Kaunas university of technology has started CATALISI project in January 2023. Within one year of the implementation, the contours of transformations are already seen. Starting with intensive discussions with university stakeholders and university staff, within 3 big domains of intervention – namely, Human Recourses, Research Modus Operandi and Finances – the project core team identified 5 intervention areas such as Supporting talent circulation/mobility, Accurately addressing lifelong learning, Strengthening of human capital, Public engagement with and outreach to society to solve social challenges, and finally, Sustainability in research.
Addressing on of project objectives which aims to improve methods by which research is conducted and perceived at the regional and European level by ensuring that the R&I systems across Europe are promptly and effective in sharing research outcomes not only to academic actors but also to the broader informed society, project team targeted international community of researchers and practitioners to discuss initial findings and projected pathways towards transformational changes. The project team offered a panel discussion at IASIA 2023 conference, focusing discussion on human resource transformations in VUCA environment. VUCA environment is described as having the characteristics such as volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity.
In order to better understand acceleration services, the discussions included such questions as what is the role of coaching and support mechanism that higher education institutions might apply? What is the role of the environments to foster transformational changes?
Two focal points emerged in the panel discussion:
- The role of community of practice. Community of practice is usually understood as group of people who share common interests, concerns, problems, and challenges, exchange knowledge on a common basis while meeting face-to-face or/and online. Several aspects of communities of practices, that are very important for transformational changes, were crystalized at the panel: Interaction on regular terms makes it possible to follow up the transformations, exchanging practices might help seeing intervention areas and the challenges in the different light or from the different angle, developing solutions that are beyond of the “usual suspects” category.
- The role of the environment. The contemporary world is described as unpredictable and rapidly changing. Thus, the transformational changes is not a innovation but rather a necessity to be in line with the last developments in working culture, technological environment, socio-economic situations. Organizations need novel approaches to leadership, performance and developments. Thus, the discussion covered environmental transformations and the ways organizations innovate adapting to new environments.
