The fourth ENLIGHT Teaching and Learning Conference will take place at the University of Tartu from 7 to 9 October 2024. The conference theme is Innovation and Creativity in Higher Education. The two keynote speakers are Laura-Maija Hero, Principal Research Scientist at HAMK Edu research unit, and Jaan Aru, Associate Professor in Computational Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence at the University of Tartu.

The conference will begin on 7 October with a pre-conference of various workshops from educational innovation to creativity. The sessions, poster presentations, and workshops on 8 and 9 October will demonstrate countless possibilities for using and promoting creativity in teaching and learning from AI to drama and medicine to mathematics.

On 8 October, one of the keynote speakers, Laura-Maija Hero, Principal Research Scientist at HAMK Edu research unit, will speak about “Design-based approach in teaching and its connection to foster student creativity and innovation”. Laura-Maija Hero has more than 10 years of experience in learning and innovation. She focuses on multidisciplinary education and design-based learning.

On 9 October, the second keynote speaker Jaan Aru, Associate Professor in Computational Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence at the University of Tartu, will speak about “Brain learning, creativity and students’ motivation”, observing how we could support creativity and motivation in studying. Jaan Aru focuses on the analysis of fundamental problems at the intersection of cognitive science, neuroscience, and AI. 

At the conference, the ENLIGHT Teaching and Learning Award will be given to a course which has implemented innovative international pedagogical approaches and/or learning practices related to the educational aims of ENLIGHT. See the nominees.

On 8 and 9 October, ENLIGHT staff and students can watch the live streaming of the opening ceremony, the presentations of the two keynote speakers, the Teaching and Learning Award ceremony, and sessions held in one of the halls. The streaming link will be provided on the conference page by the morning of 8 October.

Read more about the programme and stay tuned for the streaming link!

Six research teams from ENLIGHT universities have been selected as the new Impact Ambassadors within our alliance. These teams have distinguished themselves as trailblazers, setting new standards in planning and achieving tangible impact through their research. Over the coming months, they will serve as role models and inspirational figures for the broader research community across the ENLIGHT network.

Recognised as “Impact Awardees” during the prestigious Bilbao Impact event in June 2024, these ambassadors will carry the torch until the next edition, where new role models will be unveiled.

As ENLIGHT Impact Ambassadors, these teams will showcase their remarkable research impact pathways, raise awareness about the significance of research impact, and champion ENLIGHT's mission to drive meaningful change. Additionally, they will receive mobility grants, allowing them to attend a workshops or conference of their choice to further advance their impact-focused endeavors.

Diverse Researcher Profiles and Groundbreaking Initiatives

The awardees represent a diverse range of research profiles and topics, each addressing pressing global challenges. Meet the newly appointed ambassadors:

• CONN HOLOHAN, University of Galway: Immersive Empathy: Co-Creating Immersive Narratives on Home and Homelessness. This project is transforming social attitudes toward homelessness by empowering those who have experienced it to share their stories, boosting their self-confidence, and reshaping their sense of possibility. The methodology has already been recognized as a model of community engagement by service providers in Ireland and the US.
  
  
• GEORGE AZZOPARDI, University of Groningen: Enhancing National and Cross-Border Security: Automatic detection of Face Morphing Attacks. By developing cutting-edge computer vision and machine learning techniques, this project is significantly strengthening the integrity of identity verification processes, with impactful collaborations already established with the Dutch Driving Authority. The project has made significant strides in enhancing the security of identity documents and has led to improved detection techniques and contributed to National & EU security.
  
  
• INGE DE BO, Ghent University: EU-FarmBook: supporting knowledge exchange between all AKIS actors in the European Union. Aligned with the EU Green Deal, Farm to Fork objectives, and Impact of Digitization - an ENLIGHT focus area, this project enhances the management of agricultural and forestry data, usually self-published, ensuring that innovative practices are more accessible to end-users and intermediaries across Europe.
  
  
• KATHY REILLY, University of Galway: Challenging the Climate Crisis: Children’s Agency to Tackle Policy Underpinned by Learning for Transformation. Engaging over 2,000 young people, teachers and supporters of learning, this project is not only shaping youth perspectives on the climate crisis but is also influencing Irish governmental policies and civil society actions through co-created research and policy briefs. A policy brief was produced including recommendations for Irish Government Departments and civil society groups, which has so far informed the actions of two civil society education programmes & one regional climate action plan and it is being used by the Environmental Protection Agency in Ireland. 
  
  
• MARIA HÄGGLUND, Uppsala University: Nordic eHealth for Patients: Benchmarking & Developing for the Future. This project is pioneering ways to improve electronic health records (EHR) systems for patients and healthcare professionals, addressing significant challenges such as access issues and the prevalence of errors in EHR content. E.g. Loss of access to adolescents' EHR by minor and guardians due to poor policies. 
  
  
• SANDER VAN LANEN, University of Groningen: Michi Noeki as social infrastructure and rest stop in the neighbourhood. In the realms of another focus area of ENLIGHT - equity, this project is impacting student learning, evaluating neighborhood interventions, and fostering professional networks between universities, municipalities, and community volunteers.

The Most Effective Pitch

During the ENLIGHT Impact event, runners-up received intensive coaching before presenting their projects. The audience had the opportunity to vote, and the most effective pitch was awarded to:

• Miren Itziar Alkorta, University of the Basque Country: Joint Research Laboratory on Environmental Antibiotic Resistance. Addressing the global health crisis of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, this project is making strides in raising awareness and promoting measures to preserve the effectiveness of existing antibiotics. It has a direct impact on consumers, patients, health professionals, decision-makers and citizenship in general.

