Montanuniversität Leoben

EURECA-PRO European University on Responsible Consumption and Production

EURECA-PRO holistically contributes to the highly topical issue of Sustainable Consumption & Production under SDG 12. Moreover, it effectively supports the transformation of the EHEA under SDG 4.

Objectives

EURECA-PRO has a two-fold mission. Through its novel approach, on the one hand, EURECA-PRO holistically contributes to the highly topical issue of Sustainable Consumption and Production under the umbrella of Sustainable Development Goal 12, and on the other hand, it effectively contributes to the transformation of the European Higher Education Area complimentarily to Sustainable Development Goal 4. The basis of human societal existence is a complex interaction between social, environmental and industrial aspects resulting in the consumption of the environment for wealth generation. In combination with the actual scope of human industrial activity and population development this has led to a currently exceptional planetary situation which is characterized by unprecedented environmental pressures. Innovation is the key to reaching the targeted CO₂ reduction and associated sustainability practices of the EU Green Deal until 2050. Its realisation is based on new technologies and processes that integrate primary and secondary resource material flows and efficient resource use in the sense of a Circular Economy as well as substitution of non SDG12, Planetary Boundaries or Climate Neutrality compliant resources. Furthermore, responsible consumption behaviours that are aligned with societal expectations concerning the fight against climate change, biodiversity loss or atmospheric and land system changes are required. Inclusive, borderless and integrated European Education is the key to reaching more competent and skilled graduates that can contribute to this grand European societal challenge. System and context-oriented, interdisciplinary approaches ensure that graduates grasp the complexity of the systems and that only through working together, across expertise fields and borders solutions can be generated. A STEAM oriented approach, involving two or more standards from Science, Technology, Engineering, Math and the Arts to be taught AND assessed in and through each other ensures a heightened interdependency awareness. An understanding for culturally induced system constitutions and behaviours through extensive mobility is the foundation of a more interconnected approach for the design of a green future. EURECA-PRO shapes the prosperous European societal, environmental and economic development and contributes to Europe’s global competitiveness.

Background

The consortium spreads across 7 countries with 8 universities. - M O N T A N U N I V E R S I T Ä T L E O B E N, A U S T R I A - U N I V E R S I D A D D E L E Ó N, S P A I N - TU B E R G A K A D E M I E F R E I B E R G, G E R M A N Y - P O L Y T E C H N E I O K R I T I S, G R E E C E - U N I V E R S I T A T E A D I N P E T R O Ș A N I, R O M A N I A - H O C H S C H U L E M I T T W E I D A, G E R M A N Y - P O L I T E C H N I K A Ś L Ą S K A, P O L A N D - U N I V E R S I T E I T H A S S E L T, B E L G I U M

(Implemented) Activities

By 2025: - EURECA-PRO runs a joint European Sustainable Consumption and Production degree programme that encompasses all 3 cycles and finishes with a Degree in European Studies on all three levels (BESt, MESt and PhD-ESt). The programmes will be very flexible in terms of organisation and content. Students participate in courses face-toface but also virtually, full- and part-time and cross disciplinary. They can design their own tracks and majors which takes them across many of the partners’ institutions, leading to a wide variety of graduates with deep specialisations and cohesive understanding of social responsibility, thus covering the complex scope of the endeavour. To provide inclusive access a Supplementary ESt Module (SupplESt) is designed for bachelor students of any university that can serve as an all inclusive gateway to the MESt programme. - All Complementary Mobility Offerings for the three cycle programmes are running. The QUEST introductory summer school takes first year students across all partner institutions and introduces themselves in interactive ways to the basic concepts of EURECA-PRO, the partner universities and their philosophies, the history, concepts and cultural values of Europe, the Sustainable Development Goals and basic concepts of Circular Material Flows and associated complexities, Problem-based Learning Approaches as well as Innovation & Entrepreneurship. A three week PhD Journey takes students in the third cycle across 3 different participating universities every year, where they participate in organized seminars, brown bag sessions, lab sessions, pitching circles, excursions, micro coursed and informal discussion circles. Lighthouse Research Missions are established and cross-institutional research groups yield promising research results that flow into the practical education of the ESt programme. Each participating university focuses on their complementary expertise areas to achieve complementarity and an enhanced level of interdisciplinary research results. Society and industry are actively involved in the knowledge creation process. - A Digital Master Platform and its respective sub-platforms is created. It facilitates collaboration amongst partners and students, joint administration and outreach to society and industry. The master platform has several branches that focus on the areas of interest and includes a platform for student discourse, administration, open science societal and industry discussion, pedagogics and education, transversal skills training, innovation and entrepreneurship. - EURECA-PRO has established effective structures for the cross-disciplinary implantation of its Transversal Skills Portfolio. This comprises skills in languages, cultures, mobility, sustainability, resource efficiency, digitalization, virtual campus use and new methodology application. The skills aim at raising community awareness of researchers, teachers, staff and students for all partners and European cultures in general, including culturally induced behaviours beliefs and values, languages, citizen action and living practices. They also aim at raising skills in cross-competences such as digitalization. - Facilitation Measures such as joint admission, automatic recognition, flexible housing and administration arrangements, simplification of mobility administration and increase of staff mobility are achieved to reduce existing administrative barriers as well as mobility obstacles. This ensures academic freedom, equal participation of students and staff in free mobility. - The Innovation Academy and Technology and Innovation Transfer Centre is established. The Innovation Academy connects existing and developing Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centres of the partners and draws on their complementarity. The Technology and Innovation Transfer centre connects existing and developing Technology and Innovation Transfer Offices in order to provide transfer know-how, ideas, technologies, innovations and patents from the university to economic contexts. - EURECA-PRO is specialized in utilizing Innovative Pedagogic Methodologies and Educational Tools in the classroom. Through an assessment of innovative new methods of teaching the most suitable ones are deducted and are adapted to EURECAPRO needs. Additionally, existing expertise in problem-based teaching is specifically applied. Digital tools such as augmented and virtual reality are applied with efficient contributions of already existing frameworks of the partners and necessary adaptions and extensions of these. - The Governance Phase II "Connecting ways towards 2040" is in full operation with an established virtual administration and all remaining digital platform branches implemented. The Governance structure of the European University and all its associated groups and committees is competent in working, deciding and mitigating jointly. The implemented structures that are charted to evolve with time, provide room for student and staff participation in design and creation processes in a transparent way through the establishment of an education, research and student and transversal skill council. Decision making processes are completed through the board of rectors. A management and external advisory board is established.

