Current Projects

As part of this Wandelfonds project, the Münster School of Business, the faculty of Social Work, and the transfer agency TAFH come together to tackle the following two challenges:

• At FH Münster and in the Münsterland region, we can witness a complex ecosystem of sustainability initiatives. Despite their great ambitions, this sustainability ecosystem is still highly fragmented in some cases, although there is considerable potential for synergies. Discussions with employees of the SUNrise Lab, developers of the sustainability master's programme, organisers of the sustainability network and central university stakeholders reveal considerable potential for cooperation. Thus, there is a need to uncover synergy potentials and create opportunities for collaboration.

• There are also obstacles to the integration of teaching formats on sustainability both internally at FH Münster University of Applied Sciences and in cooperation with other universities. Challenges arise here due to the content requirements of the teaching formats, the creditability of the courses, as well as in terms of time coordination. Nevertheless, the general vision - driving sustainability - is shared by all partners. Thus, there is a need to overcome barriers in interdisciplinary teaching and share central success factors with other lecturers in a blueprint format.

To tackle these challenges, Blueprint for Impact will drive the following activities and outputs:

1. Mapping the complex ecosystem of sustainable initiatives

• Understanding the complex ecosystem on sustainability
• Designing and building an 'ecosystem map' with a focus on synergy potentials
• Making this available as a co-creation platform for further use

2. Developing a blueprint for easier integration of teaching formats and creditability in the Social Entrepreneurship School

• Conducting research into the requirements of the different teaching formats
• Translation of findings into a blueprint that enables the integration of different courses across departments and universities

3. Implementation in the lighthouse project of the 'Social Entrepreneurship School'

• The SES is a starting point and context for our research and implementation.
• Our concepts will be directly implemented to foster the continuous expansion of the Social Entrepreneurship School

Funding body: Wandelfonds, FH Münster

Timeframe: 01.05.2024-31.10.2025
Budget: 33.119,64€

Objectives:

The three main goals of Change Lab

• The Ecosystem Map: Developing an interactive tool to map the complex ecosystem of sustainable initiatives
• The Teaching Blueprint: Developing a blueprint for easier integration of teaching formats and creditability
• The Lighthouse Project: Implementation in the lighthouse project of the 'Social Entrepreneurship School'

Partners: Faculty of Social Work at FH Münster, Transfer Agency TAFH Münster

Project Manager: Judith Helmer

[Website: coming soon]

Change Lab is a pioneering project that continuously adapts to foster community engagement, innovative thinking, and societal impact. It aims to address the pressing societal challenges by finding innovative solutions and creating sustainable change by empowering invested collaborators and various stakeholders. What makes Change Lab unique is that:

• Change Lab emphasizes innovative thinking and practical solutions. The initiative translates theoretical knowledge into actionable real-world outcomes to have an impact on the local community.
• At its core, Change Lab fosters a sense of community and collaboration. By bringing together students, academics, local citizens, and experts, the initiative creates a diverse network of engaged individuals working towards common goals. This collaborative spirit is essential for addressing complex societal challenges.
• Change Lab empowers participants by providing a platform for their voices to be heard and their ideas to be realized. The inclusive and supportive environment encourages bold thinking and embraces diverse perspectives, ensuring that all participants can contribute meaningfully.

Change Lab was founded as a non-profit student initiative to give them the chance to both teach and learn from each other. In that, we organize events for various interest groups such as students, researchers, social experts and citizens to discuss current social issues, develop new ideas and bring about positive social change in our regional community. Through our engagement we train participants and encourage critical thinking, problem solving, effective communication and knowledge transfer.

Our innovative concepts include principles of community engagement, design thinking and co-creation, open science and living labs as well as citizen science. In our work, we place societal challenges and the vision for sustainable solutions first.

To put our ideas into practice, we engage with regional communities in Münsterland, organize discussion forums at FH Münster and empower engaged participants in science pitch events.

