University of Gdańsk’s MML Workshop and Twinning Exchange

The University of Gdańsk recently hosted two significant events as part of the CATALISI project: a Mobilisation and Mutual Learning (MML) workshop and a Twinning Exchange. Both initiatives focused on strengthening the societal engagement and “third mission” of higher education institutions, fostering collaboration, and sharing best practices in knowledge transfer and stakeholder involvement. 

MML Workshop: Social Engagement in Higher Education
The MML Workshop, titled “Social engagement in Higher Education: Building stakeholders cooperations and reaching out to external partners,” with the representatives from academia (including a Vice-Dean, administrative staff, and researchers), a policy body/governmental institution, civil society organisation , and 3 managers from industry.  The workshop aimed to enhance societal engagement in higher education by fostering strong cooperation between universities and external partners such as businesses, schools, NGOs, and public institutions. A central theme was exploring the university’s “third mission”—its role in contributing to society beyond traditional teaching and research. Key topics included: 
  • Best Practices: The event showcased the university’s successful educational outreach initiatives, particularly the Logistics and Forwarding Olympiad, a national competition involving over a hundred external stakeholders.  
  • Co-creation Workshops: Participants identified key barriers to stakeholder engagement, such as administrative constraints, differing expectations, and lack of incentives. They co-developed solutions and tools to overcome these obstacles, including improved partnership models and targeted communication strategies.
  • Business Engagement: The session explored how universities can build and sustain partnerships with the private sector. This highlighted the importance of mutual understanding and shared value creation, with discussions on how businesses can support academic activities, foster innovation, and contribute to regional development. 
Twinning Exchange: Public Engagement and Open Science

The exchange primarily focused on public engagement with and outreach to society to solve social challenges, with a specific emphasis on Open Science practices. Highlights included: 

  • Faculty of Economics Tour: The event began with a session at the Faculty of Economics, showcasing the university’s actions for society, including tours of labs, student areas, and discussions on the Experts Council and other initiatives. 
  • Open Science at the University Library: Participants visited the University Library to learn about Open Science initiatives and society-oriented projects. Participants shared different perspectives and good practices for disseminating research findings openly to the general public. 
  • Dissemination: Visits to the Mini-Museum of Amber and the University Radio Mors studio demonstrated innovative ways to leverage academic spaces and media platforms for broader public engagement, promoting the concept of a “university for society.” 

Both the MML workshop and the Twinning Exchange at the University of Gdańsk demonstrated a strong commitment to advancing the societal engagement and “third mission” of higher education institutions. The events improve knowledge transfer and enhance institutional transformation. The University of Gdańsk plans to integrate these insights into its institutional strategy, and aims to replicate the successful MML workshop format for other strategic initiatives in the future. 

CATALISI success story | UJI is Transforming Research Ethos: Open Science and the Reform of Ethical Governance

Castelló de la Plana, Spain – Universitat Jaume I (UJI) is transforming research practices, fostering a culture of research integrity, ethics, and open science. 

This commitment was highlighted in a recent webinar featuring Ramón A. Feenstra and Laura Bernal Sánchez from UJI, who shared their university’s success story under the framework of the CATALISI project.

UJI’s initiatives are designed to strengthen research ethics and open science, aligning with the National Open Science Strategy (ENCA) and aiming to boost transparency, quality, and reproducibility in research. The webinar provided a look into the challenges faced and the solutions implemented by the university.

Laura Bernal Sanchez explains UJI´s problems, needs and inspiration
  • Improvements in ethical reviews

Laura Bernal Sánchez, secretary for various research ethics committees at UJI, detailed the increase in applications for ethical review. From 81 human research applications and 7 animal experimentation applications in 2020, the numbers soared to a combined total of 1038 applications in 2024. While acknowledging this surge as a positive indicator of researchers’ growing awareness of ethics and integrity, Bernal Sánchez highlighted the strain it placed on existing resources.

To address the overwhelming workload and maintain efficiency, UJI has implemented significant changes to its ethics review process. Inspired by practices observed at the University of Amsterdam, UJI transitioned to a peer-review model for project assessment, preceded by technical evaluations in ethical and data protection aspects. This shift has dramatically reduced review times for both the committee and researchers, a crucial improvement given the increasing complexity of research projects.

  • Development of a chatbot

Another innovative solution is development of a chatbot. This tool aims to provide immediate answers to frequently asked questions, freeing up valuable committee time. Bernal Sánchez emphasised that while not AI-driven to avoid potential misinformation, the chatbot’s design allows for the identification of new or recurring questions, informing future updates and guidance.

