UNINOVIS – Data for L.I.F.E.

Goals of the work package:
Establishment of a joint administrative and management structure for the creation of a UNINOVIS European university campus based on a joint strategy for education, research, and innovation, as well as the testing of a joint legal status. Social, ecological, and economic challenges are to be solved jointly by pooling resources and forming European teams of experts.

Measures:

• Joint governance: 
  Establishment of a central administrative structure with a coordination office and committees for the strategic management of the alliance.
• Legal status:
  Development and testing of a joint legal framework to establish the alliance as a legally independent entity in the long term.
• Quality assurance:
  Implementation of a comprehensive quality management and data management plan to monitor project progress.
• Digital infrastructure:
  Provision of the necessary hardware and software for cross-location administration and collaboration.

Contact person:
Wouter de Regt
wouter.deregt[at]thws.de

Goals of the work package:
Establishment of joint, flexible educational programs at five levels (micro-credentials, UNINOVIS diploma, bachelor's, master's, and PhD) to promote data literacy across a broad spectrum of disciplines, from natural sciences to humanities.

Measures:

• Joint educational offerings:
  Development of flexible educational programs in the spirit of lifelong learning with micro-credentials, a UNINOVIS diploma, and joint study programs up to PhD programs.
• Data literacy: 
  Introduction of a micro-credential program to promote data literacy for various target groups.
• Individual learning paths: 
  Creation of modular educational offerings that enable interdisciplinary and cross-border learning paths.
• Inclusive education: 
  Focusing programs on accessibility and support for disadvantaged student groups.

Contact person:
Carolin Gläser
carolin.glaeser[at]thws.de

Goals of the work package:
Integration of innovation ecosystems through eight thematic centers of excellence for collaborative, interdisciplinary research. This includes initiating joint European projects and promoting physical and virtual mobility for students, teachers, researchers, and other stakeholders across Europe.

Measures:

• Excellence Hubs: 
  Establishment of eight thematic centers to pool research and innovation capacities in applied data science.
• Research cooperation: 
  Initiation of joint interdisciplinary research and innovation projects at the European level.
• Mobility fostering:
  Expansion of physical, virtual, and blended mobility formats for all university members.
• Practical relevance: 
  Development of a model for dual study programs in close cooperation with industry partners.

Contact persons:
Susan Höfner
Sub-aspect Research
susan.hoefner[at]thws.de

Maike Antlitz 
Sub-aspect Mobility
maike.antlitz[at]thws.de

Goals of the work package:
Fostering sustainable and digital transformation through a common ESG (environmental, social, governance) integration framework, including annual reporting and a central digital platform. In addition, training modules on data use for ecological change and service learning are being developed to specifically strengthen employee skills.

Measures:

• ESG framework: 
  Development of a framework for environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria and introduction of annual reporting.
• Green campuses: 
  Implementation of measures to promote sustainability and climate neutrality at partner universities.
• Service learning: 
  Establishment of new educational approaches that combine academic learning with social engagement in the field of sustainability.
• Digital platform/services: 
  Development of a shared distributed platform to support digital collaboration and ecological change.

Contact person:
Wouter de Regt
Sub-aspect Sustainability
wouter.deregt[at]thws.de

Anna A. Moritz
Sub-aspect Digitalization
anna.moritz[at]thws.de

Goals of the work package:
Striving for European excellence by maximizing the project benefits of UNINOVIS. This is achieved through effective communication and exploitation of results according to the principles of open science in order to ensure a lasting impact on science and society.

Measures:

• Branding & communication:
  Building a strong, recognizable UNINOVIS brand through a joint communication plan.
• Open Science:
  Disseminating project results according to the principles of open science, including free access to digital educational materials.
• Exploitation of results:
  Identifying opportunities for commercial or societal use of the innovations developed.
• Visibility and events:
  Organizing hackathons, summer courses, and awards (UNINOVIS Awards) to showcase the excellence of the alliance.

Contact person:
Yannik Herterich
yannik.herterich[at]thws.de