Funding body: Qualitätsverbesserungsmittel, FH Münster

Timeframe: Since 2018
Budget: 15.000,00 € per year

Objectives:

The three main goals of Change Lab

• Societal Relevance & Impact: Facilitate discussions on topics of importance in today's society to promote science-based ideas and innovation with a positive impact on society.
• Openness & Community Development: Beyond the boundaries of our university, we offer various interest groups a platform to get involved and contribute to positive change with their perspectives and experiences.
• Science-to-Society & Citizen Science: Strengthening the relevance of science to societal challenges and empowering citizens to better understand and actively participate in science.

Partners: Climate Community Saerbeck, Project "Sustainability" at Maximilian-Kolbe-Gesamtschule Saerbeck

Project Manager: Judith Helmer

As a follow-up project from our recently concluded Strategic Alliances Project "Innovating Digitally", EARTH continues the efforts to expand sustainable innovation teaching in logistics to prepare students for the challenges of the 21^st-century logistics industry.

There is a growing body of research on the need to introduce sustainability and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into higher education logistics programs. Many scholars and policymakers argue that the logistics industry has a significant impact on the environment and society, and that incorporating sustainability considerations and the SDGs into logistics education is crucial for developing a skilled and sustainable workforce in the industry.

Hence, the EARTH project aims to address key needs in the logistics, transportation, and handling industry, which have significant implications. These needs include:

• Encouraging sustainability within the industry, responsible for over one-third of European greenhouse gas emissions,
• Promoting sustainable innovation within logistics companies to address global challenges and enhance sustainability,
• Upskilling existing managers and workforce for sustainable innovation and management practices,
• Educating graduates in sustainable innovation to provide the industry with skilled professionals, and
• Incorporating sustainable innovation into logistics education programs to prepare future generations of professionals.

Through the implementation of the project, EARTH aims to provide logistics companies and higher education institutions with the necessary tools and resources to take meaningful action towards sustainability, thereby contributing to a more sustainable and resilient European economy.

Timeframe: 01.09.2023 - 31.08.2025
Budget: 250.000,00 €

Objectives:

• Build awareness, understanding, and motivation within academia and industry on how sustainability and the SDGs can be incorporated in the innovation process through the development of a Compendium of Good Practice Case studies,
• Enable the speedy integration of sustainability into logistics innovation management programs by providing lecturers and teachers with a comprehensive Educational Framework and set of flexible Open Educational Resources (OERs),
• Enable logistics companies to identify and benchmark their current levels of innovation process with respect to the SDGs and digitalization through an innovative online benchmarking tool, and
• Foster collaboration and knowledge-sharing between logistics companies, universities, and industry experts through a motivational outreach and dissemination campaign.

Partners: FH Münster University of Applied Sciences, Szczecin University (Poland - Lead partner), EGE University (Turkey), Stowarzyszenie Wspieranie Techniki Polskiej (Poland), European E-Learning Institute (Denmark), European Logistics Association (Belgium), and Momentum Marketing Services (Ireland).

Project Manager: Maynara Furquim

1. Lack of expertise among academics in meaningful engagement with external stakeholders
2. Lack of knowledge in multidisciplinary approaches to education and specifically engaging external partners
3. Lack of understanding on how to design the curriculum and deliver industry-engaged learning interventions

• identify and collect 32+ recent good practice examples of novel modes of external and internal collaboration in teaching & learning activities,
• develop a comprehensive overview of methods and modes of embedding external stakeholders and multidisciplinary approaches into curriculum design and delivery, as well as compile a collection of tools and resources for educators, translated into an interactive Knowledge Gateway,
• validate and user-test the developed resources among at least 60 educators though individual activities and a focus group discussions, and
• promote and boost the impact of the developed resources though international showcased, podcast series, and broad dissemination activities.

