The GEMINAE Best Practices Awards initiative is organized by the UNITA alliance and aims to promote, enhance and encourage the exchange of best practices developed by UNITA Geminae university partners all over the world. The focus is on all the dimensions of the higher education institutions’ mission: teaching and training, research, and socio-economic impact. The awards will recognize pioneering practices and initiatives that contribute to create more effective and dynamic universities in a context of an increasingly globalized and connected higher education system. By showcasing these best practices, the UNITA Alliance aims to inspire other universities to follow and emulate this initiative, and to create greater public recognition of the Geminae universities’ practices.

The Geminae Best Practices Awards include up to 6 prizes, granted by the UNITA alliance with the Organizing Committee of the biennial Geminae Conference. In this sense, each edition of the Geminae Best Practices Awards will include universities which are selected from a two-year period of evaluation.

THEMATICS

The topics for the awards will be:

1. Innovative HEI learning - student-centered and labour-market oriented: transversal competences, international cooperation, digitalization and personalization of student path will be valued.
2. Excellence in research through the promotion of the Open Science instruments, the inter and multidisciplinarity approaches, shared infrastructures, development of advanced technologies.
3. Contribution to the knowledge-based growth in local and/or regional communities including the activities and support for entrepreneurship and technological transfer.
4. Campus life, green initiatives and commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in Higher Education.         
5. HEI institutional transformation for stronger, more competitive and effective communities of staff and students.
6. Promotion of democratic values – peace, human dignity and human rights, equality, inclusion and strong community engagement.

 WHO CAN APPLY?

The applicants must have a formal/ institutional relationship with any university of the UNITA Geminae network (membership attested through a signed letter of commitment): academic staff, administrative staff, researchers, departments, schools, research centres, universities, students.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

The evaluation criteria are based on:

- Institutional development or capacity building resulting from the best practice (max. 20 points)

- Suitability and replication capability in other Universities (max 20 points)

- Effective contribution to improve the functioning of the territories in the ecosystem which the university is a part of (max 20 points)

- The innovative nature of the best practice example (relevant, original, unique approach, etc.) (max 20 points)

- Stakeholders and/or students’ engagement (max. 20 points).

To be eligible, BPA proposals must score at least 10 points per evaluation criterion and at least 60 points in total.

CANDIDATURES

Submissions should be sent to the UNITA OFFICE of UVT, using the e-mail address unita@e-uvt.ro, detailing the best practice example(s).

The formal application should include the following elements

• Topic
• Title
• University: name and location.
• Data of the contact person (Name/surname, Job position, Email address, Phone number)
• Video presentation: max 5 minutes, horizontal format. Title at the beginning and the applicants’ names or applicant’s name at the end. Moreover, videos must comply with the following:
  • Legislation on copyright aspects shall be considered by the authors.
  • Advertising is not allowed.
  • If people are visible in the pictures or the video, their consent shall be collected by authors.
  • The images shall respect the dignity of people, groups and entities.
  • The person presenting the images is responsible for complying with all legal requirements. If this person does not have the needed permissions, material will not be accepted.
• Description of the project: max 2.000 words
• Summary of the project: max. 500 word

Language of submission: any of the languages of the alliance (Italian, French, Spanish, Romanian or Portuguese). The summary of the project should be also provided in English.

The Geminae university/members/structures can submit a maximum of 3 applications.

AWARDS

The prizes awarded will consist of a diploma mentioning the example of good practice and their assignment will have an appropriate emphasis on all communication channels of UNITA.

There will be maximum 6 winners (one per topic). They will be given the opportunity to present their project in detail to the conference delegates during a special best practice session.

Winners will therefore be notified of the awards in advance before the conference in order to make arrangements to attend and prepare a presentation, such as power point, canva,…. The travel costs will be covered by the UNITA Alliance (flights from/to country of origin and the accommodation in the city where the BPA delivery will take place).