  • Code of Good Research

Addressing the growing complexity of research, particularly in areas like Artificial Intelligence, UJI is proactively integrating these new topics into its Code of Good Research Practices and doctoral programmes. This ongoing process, informed by national and European regulations (such as the EU’s AI Act and animal welfare guidelines) and collaborations with other institutions, ensures that the university’s ethical framework remains current and relevant.
Ramón A. Feenstra discuss UJI´s efforts in Open Science and the reform of the evaluation system

Ramón A. Feenstra underscored the critical importance of institutional involvement, stressing that successful change requires the full commitment of university leadership.

UJI has developed and approved comprehensive action plans for both Open Science and research assessment, extending beyond the CATALISI project’s duration until 2027. These plans, available in Valencian, Spanish, and English, demonstrate UJI’s long-term dedication to these transformative pathways.

  • Survey on Open Science knowledge

A key initiative under these plans was a comprehensive survey conducted in late 2024. With 330 responses, the survey provided valuable data on researchers’ knowledge, interests, and concerns regarding Open Science and research assessment. Feenstra highlighted the importance of understanding academics’ perspectives, especially given Spain’s historically metrics-driven evaluation system. 

Despite critical views of quantity-focused evaluation systems, researchers continue to rely heavily on traditional metrics. Highly Valued Indicators: 

– Impact Factor | Avg. score: 3.96 

– Number of Citations | Avg. score: 3.87 

-Number of Articles in English | Avg. score: 3.74

The researcher´s awareness of DORA and CoARA is still limited. Despite openness to reforming research assessment and Open Access, their knowledge of key international initiatives is low among UJI researchers. 

-Average Knowledge Scores: DORA (San Francisco Declaration): 2.08 

– CoARA (Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment): 1.96

The survey’s findings offer crucial guidance for tailoring future initiatives to better support researchers.

Both speakers emphasised that UJI’s journey is a “work in progress.” Future efforts will focus on increasing resources, establishing a new biosafety committee, further strengthening integrity structures, and enhancing local and national ethics networks. Continuous improvement in research integrity awareness through training courses and webinars remains a top priority.

UJI’s experience under the CATALISI project serves as a compelling model for other institutions grappling with similar challenges. By proactively addressing the complexities of modern research and fostering a culture of openness and integrity, UJI is setting a commendable standard and contributing significantly to the broader objectives of the European Commission and the European Research Area (ERA) policy.

MML Workshop and Twinning Exchange at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

On 22nd and 23rd January 2025, the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) hosted a two day Twinning & Mobilisation and Mutual Learning (MML) Exchange as part of the CATALISI project. This gathering brought together partner institutions including University College Cork (UCC), University of Gdansk (UG), Kaunas University of Technology, Universitat Jaume I | Luiss Guido Carli University, and Amsterdam UMC alongside internal and external stakeholders who have been actively engaging with AUTH’s CATALISI journey. 

MML Workshop: Integrating Open Citizen Science in Universities

The first day focused on an interactive  MML workshops aim to foster knowledge sharing among representatives from different universities. The AUTH team hosted a workshop with the title: Integrating Open Citizen Science in Universities: Building Stakeholder Engagement and Living Lab Ecosystems. They see Open Science and Citizen Science as crucial principles for driving institutional transformation, emphasising stakeholder engagement, transparency, and societal impact through Living Labs and citizen-driven initiatives. 

Main Takeaways: 

  • Explored the effective integration of Open Science and Citizen Science principles into higher education institutions. 
  • Discussed current challenges and future opportunities for incorporating Open and Citizen Science within university systems. 
  • Highlighted the importance of institutional structures that enable openness, collaboration, and broader engagement with society. 
  • Engaged participants in co-creation activities to develop actionable strategies for integrating Open and Citizen Science into AUTH’s ecosystem. 

The final session featured a showcase by Thess-AHALL, the university’s Living Lab, showcasing how researchers and community members can collaborate on real-world settings to address health challenges through co-creation processes. 

Following the hands-on MML workshop, the Twinning session continued the momentum by diving into comparative learning and peer exchange. 

"Twinning Session: Sharing Best Practices for Research Sustainability"

The second day shifted focus toward peer exchange and strategic dialogue between CATALISI partners through the Twinning framework. This format allowed universities to share national experiences and jointly explore pathways to institutional transformation. 