• An action learning SUMMER SCHOOL and CHALLENGE will be built for STUDENTS to acquire the skills of a RDDCA on a theoretical and practical level. The participants will be a group from the five consortium HEI regions and three different disciplines (business administration, engineering / IT, and nutrition-related areas), with an equal gender representation. The students will be introduced to the skill set as well as to technological and F&B sector insights to understand why it is necessary to learn and apply the RDDCA skills, what they entail, and how they can be learned. Following the intense joint international summer school, they are going back into their region to execute and further develop their skill set in a practical challenge in a F&B manufacturing SME. Therefore, students will work in transdisciplinary teams which are supervised by EDUCATORS who have been trained as facilitators.
• Accompanying the students' programme, two BOOTCAMPS will be piloted - one for EDUCATORS and one for F&B SMEs. These short and intensive international bootcamps shall give both stakeholder groups the possibility to be introduced to the RDDCA concept and technological and F&B sector insights. Following the general introduction, educators and SMEs will be given access to specific workshop sessions in which educators will be trained to facilitate a RDDCA challenge in their region and SMEs will be prepared for the participation in the RDDCA challenge or similar internal digital change processes.

• We want to raise awareness for the key skill set needed for a successful and sustainable digital change process in students as well as academia and businesses.
• We want to foster research on and contribute to the relevance and improved understanding of digital skills as well as green skills supporting the innovativeness, resilience, and sustainability of the regional and European economy.
• We would like to develop a new, innovative, and multidisciplinary teaching and learning method which introduces a unique, effective, and efficient training system based on entrepreneurial and engaged universities, problem-based learning with real problems, and action learning.
• We want to establish a sense of initiative and entrepreneurial mindset not only in students as future RDDCAs and through connecting educators to facilitate and educate RDDCAs, but also build a sectoral European hub which brings together academia and business to network, collaborate, co-create, and share knowledge and guarantees sustainability beyond the project's lifetime.

The low representation of women in entrepreneurship and leadership in the German economy sets the stage for WE.Lead, a project dedicated to addressing this issue.

More than 50 per cent of university graduates in Germany are women. In fact, since 2012, there have been more female graduates in business administration than their male counterparts. However, despite these achievements, the proportion of women in leadership positions within the business sector remains significantly lower. As of 2022, only 5.6 per cent of German companies had a female CEO, and a mere 20 per cent of start-ups were initiated by women (Female Founders Report, 2022). Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has further widened the gender imbalance. Against this backdrop, WE.Lead aims to harness more inclusive narratives at the organisational and ecosystem levels to increase the number of women in leadership positions and support women entrepreneurs in launching and expanding their ventures. Our ambition is to inspire entrepreneurial thinking and acting in women and equip them with the tools needed to increase their impact through leadership and entrepreneurship.

Timeframe: 01.02.2023 - 31.01.2026

Budget: 338.017,46 €

Objectives:

• Encourage and support women to innovate within organisations
• Make the entrepreneurial ecosystem more inclusive for women
• Promote diversity and inclusion in different contexts
• Inspire entrepreneurial thinking and acting in women

Partners: FH Münster University of Applied Sciences, WEICON GmbH&Co.KG, noventum GmbH, Bernd Münstermann GmbH&Co. KG, P&M Cosmetics GmbH&Co.KG, LECO-Werke Lechtreck GmbH & Co.KG

Project manager: Iulia Stroila

To achieve this goal, the project will establish at least five living labs at the respective universities, which will serve as a platform for initiating and testing project ideas with the involvement of stakeholders and citizens. Living labs are understood as a means of implementing project ideas under controlled and influenceable conditions with scientific support and reflecting on these processes during the process.

The living labs will involve different actors such as scientists, non-scientific employees of the universities, students, and society to jointly produce practically applicable knowledge that can be applied more broadly to institutions such as the university or broader social contexts. The SUNrise Lab, located at the FH Münster University of Applied Sciences, will address the question of how living labs in general can succeed in universities as drivers of transformation. The other living labs, located at all three universities, will deal with specific problems of the transformation to a sustainable university and test how new practices and knowledge can influence individual areas of the university and urban society. Scientifically accompanied reflection processes will be used to inform the knowledge process of the superordinate living lab.

