On 6 February 2025 the UNWE organized and hosted a Mid-Term Meeting to review the activities of the R&I project Models and Instruments for Transforming Higher Education Systems through Transnational Multi-Sector Links since it started in January 2024.
The Project STUDIES-DIG No 101131544, coordinated by the UNWE, is a part of Horizon Europe – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation /2021-2027/ under the funding scheme of Marie Sklodowska–Curie Research and Innovation Staff Exchange – RISE. It is implemented by an international and multi-sector consortium, composed of academic and non-academic partners from Portugal, Romania, Turkiye, Morocco, Egypt and Bulgaria and its goal is to explore, design and deploy innovative and context sensitive solutions for transforming higher education systems in the digital era.
The STUDIES-DIG Mid-Term Review meeting was attended by Mr. Adam Walendzik, appointed by the European Commission for the Project Officer and the representatives from the following project partners: Unversity of National and World Economy /Bulgaria/, Instituto Universitario de Lisboa /Portugal/, Universitatea Babes Bolyai /Romania/, Middle East Technical University /Türkiye/, IBN Tofail University /Morocco/, Universite Abdelmalek Essaadi /Morocco/, Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport /Egypt/, Entidade De Servicos Partilhados da Administacao Publica IP /Portugal/, Novarge Bilisim Advertising Education Services INC /Türkiye/, Institute of Modern Politics /Bulgaria/, Rudozem Municipality /Bulgaria/, C.School for Creative Acts SRL /Romania/, and Association des Femmes Chefs D’entreprise du Maroc /Morocco/.
The Rector of UNWE Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov and the Vice-Rector for Educational Activity Prof. Dr. Matilda Alexandrova took part in the official opening and sent their welcome messages to the participants in the Mid-Term Review meeting.
The meeting agenda included sessions focused on different aspects of project activities implemented during the reporting period. A presentation on general status of the project, its objectives and results achieved was made by Prof. Dr. Polya Katsamunska, Project Coordinator. The scientific progress and the links between secondments, tasks, and WP1 deliverables was presented by Prof. David Ferraz /ISCTE, PT/, WP1 Leader on Auditing the state of digitalization and digital services.
The agenda also included sessions on training, transfer of knowledge and networking of the academic and non-academic partners and presentations of secondees and their contribution to the project and WP1. The general project management was another topic of discussion followed by presentations on the impact, communication and dissemination activities. These topics were presented by Prof. Bogdana Neam?u from UBB, RO and D.Sc. Zornitza Mladenova, representing the Municipality of Rudozem.
In addition, online meeting via the TEAMS link was conducted between the seconded staff members and the project officer. The online meeting with the representative of the European Research Executive Agency /REA/, Brussels was structured into two parts: one for early-stage researchers and another one for experienced researchers.
After the STUDIES-DIG Mid-Term Review meeting the Project Coordinator’s team organized workshop and networking activities on 7-8 February, 2025. The morning session of the project workshop included a panel discussion on project activities and work plan of secondments for WP2 and WP5, presented by Prof. Bogdana Neamtu from UBB, RO and Prof. Ömer Delialioglu from METU, TR.
A special session focused on knowledge sharing activities was conducted during the workshop. Keynote speakers from the government and academic sectors were invited to take part in it. Mr. Alexandar Yolovski, Deputy Minister of Electronic Governance made a presentation on the Digital Transformation Challenges in Bulgaria: The Public Sector and Assoc. Prof. Boyan Jekov from the University of Library Studies and Information Technologies /ULSIT/, Sofia and National Coordinator for Horizon Europe at the Ministry of Education and Science, Bulgaria, made a presentation on the Models and Instruments for Transforming Higher Education System: Bulgarian and Foreign Experience.
