2023 - 2025: European project to stimulate innovative teaching and learning practices

Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS) are higher education institutions with a special focus on applied research and training. More explicitly, their mission is twofold:
   1) delivering applied and practice-oriented tertiary education (including degrees with an explicit professional orientation);
   2) implementing applied research and innovation which is often developed in connection with the regional socio-economic system.

The research function of the UAS is put in the context of the challenge to prepare students as future European professionals for the knowledge society. Indeed research is playing an increasingly important role for the UAS in direct combination with their teaching and training missions. Students training must better include this dimension to fully develop their potential. UAS staff are key-players in the matter by developing pro-active capacities to integrate students in research activities, in order to access high-level knowledge, develop new research skills and position the UAS in the European Research Area.

By creating better conditions, developing a new training framework and a toolbox dedicated for staff (teachers, researchers, managing staff, international relations officers) but also students, the project aims at reinforcing the capacity of UAS as an institution to better develop their role as a major actor in the European research area.

BLIST for Boosting incLusion of students In reSearch acTivities 

The project aims to: 

• Implements trans-disciplinary approaches and innovative pedagogies such as research-based
  learning
• Rewarding excellence in learning, teaching and skills development through
  • Training of academics in innovative and/or online pedagogies, including methods linking education with research and innovation where relevant;
  • Fostering an entrepreneurial, open and innovative higher education sector, by promoting learning and teaching partnerships with commercial and non-commercial organisations in the private sector;
  • Developing of new practices in instructional design.

Global objectives:

• Reinforce the link between teaching and research missions in UAS;
• Empower the UAS in their capacity of conducting applied research activities;
• Maintain and develop the role of UAS in the knowledge society;
• Foster and strengthen the international dimension of UAS through applied research activities;
• Strengthen the specific position of UAS in the development of the new European Research Area (ERA).

Operational objectives:

• Stimulate UASs students interest in research by providing concrete tools and adapted methodology courses;
• Sensitise UASs managing staff, teachers and researchers about the opportunities cohort of students can represent to boost applied research activities by sensitisation; activities, development of good practices and tools tailor-made for the UAS;
• Strengthen UASs capacity in conducting research activities by involving more students during and after their studies;
• Reinforce the collaboration between teachers and students through research projects
• Support the networking capacity of the UASs by integrating the mobile students in the research capacity strategy;
• Provide UASs with a range of concrete tools;
• Share and compare practices in different partner countries (benchmarking).

Project partners

Co-funders 

This project was made possible thanks to the financial support of the European Union via the Erasmus + program, which provided 250,000 euros. This amount covers 100% of the partners' expenses.