Timeframe: 01.11.2022 - 31.10.2025

Budget: 1.240.214,86 €

Objectives:

• Identify and exploit the potential of living labs as transformation drivers
• Develop a comprehensive sustainability strategy at the institutional level
• Integrate sustainability through a participatory and "whole institution approach."
• Anchor sustainability in society
• Share the findings with other universities as a blueprint for success

Partners: FH Münster University of Applied Sciences, University of Münster, and katho Münster

Project manager: Iulia Stroila

Given that women represent about 60% of the higher education institutions graduates, their under-representation amongst start-ups is a clear challenge. Despite a rise in participation of female students in entrepreneurship education at higher education institutions (HEIs), they still lag behind compared to their male counterparts. Even when they have participated in entrepreneurship education, they are less likely to move towards actual entrepreneurial careers after graduating. When they do, these graduate female entrepreneurs are less well embedded in the regional entrepreneurial ecosystem: fewer participate in local incubation and acceleration programmes, seek and receive funding and are active in regional enterprise networks.

A pioneering European initiative, WeRin, led by the Science-to-Business Marketing Research Centre at the FH Münster University of Applied Sciences, brings together 14 partners from 6 countries. Funded by the ERASMUS+ Knowledge Alliance programme for a three-year timeframe, WeRin partners have ambitious plans to enhance the inclusivity of regional entrepreneurial ecosystems and the embeddedness of female entrepreneurs therein by designing more inclusive academic and non-academic entrepreneurship education and support programmes.

Timeframe: 01.01.2021-31.12.2024

Budget: 999,639.00 €

Objectives:

• Increase the share of female graduate entrepreneurs and ensure they are firmly integrated in regional entrepreneurial ecosystems across Europe.
• Inclusion of entrepreneurship education and support programmes from gender and structural perspective.
• Make women feel invited to the entrepreneurship scene while going beyond the boundaries of Higher Education into their regional entrepreneurial ecosystem and to ensure that female entrepreneurs can become a key part of these.

Partners:

The project brings together 14 partners across Europe: Münster University of Applied Sciences (Lead Partner), Accreditation Council for Entrepreneurial and Engaged Universities (Germany), Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (The Netherlands), University Industry Innovation Network (The Netherlands), University of Zagreb (Croatia), Munster Technological University (Ireland), Istanbul Technical University (Turkey), Momentum Consulting (Ireland), European Center for Women and Technology (Norway), Wirtschaftsförderungs- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft Steinfurt mbH (Germany), Impact Hub Amsterdam (The Netherlands), Technology park Varazdin (Croatia), ARI Teknokent Proje Gelistirme Planlama (Turkey) and Rubicon Centre (Ireland).

Project Director: Jun. -Prof. Dr. Sue Rossano-Rivero

Lead Researcher: Iulia Stroila PhD(C)

For this project, the Science-to-Business Marketing Research Centre will contribute ist expertise in the field of "Design Thinking" and organise and moderate these workshops to generate ideas. For this purpose, "Design Thinking" sesssions are planned (hybrid), so that the presidiums of the cooperating universities can create these ideas together.

Timeframe: 01.02.2022-31.12.2023

Budget: 499.683 Euro

Objectives:

1. Internationalisation strategy of FHMS is further developed and implemented by integrating the dimension of science/business and science/society and the university ecosystem
2. An operational network between Coventry University, FHMS, INACAP, Pacto Alegre, University of Minnesota and their respective connected ecosystems has been built up and established.
3. Members of and associated groups along the Lifelong Learning Cycle (e.g. students, further education participants, academic and administrative staff) have been empowered to apply their enhanced intercultural, international and foreign language skills.