KEY DATES

Opening date: 15th December 2024

Closing date: 15th March 2025

Review and selection by Awards Committee: 15th April 2025

Announcement of the awards: 30th April 2025

Prize Ceremony and initiatives presentation:   4-5 September 2025, during the Geminae Conference

AWARD COMMITTEE 

The Best Practice Award (BPA) Committee is in charge of organizing the evaluation and deciding the winners.

A Selection panel is nominated to carry out the technical review to ensure the eligibility of the applications. 

The Best Practice Award Committee could invite the candidates for an online discussion about the proposal.

The BPA Committee decisions are final and therefore are unalterable and not subject to any appeal.

Configuration of the Best Practice Award Committee

• one member of the UNITA Management Committee
• one member of the UNITA Quality and Evaluation Board
• one representative of the Geminae network
• one Vice Rector for Internationalization from UNITA universities
• one Vice Rector for Research from UNITA universities
• one Vice Rector for Education from UNITA universities
• one representative of the Task 5.5 team
• one member of the Student Assembly

Selection panel

All the submissions will be pre-evaluated by a selection panel. The selection panel will integrate representatives of UNITA members.

DATA PROTECTION-

By participating in this initiative, you accept the following data protection policy for the West University of Timișoara. https://www.uvt.ro/en/gdpr/

Basic consent (compulsory)

Please be informed that in order to properly manage your registration and keep you updated on the evolution of the initiative, we need to send you information by email.

Dissemination of photographs, recordings or images. The organization informs you that this is a public event. The University may take images and audio/video recordings (or authorize a third party to do it on its behalf) for the dissemination of the event(s) both on the Web and in social media.

Responsible

The responsible entity is the West University of Timișoara through the UNITA office: unita@e-uvt.ro

Purpose and legitimacy

In compliance with the provisions of current legislation on the protection of personal data (Regulation (EU) 2016/679, of April 27), we inform you that the personal data you have provided us with will be processed by the West University of Timișoara, as responsible entity, in order to carry out and facilitate the organization, participation and dissemination of this initiative.

Audience

The University will communicate the personal data that is indispensable for the management of the initiative.

Rights

You can access, rectify, erase, oppose or exercise your right to the restriction of processing of your data and revoke the consent at any time in the terms that you can consult in the additional information.

Geminae award 2023 first edition

The Geminae Best Practices Awards included up to 6 prizes, granted by the UNITA alliance with the Organizing Committee of the biennial Geminae Conference. In this sense, each edition of the Geminae Best Practices Awards will include universities which are selected from a two year period of evaluation.

Final Resolution

Regulation EN | ES | FR | PT

UNITA at the EAIE

EAIE 2024 - Toulouse 
For the first time, UNITA has participated at the EAIE (17-20 September 2024, Toulouse) – Europe's biggest higher education conference. UNITA first major exhibition was  a unique opportunity to connect with counterparts, deepen ties with partners, and share our vision with new audiences. Watch the videos of the Geminae Partners that joined! 

UNITA at the EAIE 2024 in Toulouse
https://youtu.be/bex-ztou9do

Virgilio almeida Brasilia
https://youtu.be/DKCJlJF9kwg

Sebastien Charle et Audrey Tessier Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
https://youtu.be/51IH1OWqU88 

Ana Lilia Ramos - Universidad de Monterrey (Mexico)
https://youtu.be/3fABjm9po2o 

Maria Teresa Damiani - Universidad National de Cuyo ( Argentina)
https://youtu.be/OTFaU6ocASI

Colombo Eloic - Université de Sheerbrooke (Canada)
https://youtu.be/QRjN4Ia26_s

Sandra Guerin - Universidad del Rosario (Colombia)
https://youtu.be/l7T7i4zdh_c

Rafael Mattiello - Unioeste do Paranà
https://youtu.be/0GNs1VgBdO8

Aziz Saliba - Federal University of Minas Gerais
https://youtu.be/k9b78NKMwU0

Heidi Quintero - Universidad Catolica de Colombia
https://youtu.be/bCiys5xdlH4

EAIE 2025 - Gothenburg
UNITA will be present at the EAIE 2025 wirth its own stand.
More info soon!