UNISA in NEOALiA

UNISA joins NEOLAIA in 2021, participates in the 2022 call with success (excellent evaluation/seal of excellence but not in useful ranking for funding).
It then subsequently participates in the 2023 call and obtains project funding of €14.4M total funding, of which €1,585,253 is EU funding for UNISA.
The project has a duration of 4 years and the universities involved (besides UNISA) are:
- University of Jaen (Spain),
- University of Bielefield (Germany)
- University of Tours (France)
- University of Orebro (Sweden)
- University of Ostrava (Czech Republic)
- Stefan Cel Mare Suceava University (Romania)
- University of Siauliu Valstybine Kolegija (Lithuania)
- University of Nicosia (Cyprus)
Objectives of NEOLAiA
NEOLAiA Alliance is not a research project but a partnership that aims to support, stimulate and create new opportunities to internationalise research and teaching and foster incoming and outgoing student mobility by providing resources for:
1) the elicitation of proposals and participation in joint European initiatives concerning the entire university such as:
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- joint/multiple degrees, summer schools,
- living labs (hubs for sharing research with relevant stakeholders also referred to as joint research ecosystems),
- students’ network, student entrepreneurship, inclusion & diversity,
- forums for lecturers, PhD students and students, etc.
2) the link with the University offices directly involved in the activities of NEOLAiA.
3) support for the mobility of lecturers, students, staff and recurring meetings of those responsible for project activities;
4) organisation of and participation in project events.
Pre-condition for the achievement of Neolaia’s objectives: the creation and maintenance over time of virtuous organisational processes aimed at increasing the university’s internationalisation indicators.
Project Structure
10 Work Packages are planned:
- WP1: Project Management
- WP2: Improving Teaching and Learning
- WP3: Diversity and Inclusion – Overcoming barriers to participation
- WP4: Enhanced Mobility
- WP5: Increasing Regional Research Impact
- WP6: Entrepreneurship – NEOLAiA Capabilities for the Society of Tomorrow
- WP7: Towards a Multilingual and Intercultural European University
- WP8: Adopting and Sustaining Open Science (More details are available on the Open Science website)
- WP9: Digital Transformation
- WP10: Sustainability and Dissemination
UNISA is involved in all WPs, but has particular responsibilities in:
- Task 2.3 – Designing and piloting NEOLAiA multiple and joint degrees (Task Leader)
- Task 4.2 – Piloting the monitoring of cultural awareness in mobility (Task Leader)
- WP8 – Adopting and Sustaining Open Science (WP Leader)
- Task 8.2 – Set-up, development and Management of the Infrastructure for NEOLAiA Open Science (Task Leader);
- Task 8.3 – Collaborative Building of Open Data and Open Data User experience boosted by AI (Task Leader)
- Task 9.1 – Developing a NEOLAiA Digital Identity / The Digital NEOLAiA Passport Platform (Task Leader)
- Task 10.3 – NEOLAiA Digital Presence (Task Leader)
Proposal for project governance and management
The Rector has delegated Prof. Vittorio Scarano as project coordinator and Prof. Bice Della Piana as scientific coordinator.
In order to optimise the management of the project, it is proposed that an internal UNISA Management Committee be established, composed of:
- Project coordinator: Vittorio Scarano (chairman)
- Role in NEOLAiA: Executive Committee Member, WP8 Leader, Tasks 8.2, 8.3, 9.3 Leader
- Rector’s Delegate for Internationalisation: Francesco Donsì
- Role in NEOLAiA: Steering Committee member
- Scientific Coordinator: Bice Della Piana
- Role in NEOLAiA: Executive Committee Member, Tasks 2.3, 4.2 Leader
The 15 research fellows will be the backbone of the organisation, linking Management Committee, Departments and Administration.