Partners:
Coventry University (Coventry, UK)
INACAP (Santiago de Chile, Chile)
Pacto Alegre (Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul) (Porto Alegre, Brazil)
University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, USA)

Design Thinking Officer: Annika Wesbuer

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed and magnified the pre-existing volatility of the cultural and creative industries. Due to the precarious nature of their work, women working in the cultural and creative sectors were particularly impacted, namely their income, access to social security, freedom of movement, and artistic creation (UNESCO, 2021). Although the second chance policies in Europe are an excellent instrument to give some peace of mind to entrepreneurs to start again after a failure, they only focus on the legal and economic parts. Moreover, many of these policies aim to "produce" more entrepreneurs and not so much on the need to preserve the stock of entrepreneurs (European Commission, 2020). For this reason, an excellent second chance policy is essential to send the message that entrepreneurship cannot end up as a "life sentence" if things go wrong.

Timeframe: 02.02.2022-31.01.2025

Budget: 289.593,00 €

Objectives:

1. Understand the status quo, needs, desires and skills needed from female entrepreneurs who seek a second chance, after business failure, in the arts and creative sector, and map the drivers and competencies that mentors should have when providing mentoring to female entrepreneurs
2. Bring together a community of European mentors with second-chance female entrepreneurs in an online and interactive platform and evaluate the relationship between mentors and second-chance female entrepreneurs (mentees)
3. Providing guidance and training to mentors for successful integration in the development of mentoring to second chance female entrepreneurs

Partners:

• Accreditation Council for Entrepreneurial and Engaged Universities (Germany)
• Stichting Voor Algemeen Voorgezet Onderwijs, Beroepsonderwijs En Volwasseneneducatie (Netherlands)
• Cofac Cooperativa De Formacao E Animacao Cultural Crl (Portugal)
• Universita Degli Studi Di Napoli Federico Ii (Italy)

Manager: Iulia Stroila

The mentoring programme as a project result will facilitate the development of the next generation of women entrepreneurs and innovators fully capable of influencing and contributing to the regeneration process of their economies and societies during and after a crisis, such as war in Ukraine. An innovative digital ecosystem, as one of the project's main outputs, offers opportunities for HEIs in Ukraine and European Union to exchange knowledge and widen the range of learners.

Timeframe: 01.11.2023 - 30.04.2026 (30 months)

Budget: 400 000,00 €

Objectives:

• (1) A "Strategic Foresight" to inform the design and development of a mentoring programme.
• (2) Design, development and delivery of "NatAlli Mentoring Programme"
• (3) "NatAlli Platform"
• (4) "NatAlli Bootcamp"
• (5) "NatAlli Sustainability Blueprint and Promotion" to highlight points of adaptation and standardisation of such approaches that can be used in times of crisis or post-crisis.

Partners: FH Münster University of Applied Sciences (Germany) - Lead partner, Momentum Consulting (Ireland), University of Münster (Germany), University Industry Innovation Network (The Netherlands), Impact Hub Amsterdam (The Netherlands), Charitable Organization International Charitable Fund Impact Hub Odessa (Ukraine), International European University (Ukraine).

Project manager: Nelli Scharapow

The Blockchain for Agri-Food Educators project seeks to enhance the quality and incidence of education for higher educators by developing new pedagogies in blockchain technologies that cover theories, methods, processes, and teaching concepts. By doing so, the project aims to tackle societal challenges in the food supply chain and drive the digital transformation of the food sector. The project's objectives include empowering academics and lecturers from agribusiness, food science and engineering, and nutrition departments to unlock the power of blockchain for their agrifood student population while providing leadership for industry players in their regions. The project also aims to lead the education of the future workforce in a responsible manner that enables them to meet job market requirements. Finally, the project aims to transform agrifood business models, productivity, competitiveness, and growth for the benefit of a broad range of stakeholders, from small-scale farmers to consumers, product manufacturers, distributors, and retailers.

