery of innovative learning methodologies.Main project activities involved: a) setting evidence-based criteria and requirements for the validation of informal and non-formal learning in the wider area of childcare, based on extended research on existing validation practices, b) developing an assessment toolbox for assessing and validating childminders’ prior learning, c) delivering recommendations and a certification scheme to provide learners with feedback and guidance on further learning and/ or certification, d) carrying out pilot sessions to evaluate VALCHILD outputs & assessment material, e) involving key policy makers and stakeholders in the (social) recognition and mainstreaming of project results, and f) sharing and validating outputs with multiplier events, inviting target groups to uptake VALCHILD results and to act as further disseminators.•Criteria and requirements for the validation of informal and non-formal learning in the childcare field.•A toolbox with evaluation materials, examination processes and documentation methods for the recognition of childminders' previously acquired skills and knowledge.•A recommendations and certification scheme to supplement the validation toolbox, providing guidance to informal child-minders on further learning and certification (O3).•A handbook on the use of the VALCHILD framework by validation practitioners (toolbox and recommendations/certification scheme) •A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and a position paper to influence and support policy making to further simplifying the transparency and recognition of skills and qualifications across Europe (O4). •Three workshops in Ireland, France, and Portugal to run a pilot test of the VALCHILD assessment & validation framework (E1-E2-E3)•Two national information days in Greece, and the Netherlands to share and disseminate project results (E4-E5).Finally, the project’s long-term benefits: -Raised awareness and improved childminders’ capacity, especially the low-skilled, for validation and/or certification through VALCHILD assessment and validation mechanism.-Informed and enabled VET providers, career-related stakeholders and other educational & training entities to connect childminders with the labour market by integrating VALCHILD validation materials and tools in their existing practices and by cooperating with public and private sector stakeholders to promote transparency, social inclusion and better employability for childminders.-Social partners, sector representative and VET national and EU authorities benefited from VALCHILD framework for the recognition of childminding skills in line with European reference tools (EQF, ECVET, and ESCO).

The participation in the project of individual mobilities for learning purposes of Key Action 1 of Erasmus Plus Programme has played an important role in ISPA's internationalisation strategy. Under the Call 2014, 12 student mobilities for studies and 2 staff mobilities have taken place. The outcome for our students were, apart from the obvious cultural and linguistic enrichment, the development of skills which will enable them to succeed throughout their personal and professional lives. The participation of staff elements erasmus training mobilities give us the opportunity to share and incorporate good practice procedures. It is also possible to create contacts to form new partnerships.

The growing recognition that biological diversity is a global asset of tremendous value to present and future generations has underpinned a number of multilateral environmental policy agreements, including the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020. Implementing these agreements requires a global-scale cooperation among conservation scientists to collect, mobilise and synthesise biodiversity data and ecological knowledge, and translating them directly into recommendations for conservation action and indicators of progress towards meeting internationally agreed goals and targets. Inspire4Nature’s purpose is to contribute to the formation of a new generation of creative, entrepreneurial and innovative early-stage researchers by providing them with both research-related and transferable skills which will enable them to work at this science-policy interface, converting their knowledge and ideas into tools for tackling complex global environmental problems. To do so, we propose an ambitious training programme combining individual research projects (leading to PhD degrees) of a high scientific standard strategically positioned at the science-policy interface in biodiversity conservation with a rich network-wide training programme including training events and joint projects that will provide the ESRs with a wide diversity of scientific, communication and project management skills. The Consortium’s strength comes from an unprecedented collaboration between academic and non-academic conservation organisations that will generate in the European research area a unique focus of professional training at the interface between conservation science and policy.