EU Partners 

University of Huddersfield (HUD)

The University of Huddersfield has seven academic schools including Business; Applied Sciences; Art, Design and Architecture; Computing and Engineering; Education and Professional Development; Human and Health Sciences; Music; Humanities and Media. The University of Huddersfield is working for Inspiring, learning, and teaching.  In 2013 the University took the top award at the 2013 Times Higher Education Awards. The award was based on the University’s excellent performances including: winning the Times Higher Education award for Entrepreneurial University of the Year; receiving two Queen’s Awards for Enterprise; a top 10 position in the International Student Barometer; the unique attainment of having 100 percent of academic staff becoming Fellows of the Higher Education Academy; topping the table for National Teaching Fellows awarded in the last five years; plus a nationwide top 10 rating for graduate employment and for financial security.

The university has world class centers of research excellence and specialist facilities that enable research to be conducted by both staff and students. In addition, many of academics are influential thinkers and leaders in their field and these qualities filter down throughout the teaching. In particular, the Business School combines a broad base of academic excellence and expertise with a focus on pioneering research which makes an impact on society and improves the way we live. The submission to the 2014 Research Excellence Framework focuses on three core themes: Responsibility, Business Improvement, and Entrepreneurship and Enterprise delivered through dedicated Research Groups. The research strategy is translated through Research Themes, Case Studies, Research Groups, British Northern Universities India Forum BNUIF. In particular, BNUIF is a research partnership project between economists, social scientists and management experts at the Leeds University Business School, Lancaster University Management School, The University of Manchester and The University of Huddersfield. The principal objective of the BNUIF is to bring together academics working on India’s economic problems and policies and disseminate their output through lectures, and working papers. The Business School has a round 10 research groups in different areas of business research.

University of Almería (UAL)

The University of Almeria, one of the youngest and most dynamic universities in Spain, was created by the Andalusian Parliament in 1993 as a proposal of the Governing Council of the Andalusian Regional Government.  Some figures reflect the dramatic growth of the University of Almeria over the years: The total number of students has doubled from 6,600 in 92/93 to the current academic year. Our institution also has nearly 500 PhD students. The faculty has increased from 374 in 92/93 to over 800 today, organized in 13 departments. The administrative and technical staff has grown from 130 in 1993 to over 500. The number of research groups, which was 17 in academic year 93/94, now exceeds one hundred. Our university currently has four classroom buildings, which offer students the opportunity to study more than 48 degree courses, 14 doctoral programmes, 23 official master’s degree programmes and 14 unofficial master's programmes.

Despite its recent creation, the University of Almeria has been concerned about the increase of its international character. In 2013 it was the choice of over 600 students from 30 different countries from all continents to undertake a mobility period. These numbers are the result of a long tradition of cooperation with higher education institutions and research organizations, not only from Europe through the Erasmus programme but also with Latin America, the USA, Africa and Asia through mobility and cooperation programmes and networks such as ISEP, PIMA, PABLO NERUDA, ANUIES or CONAHEC, 7FP COST, DG SANCO, POCTEFEX, EFSA, LIFE+, among others. Since 2013 it coordinates an EMA2 Project with Middle East, which provided UAL with Relevant experience and expertise in Erasmus Mundus project management. Moreover, the University of Almeria is a partner in the TEMPUS project« Agroressources fonctionnelles (ARF) – Biotechnologie, Securité et Valorisation en phytoproduits de santé, de nutrition et d’environment », coordinated by Université de Lorraine.

University of L'Aquila (UNIVIQ)

UNIVAQ counts presently 23.000 students, 644 teachers-researchers, 504 administrative and technical staff. After the reform the 9 Faculties were transformed in 7 Departments which, besides research, provide Bachelor, Master and PhD Programmes in the areas Sciences, Medicine, Engineering, Humanities, Psychology, Economics, Educational Sciences, Sport Sciences, Biotechnologies. Research is developed in the Departments and in 2 Excellence Centres of Research (CETEMPS, DEWS), 3 interdepartmental Research Centres worldwide known.

UNIVAQ considers the international cooperation fundamental for the full participation in the EHEA and ERA. The policy aiming to become a reference point for a globalised knowledge world for higher education and research allowed the cooperation with Universities from EU and Third Countries. The centralised “International Project Office” supports academic staff in preparing and managing projects and disseminates results and experiences to the University bodies. The office, in cooperation with IRO, implemented several International projects in the fields of education, research and cooperation (LLP, international degrees, EMA2, EMA1, TEMPUS, ESF, Italy-France, EC-Canada, Marie Curie, FPs, Life, Interreg IIIA,B,C, IVC, etc.).  The internationalisation gave rise to 6 international degrees, 1 Erasmus Mundus Master degree, 11 Erasmus Mundus Action 2, two as coordinator,  (target countries in all continents).  The university currently is managing (as coordinator or partner) several FP7/Horizon projects and agreements with institutions from all over the world. Quality of degree courses in all the all the engineering topics (Energy, building techniques and materials, waste recycling, ...) and the cooperation of the University with the economic fabric of the territory represents a key part of research and teaching and a fundamental issue of public debate in the phase of the reconstruction of the town of L’Aquila after the earthquake of 2009. 

UNIVAQ is developing a quality assessment procedure following the ENQA guidelines and standards, and applying the TUNING, EUR-ACE methodologies in projecting the curricula.

Royal Institutes of Technology (KTH)

Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) is the leading engineering university in Sweden that accounts for one-third technical research and engineering education capacity at university level in the country. Education and research cover a broad spectrum – from natural sciences to all the branches of engineering as well as architecture, industrial engineering and management, urban planning, work science and environmental engineering. In addition to the research activities, a large number of both national and local Competence Centres are located at KTH.

KTH offers programs leading to Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, licentiate or doctoral degree.

There are a total of just over 12,000 full-year equivalent undergraduate students, more than 1,800 active postgraduate students and 2,800 employees.

Several national research centres are hosted by KTH. KTH is also a major partner in two out of three European Knowledge and Innovation Communities formed by the prestigious EU organization EIT (European Institute of Innovation and Technology); InnoEnergy within the field sustainable energy and EIT ICT Labs within information and communication research. Five strategic multidisciplinary research platforms have been formed to further enhance KTH’s attraction as a major strategic research partner.

Together with MIT and Stanford University KTH was among the initiators and main contributors to the development and implementation of the modern concept in engineering education – CDIO (Conceive, Design, Implement and Operate real-world systems and products). This new concept of engineering education has received a world-wide recognition and now is applied by leading universities in science and engineering all over the world as an application of problem-based learning in engineering and science.

KTH School of Education and Communication in Engineering Science (ECE) carries out further development work on modern tools and approaches in problem-based engineering education. They also offer a set of courses for development of skills and competences of academic staff of the university in application of modern teaching tools in engineering education.

KTH team in this project will consist of the representative of ECE School and School of Architecture and Built Environment. This team will involve professionals in educational development together with the representatives from various subject areas will make significant contribution to implementation of the proposed project.