The next Impact Awards ceremony will take place at the University of Groningen during the second ENLIGHT Impact Conference on 27-28 March 2025. A call for new participants opens in autumn 2024 — this is your opportunity to join ENLIGHT's inspiring community and drive impactful change.

In the picture below are the 2024 Impact Ambassadors together with the most effective pitch awardee and the rector of the University of the Basque Country,Eva Ferreira García.

This year’s EAIE Annual Conference and Exhibition will take place in Toulouse from 17-20 September.

The 2024 conference theme is 'En Route!' and covers a broad range of activities: workshops, panels, poster sessions, addressing all possible aspects of internationalization in higher education. Check out the below overview of the sessions featuring ENLIGHT colleagues.  

The University of Bordeaux hosts an ENLIGHT Meet & Greet for all colleagues working at ENLIGHT universities attending the EAIE conference on Wednesday 18 Sept from 4.30 pm to 6 pm at stand A55. Save the date! Staff members from the ENLIGHT partner universities can register online. Registered colleagues will gain access to an online directory with  participants.

The 5th ENLIGHT RISE and Arqus Alliance Open Science Ambassador Webinar will take place on 2 September 2024 from 10:00 - 11:30 (CET) with a presentation on “The Irrelevance of Non-Reproducible Research” by Erivelton Nepomuceno

The first edition of the ENLIGHT Student Network Bootcamp took place from 12 to 14 July at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.

On 22 and 23 May, the ENLIGHT RISE initiative kicked off its first-ever Research Impact Training, specially designed for Research Support Officers (RSOs) from ENLIGHT partner universities. This new programme aims to help RSOs better understand research impact and build the skills they need to support researchers to make a real difference in our society.

This training fits right into our goal of creating a culture focused on making an impact. By raising awareness and providing the right tools, the programme is set to help RSOs tackle the challenges of research impact, especially when it comes to Horizon Europe project proposals.

Key Goals and Highlights

The training covered five main areas:

1. Understanding Research Impact
   Igor Campillo and Glória Nunes Rodrigues (UPV/EHU) explained the basics of what research impact is all about.
2. Understanding the Institutional Impact Context
   Esther de Smet from Ghent University talked about how institutions shape and influence research impact.
3. Understanding the Impact Journey and Process
   Áine Mhic Thaidhg from University of Galway walked participants through the steps to create impactful research.
4. Providing Knowledge and Tools for Impact Assessment
   Sarah Morton from Matter of Focus shared practical tools and methods to measure research impact.
5. Drafting a Horizon Europe Impact Section
   Jakob Kuhs and Tobias Hermans from Ghent University gave tips on how to write strong impact sections for Horizon Europe proposals.

Engaging Sessions and Active Participation

The training had a great turnout, with 15 people attending in person and 20 joining online, showing a strong interest and need for this kind of program within the ENLIGHT network.

Over the two days, participants got involved in interactive sessions, group discussions, and hands-on activities. The in-person sessions in Ghent offered a rich experience, along with social events that helped RSOs network and collaborate.

Looking Ahead

For those who could not make it, we offer plenty of online resources and training materials available on the platform: ENLIGHT Impact Training Resources.

This first Research Impact Training by ENLIGHT is a big step towards giving Research Support Officers the skills and knowledge to drive impactful research. By continuing to invest in these programs, ENLIGHT shows its commitment to promoting research that not only advances academic knowledge but also generates tangible benefits for our society.

Stay tuned for more training sessions and initiatives that will keep building on this foundation, creating a lively and impact-driven research culture across ENLIGHT universities!

Feel free to share this article on your website and social media platforms to spread the word about this impactful initiative!

ENLIGHT organized a FOREU impact thematic workshop, gathering impact experts of different European University Alliances.  The workshop took place in the context of the ENLIGHT Impact event 2024, hosted by the University of the Basque Country in Bilbao, and counted with the participation of CIRCLE U., EC2U, ENGAGE.EU, ENHANCE, ENLIGHT, ERUA, EUPEACE, EUT+, NEUROTECH EU, U!REKA SHIFT, ULYSSEUS, and UNITA.

Impact experts from the 12 European University Alliances shared and discussed methods, approaches and tools for assessing the impact generated by the European Universities Alliances.

The midyear meeting held in Bilbao was designed as an upholder of areas that need further reinforcement or a more defined vision by key officers and executives.

The next ENLIGHT Public Engagement webinar 8: Social Justice at the centre of learning & teaching in Law will take place on Thursday 4 July 2024, 12.30-13.30 (CET)

The Legal Clinic for Social Justice of the Law Faculty of the University of the Basque Country has developed innovative ways to learn and teach Law, where students are at the centre. Working with local social stakeholders, (mainly NGOs, and other actors), students get involved in real cases related to social justice and systemic discrimination in the local society.  The session highlights the experiences of clinic students and it explains the transferable theoretical grounds, diverse tools and instruments that the Legal Clinic uses to foster the social function of the university, engage students in critical thinking and work with different actors.

REGISTRATION: https://forms.office.com/e/wYdfUY5gkf

ENLIGHT has published a Staff Week trainings calendar with a variety of training options for support staff members of the network.