Timeframe: 2021-2023

Budget: 250.000 EUR

Objectives: 

• (1) Guide to Blockchain Education: recommending effective pedagogic strategies for teaching digital skills in blockchain integration in agrifood education. Its results include a research report and a guide to aid understanding of the relationship between blockchain and key agrifood challenges / opportunities.
• (2) Open Education Resources for Blockchain Education in the Agrifood sector: providing lecturers with pre-made resources for in-person or digital classes. This will help facilitate the transition to digital education in a field of study that is becoming increasingly digital. The project will produce three key results: the Blockchain Education in the Agrifood Sector Open Education Resources, the Classroom Teaching Pack, and the Online Course for Direct Study.
• (3) Dissemination and Sustainability: promoting the adoption of Blockchain for Agri-food Educators among partners, peers, networks, and the wider education and agri-food sector. Its goal is to ensure the long-term sustainability and impact of the project.

Partners: FH Münster University of Applied Science (Germany), Slovenska Universita (Slovakia), Momentum Marketing Services (Ireland), Arctur Racunalniskis Inzeniring (Slovenia) and European E-learning Institute (Denmark)

Manager: Annika Wesbuer

The importance of Work-based learning (WBL) in developing work-ready graduates has been documented by several EU-funded projects. However, as work is increasingly delivered remotely, a new form of WBL has emerged recently - what this project calls "eWBL". As the ability to efficiently work online becomes increasingly relevant, WBL trainers need to envisage ways to promote graduates' work-readiness in the absence of the physical environment. Yet how to adequately replace the physical environment with a virtual one in WBL is a challenging and highly unexplored issue. The main aim of the project is to upskill educators in HE (lecturers, trainers and administrative staff) on how to design and deliver high-quality eWBL.

To reach this goal, the project will explore how 25 high-quality WBL providers across Europe have dealt with the pedagogical and technological challenges associated with the transition from WBL to eWBL and the solutions they have encountered.

Results of this investigation will be translated into

• Frameworks and replicable models
• A toolkit
• Open educational resources (OERs)
• Capacity-building activities
• Multiplier events that will help training those involved in WBL provision in HE

Timeframe: 01.01.2022 - 30.11.2024

Budget: 380.285,00€

Objectives:

• Upskill educators in HE on how to design and deliver high-quality eWBL

Partners: University of Groningen (Netherlands), Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini S.r.l. SB (FGB) (Italy), Ca'Foscari University of Venice (Italy), Momentum (Ireland),Ljubljana University (Slovenia), Science to Business Marketing Research Center of FH Münster University of Applied Sciences (Germany).

Manager: Habtamu Garomssa

The DigiTransformEdu project aims to foster the digital transformation of HE and tertiary VET institutions. DigiTransformEdu will result in a comprehensive and complementary set of outcomes that cover the seven thematic elements of DigCompOrg (i.e., Leadership & Governance Practices: R1 & R3; Teaching & Learning Practices: R2, R4, R5 & R6; Professional Development: R5 & R6; Assessment Practices: R4; Content & Curricula: R4; Collaboration & Networking: R3, R6 & 4 ME; Infrastructure: R2, R3 & R4)

 DigiTransformEdu project will target involve: • Institutional leaders responsible for the digital agenda • Programme managers responsible for the digitalisation of pedagogy • Digital educators who belong to A2 and B1 levels of DigCompEdu The secondary target groups are: • HEIs • Tertiary VET providers • Associations of educational and training institutions • Businesses and their learning departments • Professional associations Students, participants, and learners in general are the main beneficiary of the project. They will profit from the enhanced digitalisation at institutional level and at individual level from the improved digital competence of their educators. By achieving its objectives DigiTransformEdu will impact the target groups and the relevant stakeholders.

The project follows a logical sequence and starts by mapping the digital readiness and resilience of about 30 HE and tertiary VET institutions in response to the COVID-19 crisis that will help identifying best practices and learning from failures. These institutions will form the core, on which the exploratory work will be based.

