Mid-term FIT FORTHEM project meeting and conference in Opole
During the FIT FORTHEM conference at the University of Opole on 28-30 June 2022, the FIT FORTHEM team will conclude the work done in the first half of the project’s duration (months 1-18) and summarize the main achievements in its work packages. Each partner university will present what was planned and what has been done in the area it coordinates, and will share some of the transformational organizational practices and innovations that FIT FORTHEM has fostered.
The actions undertaken in FIT FORTHEM include: the increase in the professionalization and intercultural sensitivity of staff members (WP2, coordinated by JGU), the overview of the collected good practices and the analysis that informs the development of joint R&I agenda (WP3, UVEG), the progress in collecting data about each university’s resources and building a point of entry for sharing them (WP4, UNIPA), the recommendations from matchmaking workshops and developments in co-creation projects funded by FIT FORTHEM (WP5, JYU), the set-up and objectives of the Joint Research and Innovation Services and Policy Office that will assist in research integration and liaising with policy-makers (WP6, UB), the current and future publicity actions and dissemination strategies (WP7, UO).
Interventions from Brussels officials invited to the conference – project advisor Rinske van den Berg, and policy officer Stijn Delaure – are also planned. Meanwhile, FIT FORTHEM External Advisory Board will be asked to give its opinions and recommendations. Its members represent various non-academic fields so they can provide insights as to how the post-pandemic economic, social and political settings have evolved and what implications all this can have for the academia.
The conference participants are going to evaluate progress, share success stories and discuss in more detail the challenges confronted so far. Special sessions will be devoted to such areas as open science and co-creation, human capital and research resources, or ways of making cultural heritage accessible.
Project coordinator and JGU’s vice-president for research prof. Stefan Müller-Stach will be presiding over the meeting of FIT FORTHEM General Assembly, where important decisions will be taken on how FIT FORTHEM will continue to support the Alliance with regard to its Research and Innovation dimensions. On behalf of the local organizer, the UO Vice-Rector for Research, Prof. Jacek Lipok will make an overview of the plans for the future Research, Innovation and Transfer Mission of the FORTHEM Alliance. In the subsequent days, the rectors and top decision-makers from each university will have a chance to discuss how the partner universities have been integrating into a true alliance and which aspects should be prioritized in the future.
Considering the milestones for both FIT FORTHEM and FORTHEM this summer, the conference will map alignments and synergies with future FORTHEM. The new partners of the FORTHEM Alliance from University of Agder and Lucian Blaga University in Sibiu will have an opportunity to present their priorities and future contributions.
The conference will close with a session on how FORTHEM can actively support Ukrainian scholars.
The intense working agenda will be supplemented with a social program with optional tours of Opole old town centre, the regional historical attraction in Kamień Śląski, and with plenty of opportunities to enjoy the regional cuisine.