Highlights from the Twinning Event: 

  • Dialogue sessions addressed sustainable research funding and alternative financing models, placing special emphasis on how Open Science practices can be supported long-term. 
  • AUTH provided an overview of the Greek research funding landscape, while UCC and UG shared insights into their national research funding policies. 
  • Case studies highlighted AUTH’s successful project implementations, particularly concerning Living Lab experiences in the medical field. 
  • Interactive sessions fostered a collaborative atmosphere where participants shared challenges in securing and managing funding and proposed practical solutions. 
  • Potential collaborations emerged, including exploring further contact between UCC and UG to pursue avenues discussed during the exchange. 

 
Transforming Higher Education Institutions with CATALISI

These events are organised in the context of the CATALISI Capacity Building and Outreach Acceleration service and are designed to support HEIs with the skills and strategies needed to develop transformative approaches aligned with Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) principles. 

Both the MML Workshop and the Twinning Exchange were successful events. They will contribute positively to AUTH’s journey.  

Kaunas University of Technology Hosts CATALISI Twinning and MML Events

On December 9th and 10th, 2024, Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) in Lithuania hosted to a dual event under the CATALISI framework: a Twinning Exchange and a Mobilisation and Mutual Learning (MML) Workshop. This gathering brought together representatives from various CATALISI Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), including UJI, AUTH, UCC, UG, and LUISS, alongside internal and external stakeholders. 

MML Workshop: Focusing on Participatory Research Practices

The CATALISI MML workshops are designed to foster knowledge sharing among university representatives. KTU’s MML event, titled “Participatory Research Practices at KTU: Infrastructure and Strategic Guidelines,” aimed to discuss the infrastructure, strategic guidance, and real-world applications of citizen science projects across diverse fields. The event saw participation from academics in various roles, from university and faculty-level managers to administrative staff and researchers. 

Main Takeaways: 

  • Introducing Citizen Science Guidelines at KTU: A key focus was the presentation of KTU’s official guidelines for implementing citizen science projects, establishing standards for quality, ethics, and collaboration. 
  • Activities of the Citizen Science Hub: The workshop introduced the hub’s role at KTU as a central coordinator for citizen science projects, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration. 
  • Practices from Social Citizen Science Projects: Experiences from specific social citizen science projects such as TIME4CS, YouCount, and LibOCS were shared as case studies. 
  • Citizen Science in Architecture and Other Disciplines: Discussions extended to the application of citizen science in architecture and other fields, highlighting innovative approaches to public engagement in data gathering and co-creation. 

The primary challenge addressed during the MML event was “How to enhance public engagement and inclusion of stakeholders to solve societal challenges?” KTU’s long-term vision is to be a university that drives social change and collaborates with society, with a goal of increasing awareness among academic and research staff regarding the benefits of public engagement in research. A short-term goal is to establish a citizen science hub. The workshop’s success was evident in the positive feedback received, indicating its potential to foster future collaboration and drive collective growth. 
Exploring Twinning: Open Science, Engagement, and Ethics at KTU

The Twinning event facilitates the exchange of experiences, best practices, and innovative ideas among CATALISI universities across several key areas: 

  • To present experience in assuring sustainability in research 
  • To present open educational resources and open data (e-library, data center etc.) 
  • To organise the discussion on research ethics practice at KTU 
  • To present to the infrastructure for open science applications. 

The Twinning visit to KTU specifically aimed to share the university’s experience and present its main streams in open science, public engagement in science, and sustainability in research. 

Highlights from the Twinning Event: 

  • Sustainability in Research: Presentations by KTU’s Director of Department of Research Affairs and Head of Research and Innovation Projects Centre introduced research funding schemes and long-term approaches to maintaining research initiatives. 
  • Open Science and Open Data: Discussions at the Centre for Data Analysis and Archiving (DAtA) highlighted the importance of open science for researchers, with a specific focus on the LiDA data archive for social sciences and KTU’s practices for acknowledging data depositing in researcher career assessment. 
  • Open Science and Research Ethics: A meeting with the KTU Research Ethics Committee allowed for discussions on open science practices in Lithuania and at KTU, alongside sharing best practices from ECIU partners. 

Participants from visiting institutions highly valued the opportunity for in-depth discussions and the sharing of experiences. The visit to the DAtA Centre and the sessions on Open Science and Research Ethics were particularly impactful, offering insights into KTU’s innovative structures and programmes.  
Transforming Higher Education Institutions with CATALISI

These events are organised within the context of the CATALISI Capacity building and outreach Acceleration service. They are specifically designed to equip HEIs with the necessary skills and strategies to develop transformative approaches aligned with Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) principles. 

Both the Twinning Exchange and the MML Workshop at KTU were successful in fostering knowledge exchange, facilitating collaboration, and encouraging joint problem-solving. These initiatives are crucial for advancing the change journeys of the participating universities and contribute significantly to the overall mission of CATALISI in 2025 and beyond.