Results

SYSTEMATIC SOCIETAL KNOWLEDGE CREATION - applying interdisciplinary research methods - grasping complex system set-ups and interdependencies - contributing to solving the environmental challenges of the present - systemic and integrated solutions - developing frameworks for responsible consumption and production - communication across fields and borders - incorporating real systemic challenges from industry and civic society - creating system pictures and Lighthouse Missions INNOVATION & SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP BIOTOPE - transforming into an entrepreneurially devised T-shaped student - contributing to think tanks - profiting from the Knowledge Transfer Centre networks - excelling in innovation trainings - utilizing the Innovation Academy - sharing innovation mechanisms - enhancing creativity and innovation capacity TRANSVERSAL EUROPEAN SKILLS AND VALUES - moving freely across cultural and economic landscapes - fostering the European Green Deal through virtual mobilty and blended learning - and implementing green mobility - comprehending languages and cultures - building social cohesion and responsible citizenship - minding health and safety - being employed in a crucially important European system - creating common values and a shared philosophy - ensuring equal possibilties and participation for everyone in accordance to SDG4 STUDENT-CENTRED / CHALLENGE-BASED / CO-CREATED EDUCATION - participation of students in design processes - receiving a European Studies degree - experiencing problem-based learning factories - mastering challenge-based team-internships - authoring learning passports for individual tracks - forming practical links to a thematic focus DIGITAL ACCESS - accessing knowledge bases efficiently - collaborating virtually - administrating transparently in the digital space - applying digital tools - AR and VR in classrooms - making classrooms flexible in time and space - sharing a virtual campus - transferring knowledge into society - including industry in the dialogue - realising life-long learning and training BY 2025 EURECA-PRO is well-known throughout Europe for its competence as an educational core hub and interdisciplinary research and innovation leader in qualitative environmental and social framework development for sustainable consumption and production of goods as well as responsible systems design. It is a major innovation contributor to the realisation of the EU Green Deal and develops new technologies and processes that integrate primary and secondary resource material flows and efficient resource use in the sense of a Circular Economy. It delineates responsible consumption behaviours that are aligned with societal expectations as well as the Planetary Boundaries. It is a role model for civic engagement, equal participation and transparent joint governance as well as shared fundamental philosophies, common values and solutionoriented approaches regarding social cohesion, responsible citizenship and humanhood. The Alliance has established all necessary mechanisms to ensure academic freedom and development of free mobility throughout Europe. It has implemented effectively all necessary communication channels, dissemination and science communication measures to reach out to society.

Lessons learned

One of the goals of European University Alliances is to identify barriers in cooperation within Europe. It was expected that du to the implementation of the Bologna system the anticipated implementation of all the joint programmes and activities would be a smooth process. However, it seems that the barriers that still exist in the cooperation between HEIs within Europe are still very present and manifold and that each institution has slightly different ideas on how to incorporate Bologna according to their internal structures. Some do not even have Bologna implemented which came as a surprise to many. The process of implementation of specific activities takes much longer as was anticipated due to this fact as many structural reforms have to precede this. The willingness of all involved parties to make this alliance and the long-term vision work is astounding, however. The consortium has become a big family and despite random and yet frequent intercultural misunderstandings due to different cultural communication patterns and habits among the members the relationships are very positive and a lot is learnt from one another constantly. New insights are gained everyday about each other.

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