Timeframe: 01.11.2021 - 01.01.2024

Budget: 309.535,00 EUR

Objectives

The project objective will be reached through a six-step approach (operational objectives):

1. Mapping the digital readiness and resilience of educational and training institutions in response to the COVID-19 crisis (project results 1 & 2)
2. Promoting the development of a digital culture by supporting institutional leadership to pursue digital strategy at institutional level (project result 3)
3. 3. Encouraging the digitalisation of educational processes and promoting effective digital-age learning by integrating the DigCompOrg framework (project results 3 & 4)
4. Based on the DigCompEdu framework and the concept for the different roles of educators in an online environment, defining the knowledge and skills needed by the digital educator (project result 5)
5. Raising the digital competence of educators by organising training activities and preparing training materials (project results 5 & 6)
6. Enhancing international networking and cooperation and contributing to the EU Digital Education Action Plan (project result 6 & four multiplier events).

Partners

Digital National Alliance, Academy Nikola Tesla, Algebra group, ESI Center Eastern Europe, Gruppo Pragma Srl, EFMD, The Münster University of Applied Sciences, New Bulgarian University, Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini S.r.l.

Managers: Adisa Ejubovic, Michael Kortenbrede

The course empowers students to question science, evaluate arguments, and articulate knowledge critically. It is split into three parts: 1) Introductory Lectures, 2) Podcast Production, and 3) Debates. The introductory lectures span the topics of Digital Competence, Source Reliability, Debate Basics, Podcast Production, and Scientific Know-How. Students then create a podcast on a pre-defined topic. One aspect of that topic is then debated upon by two student groups.

Our approach challenges the status quo by: (1) Enhancing digital competencies, (2) Bridging disciplinary gaps, (3) Focusing on auditory skills, (4) Promoting critical thinking and communication, and (5) Providing guidelines for scientific communication.

Our innovative course tackles society's pressing questions about digital conspiracy theories. Students develop critical competencies and learn to combat such theories. By creating podcasts collaboratively, FH establishes itself as a reliable institution for science communication.

Funding body: FH Münster Wandelfonds

Timeframe: 01.05.2022 - 30.04.2024

Budget: 43.087,10 €

Objectives:

Students develop critical competencies and learn to identify fake news.

By creating podcasts collaboratively, students both acquire teamwork skills as well as experience the creation process of a timely marketing and communication channel.

The course can be offered across faculties and published on the same platform, enabling wider participation and collaboration.

Manager: Dominik Lappenküper

Horizontal priority: Addressing digital transformation through the development of digital readiness, resilience and capacity.

Timeframe: 01.03.2022 - 28.02.2025

Budget: 399.868,00 € (FH Anteil 57.238,00 € )

Objectives:

The objective of this project is developing tools in digital learning for teachers and students in European Higher Education Institutes to enable students to tackle societal challenges through social entrepreneurship by aiding students in building the required and relevant skills, therefore reducing the mismatches on the labor market. As a result, qualifying students to contribute to an entrepreneurial society that is sustainable and inclusive.

Partners: Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (Lead partner, The Netherlands); FH Münster University of Applied Sciences (Germany); Center for Social Innovation LTD (Cyprus); Questomatica (The Netherlands); Universidade de Aveiro (Portugal); Universidad de Zaragoza (Spain).

Manager: Dr. Sue Rossano-Rivero, PhD (c) Katrin Uude, PhD (c) Habtamu Garomssa.

The European Green Deal emphasizes the need for transitioning from an extractive economy to a cleaner and regenerative green economy. However, recent EU studies showed that only 24% of higher education institutions (HEIs) incorporate greening knowledge into their policies (European University Association, 2021), highlighting HEIs' need for action as society's major powerhouse of knowledge, innovation and talent development.

To address this gap, this project aims to support EU's transition to regenerative economies by facilitating the HEI sector in developing the necessary talent and serving as a platform for developing university-business-government networks and research-driven solutions for complex societal issues.

In three years' time, the project will generate a State of the Art on Regenerative Economy, a Training Program and Toolkit, an Innovation Challenge, and Mentorship Program, and an International Competition. The project will also result in Policy Recommendations that will be disseminated through a Policy Impact Event throughout Europe.

