The project aims to promote social innovation and entrepreneurship in water management through advanced technologies in harvesting and desalination practices. Acting4Water partners will develop educational resources and activities to raise awareness and address water scarcity through business-academia synergies. In particular, the project focuses on integrating citizen science in university courses regarding water scarcity as a means of encouraging civic engagement and advocacy.
The Acting4Water project is structured on an innovative business-academia-society cooperation to offer a multidimensional open training programme to academic communities as well as to the general public. Acting4Water aims to enhance education related to water scarcity, and will this conduct a landscape analysis of the existing training practices to identify their effectiveness and explore emerging new directions.
NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences
NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences (NHL) is a Dutch higher education institution that was created as a result of the merger of NHL University of Applied Sciences and Stenden University in 2018. NHL Stenden is one of the largest universities of applied sciences in the Netherlands. Precisely, as of the academic year 2021-2022, NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences has a total student population of approximately 24,000 students, including both full-time and part-time students. The university employs over 2,000 staff members, including professors, lecturers, and administrative personnel, to support the academic and operational needs of the institution. The exact number of professors at NHL Stenden may vary from year to year, as the university employs both full-time and part-time faculty members, depending on the needs of each program.
University of the Aegean
University of the Aegean (UA) was founded in 1984 aiming to introduce new approaches in higher education in Greece and worldwide and to promote regional development. Situated in 6 picturesque islands in the Aegean Archipelago, the UA offers a unique natural, cultural, and human environment for modern studies in the ancient cradle of knowledge. It has a population of 16.000+ undergraduate students, 2.100+ postgraduate students, 350+ teaching staff and 250+ administrative staff.
In less than thirty years, the UA has evolved into an international research–oriented University offering 18 undergraduate (BA or BSc) and 40+ postgraduate (MA or MSc) programs in modern interdisciplinary thematic areas such as environment, communication systems, cultural informatics, product design, food and nutrition sciences, educational design and Mediterranean studies. In addition, the UA has established joined international postgraduate programs (i.e. in Biodiversity, Environmental Policy and Management, European Integration, Global Innovation and Sustainability in the Food Industry and Nutrition ) as well as joined PhD degree programs in a wide range of thematic areas.
UA has received consistently excellent feedback in evaluations that have taken place at national, European, and international level, because of the study programs offered by the institution and its competitive research programs. In 2016, UA was classified as the top-rated university in Greece, evaluated by the Hellenic Quality Assurance and Accreditation Agency (HQA).
The University of Girona
The University of Girona (UG) is one of the main economic and cultural drivers of the province of Girona, located in the North East of Catalonia (Spain). UG enrolls 15.000 students per academic term and has over 1300 researchers/teachers. Research at UG is carried out by over a hundred research groups and 12 research institutes, all structured around 5 main pillars: technology, humanities, health, society and experimental research. Moreover, UG currently leads a strategic aggregation that includes 5 associated foundations, 3 participating research institutes, a Science and Technology Park and 8 technology-based ventures. During the last 15 years, the institution has gained ample experience with European projects,
as it has participated in many programmes, such as Edulink, Tempus, LLL, H2020 and Horizon Europe. UG scores reached position 172 on the 2022 Young Universities Ranking. It currently holds the HRS4R award.
University of Ljubljana
University of Ljubljana was established in 1919 and today is the largest higher education institution and research-performing organisation in Slovenia. It encompasses 23 faculties, 3 academies, and 3 associate members (National and University Library of Slovenia; Central Technical Library; Institute For Innovation And Development). UL employs 6,608 professors and staff, and has 39,010 enrolled students, thereof 3,558 foreign students.
UL is active internationally both in education and research activities, as exemplified by 851 students going abroad and 1,275 foreign students visiting UL in 2021, as well as by its 585 EU projects, 167 basic and 51 applied research projects (national), 293 basic research projects, and 1,023 applied research projects with industrial or foreign partners.
Education at UL is further supported through career centers at the faculties and academies, which are collaborating across the university, as well as through a state-funded programme for innovative and flexible forms of teaching and learning (INOVUP). The research activities are accompanied by project offices at the faculties, which effectively bundle all support competences for research projects. Further, the central office for technology transfer covers a wide range of activities, including novel approaches to train university members, foster exchange and collaboration with industry and an interested public audience, as well as to support the creation, protection, dissemination, exploitation and commercialisation of innovations created at UL.
The Centre of Expertise Water Technology
The Centre of Expertise Water Technology (CEW) conducts applied research for forward-thinking companies looking to take the next step towards a sustainable and circular economy. Every year, we deploy more than 300 students to bring fresh ideas, innovation and insight to our research projects. These students carry out the research, complemented by the knowledge and experience of CEW researchers and applied research professors. With CEW’s support, technologies are developed and demonstrated from lab to launch. By conducting applied research, CEW accelerates innovation whilst training the future generation of water technology professionals. Our tailor-made approach to research supports the needs of SME’s, end-users, industries, and public organisations.
Web2Learn
Web2Learn is a business partner that offers high-quality digital learning and professional training solutions and services. The company is located in Thessaloniki, Greece, and the team is composed of ten highly qualified people. The company specializes in two areas: a) Εducation and training for climate change and b) Civic engagement in knowledge building and citizen science.
A) Εducation and training for climate change
Web2Learn develops educational materials and offer training services to address the needs of eco-sustainability. Web2Learn is participating in EU-funded projects that enhance public participation and skills to address the needs of the climate emergency. Indicatively, the Erasmus+ FORTHE project aims to foster disabled youth engagement in climate action through urban sports. Similarly, the GreenVETers project seeks to integrate the European Green Deal agenda to VET school curricula. In both projects, Web2Learn develops digitally enhanced and user-friendly educational and training materials, such as online modules.
Moreover, on December 1st 2022, Web2Learn organised a successful face-to-face event on “Visitors as active citizens: enhancing public participation in actions of cultural institutions for climate change” at the Goulandris Natural History Museum in Kifisia, Greece. The event was part of the EU-funded The GLAMers project, and brought together representatives of the major greek cultural organizations (cf. Stegi Onassis, SNFCC, MOMus, etc.) as well as experts of the cultural heritage sector that engaged in a fruitful exchange of ideas on the social role of the sector in the light of the climate emergency.
B) Civic engagement in knowledge building and citizen science
Web2Learn is also specialising in the field of citizen science and civic engagement. Web2Learn participates at the HORIZON project “European Citizen Science” that aims to strengthen the European Citizen Science community through capacity building and awareness raising activities. Web2Learn is actively contributing to the expansion and strengthening of citizen science in Europe through the shaping of and participation in several citizen science projects, such as INOS, HEIDI, eCHOIng, CitizenHeritage and BOLD. Additionally, Web2Learn is involved in projects that are designed to foster civic engagement in knowledge building. Web2Learn is part of the RE:ERUA-funded Re_Act project, run by Laura Horn, Roskilde University, Katerina Zourou, Web2Learn, and Anthippi Potolia, Universite Paris 8, that aims to explore academic activism as manifestation of societal engagement and social innovation in responsible research.