STUDIES-DIG Project Mid-Term Review Meeting at the UNWE in Sofia

On 6 February 2025 the UNWE organized and hosted a Mid-Term Meeting to review the activities of the R&I project Models and Instruments for Transforming Higher Education Systems through Transnational Multi-Sector Links since it started in January 2024.

The Project STUDIES-DIG No 101131544, coordinated by the UNWE, is a part of Horizon Europe – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation /2021-2027/ under the funding scheme of Marie Sklodowska–Curie Research and Innovation Staff Exchange – RISE. It is implemented by an international and multi-sector consortium, composed of academic and non-academic partners from Portugal, Romania, Turkiye, Morocco, Egypt and Bulgaria and its goal is to explore, design and deploy innovative and context sensitive solutions for transforming higher education systems in the digital era.

Project participants in the STUDIES-DIG Mid-Term Review Meeting at the UNWE

The STUDIES-DIG Mid-Term Review meeting was attended by  Mr. Adam Walendzik,  appointed by the European Commission for the Project Officer and the representatives from the following project partners: Unversity of National and World Economy /Bulgaria/, Instituto Universitario de Lisboa /Portugal/, Universitatea Babes Bolyai /Romania/, Middle East Technical University /Türkiye/, IBN Tofail University /Morocco/, Universite Abdelmalek Essaadi /Morocco/, Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport /Egypt/, Entidade De Servicos Partilhados da Administacao Publica IP /Portugal/, Novarge Bilisim Advertising Education Services INC /Türkiye/, Institute of Modern Politics /Bulgaria/, Rudozem Municipality /Bulgaria/, C.School for Creative Acts SRL /Romania/, and Association des Femmes Chefs D’entreprise du Maroc /Morocco/.

The Rector of UNWE Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov and the Vice-Rector for Educational Activity Prof. Dr. Matilda Alexandrova took part in the official opening and sent their welcome messages to the participants in the Mid-Term Review meeting.

Opening session of the STUDIES-DIG Mid-Term Review Meeting at UNWE

The meeting agenda included sessions focused on different aspects of project activities implemented during the reporting period. A presentation on general status of the project, its objectives and results achieved was made by Prof. Dr. Polya Katsamunska, Project Coordinator. The scientific progress and the links between secondments, tasks, and WP1 deliverables was presented by Prof. David Ferraz /ISCTE, PT/, WP1 Leader on Auditing the state of digitalization and digital services.

Participants in the open discussions during the STUDIES-DIG Mid-Term Review Meeting

The agenda also included sessions on training, transfer of knowledge and networking of the academic and non-academic partners and presentations of secondees and their contribution to the project and WP1. The general project management was another topic of discussion followed by presentations on the impact, communication and dissemination activities. These topics were presented by Prof. Bogdana Neam?u from UBB, RO and D.Sc. Zornitza Mladenova, representing the Municipality of Rudozem.

In addition, online meeting via the TEAMS link was conducted between the seconded staff members and the project officer. The online meeting with the representative of the European Research Executive Agency /REA/, Brussels was structured into two parts: one for early-stage researchers and another one for experienced researchers.

After the STUDIES-DIG Mid-Term Review meeting the Project Coordinator’s team organized workshop and networking activities on 7-8 February, 2025. The morning session of the project workshop included a panel discussion on project activities and work plan of secondments for WP2 and WP5, presented by Prof. Bogdana Neamtu from UBB, RO and Prof. Ömer Delialioglu from METU, TR.

Panel discussion on the STUDIES-DIG project activities and work plan of secondments

A special session focused on knowledge sharing activities was conducted during the workshop. Keynote speakers from the government and academic sectors were invited to take part in it. Mr. Alexandar Yolovski, Deputy Minister of Electronic Governance made a presentation on the Digital Transformation Challenges in Bulgaria: The Public Sector and Assoc. Prof. Boyan Jekov from the University of Library Studies and Information Technologies /ULSIT/, Sofia and National Coordinator for Horizon Europe at the Ministry of Education and Science, Bulgaria, made a presentation on the Models and Instruments for Transforming Higher Education System: Bulgarian and Foreign Experience. 

Knowledge sharing session with the participation of Mr. Alexandar Yolovsky, Deputy Minister of Electronic Governance, Bulgaria

Presentation of Assoc. Prof. Boyan Jekov, National Coordinator for Horizon Europe at the Ministry of Education and Science, Bulgaria

A fruitful and very productive discussion followed the presentations of the invited keynote speakers, which emphasized the importance of strong collaboration between the academic and public sectors in the era of digital transformation.

The afternoon session of the STUDIES-DIG workshop included a study visit at Sofia Tech Park. This is the Bulgarian first science and technology park focused on information technology, life sciences and green energy and the project partners were able to learn about the role, policy and services provided by Sofia tech park to support innovation and business and to visit the Virtual and Augmented Reality Lab and the Chemistry Lab, where they gained practical experience and valuable insights about the research activities conducted in the labs.

The project networking activities on the 8 February 2025 were organized in cooperation and coordination with the Municipality of Koprivshtitsa.  The project partners enjoyed a trip to the beautiful town of Koprivshtitsa, one of the symbols of the Bulgarian Renaissance and had a meeting with Mrs. Maria Toromanova, Mayor of Koprivshtitsa Municipality.   

Meeting of the STUDIES-DIG project partners with Mrs. Maria Toromanova, Mayor of Koprivshtitsa Municipality

The visit to the house-museum of Koprivshtitsa – an Educational Center during the Revival was of special interest for the project partners from Morocco, Portugal, Romania, and Türkiye.

Visit to the house-museum of Koprivshtitsa – an Educational Center during the Revival

All participants were impressed by the teaching methods in the Bulgarian schools, where more advanced students helped beginners, allowing a single teacher to reach up and teach a hundred students. And while the STUDIES-DIG project is focused on researching the future development of digital transformation and artificial intelligence, the visit also inspired the participants to reflect on the past and to recall the great achievements of natural human intelligence and national spirit.

In the classroom following the traditional model of teaching in the house-museum of Koprivshtitsa from the beginning of the 19th  century