Funding body: Erasmus+ Programme (ERASMUS), European Commission

Timeframe: 02.2023-01.2026 (36 Months)

Budget: 804.704,00 € (FH Münster: 101.359,00 €)

Objectives:

1. To clarify, design and trial the role of the higher education institutes in transitioning the EU society from an extractive to a regenerative economy;
2. To equip and empower changemakers with the skills, knowledge, and attitudes on the regenerative economy; and
3. To think globally to impact local environments by developing solutions with regenerative business models.

Partners:

• Università Ca' Foscari Venezia, Italy (UNIVE)
  University Industry Innovation Network, The Netherlands (UIIN)
• Institute Mines-Télécom Business School, France (IMTBS)
• Münster University of Applied Sciences, Germany (FHMS)
• University de Vic, Spain (UVIC)
• Institute for Innovation and Development of University of Ljubljana, Slovenia (IRI UL)
• National Alliance for Local Economic Development, Serbia (NALED)
• Trinity College Dublin, Ireland (TCD)

Manager: Choiwai Maggie Chak (Project Lead), Luciana Gualdi (Lead Partner Project Manager).

In response to the call for Responsible Research and Innovation and valorisation as higher education institutes' (HEIs) Third Mission, citizen science (CS) is a promising approach of knowledge co-production that enhances social inclusion, civic engagement and democracy in the EU regions, as well as promoting effectiveness of solving complex and ambiguous societal challenges; fostering active citizenship and ownership; and advancing societal progress in democratic societies (Bonn et al., 2016; Vohland et al., 2021). However, CS faces the challenges of attracting, training, and maintaining a stable pool of citizen scientists at the local and regional levels in the German, Dutch and Spanish contexts due to lacking sustainable CS networks to support regional/local CS development; and lacking access to and awareness of CS offers due to significant silos between HEIs, citizens, adult- and higher educators. Thus, the project aims to raise awareness and capacity of practicing CS and make CS more accessible to citizen regional adult educators and present high-quality learning offers that equip adult citizens to actively engaging in/ initiate CS projects and validate their learnings via practical projects.

Timeframe: February 2022 - November 2023

Budget: 199.670,00 Euros

Objectives:

Targeting adult citizens, local adult- and higher educators, the overall objectives of this project are:  

1. NETWORK: To establish local CS communities and bring synergies between adult educators (e.g., local learning centres, vocational trainers, libraries, civil society, NGOs, local authorities, etc.), citizens, and higher education institutes to promote CS training and education; 
2. TRANSFORM: To digitalise and transform CS training and education for adult citizens through co-development of CS training with local stakeholders; 
3. GROW: To empower adult citizens with the essential competence, skills, tools, and resources for actively engaging in CS projects; and offer opportunities to work on real-life challenges based on the skills learnt from our training programs. 

Partners: Science to Business Marketing Research Center (S2BMRC) of Münster University of Applied Sciences, ACEEU (Germany), BESPOKE (Denmark), University of Twente (the Netherlands) and University of Barcelona (Spain)

Manager: Hacer Tercanli

The project will focus on collaboration projects between HEIs and NGOs, which work with citizens from rural areas to address their needs and improve their quality of life. Co-creation projects between NGOs and HEIs are significant as the pandemic has brought new social challenges. Through successful co-creation projects, these social challenges can be addressed and overcome. Even before the pandemic, it was difficult for interest groups from rural regions to cooperate with HEIs, and the pandemic situation has now worsened this situation. We are creating opportunities to overcome these barriers with our CoCreAid Kit 4.0 and generating possibilities to involve citizens from rural regions in cooperation projects even after the pandemic.

Timeframe: 01.02.2022-01.08.2024 (30 months)

Budget: 288.015,00 Euro

Objectives: The project aims to generate an "easy-to-use" graphical user interface (GUI) with digital co-creation methods for collaboration projects between Higher Education Institutions and NGOs which work with citizens from rural areas.

Partners

• EGE University (EGEU), (Turkey)
• Szczecinski University (SU), (Poland)
• European E-learning Institute (EUEI), (Denmark)
• Meridaunia Scarl (MS), (Italy)

Manager: Katrin Uude