RE-Unita : closing chapter for the first edition of the mentoring program for female faculty at USMB!
On January 16, the Université Savoie Mont-Blanc (USMB) launched its first mentoring program for female faculty members in partnership with the Re-UNITA project, funded by the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 program. Avec pour objectif de souligner l’importance pour l’université d’œuvrer pour l’égalité professionnelle entre les femmes et les hommes, ce sont Mareva Sabatier, Vice-Présidente Recherche, et Philippe Briand, Vice-Président du Conseil d’Administration, qui ont amorcés cette première édition. Ils ont tenu à rappeler la nécessité pour chacun et chacune d’avoir la possibilité de faire des choix de carrière éclairés, tout en prenant en compte les barrières qui peuvent encore subsister pour les femmes. Réparties en 6 binômes, les 12 femmes qui ont pris part à ce programme ont pu se rencontrer en autonomie durant 10 mois, chaque mentorée récemment arrivée dans l’institution ayant ainsi pu profiter de l’expérience et des conseils de sa mentore, plus expérimentée. Ces quelques mois ont également été ponctués de plusieurs temps forts : deux ateliers sur la sensibilisation à l’affirmation de soi et aux stéréotypes de genre, ainsi qu’un bilan à mi-parcours avec un atelier de co-développement. Le programme de mentorat a été clôturé le 12 novembre dernier sur le campus du Bourget-du-Lac. L’occasion de tirer le bilan de cette première édition, très positif pour toutes les participantes. Toutes ont souligné la qualité des relations entretenues, tant au sein des binômes que dans le groupe, permettant d’avancer sur des questions et des objectifs précis. Le partage d’expérience, aussi riche qu’intéressant, a été fortement apprécié, et nul doute que la dynamique et le réseau créés seront des atouts pour la carrière et le bien-être de chacune des participantes. Vous pouvez retrouver ici les témoignages de Sabrina et Sandra de l’USMB, qui ont partagé cette première édition du programme de mentorat ensemble.
43 researchers met in Pau for the Cultural heritage matching event
On the 17th and 18th of October, UPPA hosted the Cultural heritage matching event dedicated to “Green Heritage : Rethinking Rural Areas in the 21st Century”. Plenary sessions and face-to-face meetings have been key opportunities to foster the emergence of new collaborative projects in our Alliance! Cet événement, dédié à la rencontre entre enseignants-chercheurs intéressés par cette thématique et issus de disciplines très variées, avait pour objectif d’encourager les rencontres et l’émergence de nouveaux projets collaboratifs. La première matinée a permis d’accueillir les participants et de présenter les objectifs du hub Patrimoine culturel, le projet CHORAL et d’assister à la conférence inaugurale de M. Carlos Labarta, professeur d’architecture à l’Université de Saragosse. Durant l’après-midi, les enseignants-chercheurs ont pu présenter leurs activités de recherche en 90 secondes, afin de proposer un premier aperçu de leur périmètre de recherche. Ensuite, 8 sessions de rencontres bilatérales ont permis aux enseignants-chercheurs d’échanger et d’explorer les pistes de collaborations, sur la base de leurs intérêts communs. Enfin, l’après-midi du vendredi 18 octobre était consacré à la présentation des opportunités de financement proposées par l’alliance UNITA, et notamment les starting grants. Ces « matching events » constituent un dispositif phare afin d’encourager les collaborations de recherche au sein de l’alliance UNITA. D’ici à juin 2025, deux événements de ce type seront organisés pour chaque hub dans les différentes universités UNITA. Les enseignants-chercheurs de l’UPPA seront invités à y participer prochainement.
Re-UNITA Project launches e-book on research challenges in mountain regions
The Re-UNITA project – Research for UNITA Project will end on October 31st, but not before seeing the launch of an E-Book that portrays the results obtained in the two-day Workshops, which took place at the University of Beira Interior (UBI) last April. This event was promoted by the Re-UNITA project, which aims to promote research activities within the scope of the UNITA Alliance – Universitas Montium. The Re-UNITA Workshops consisted of presentations and round tables in the scientific areas of Circular Economy, Cultural Heritage and Renewable Energy. The activities developed were an excellent networking opportunity for researchers from partner Universities, aiming to discuss scientific development, and advances and main research challenges in each of the scientific areas. The different sessions also promoted the establishment of new collaborations and possibilities for joint responses to international calls for projects or co-supervision of theses. According to the Re-UNITA Project Coordinator, Frederic Marias: “This Workshop serves as a unique platform to start conversations, foster connections between researchers, and explore the latest advances in Re-UNITA’s research activities. Our goal is to facilitate an environment where insights transcend traditional boundaries, allowing participants to engage in meaningful dialogue and collaborative projects.” The E-book entitled “Re-UNITA Workshops – Research Challenges for Cultural Heritage, Circular Economy and Renewable Energies in rural and mountain areas” and published through UBI Edições, brings together the results of the presentations and discussions held in the three thematic Workshops, becoming available in free access to the entire academic and scientific community. As the UBI´s Vice-Rector of Research, Innovation and Development, Sílvia Socorro, highlights: “The e-book compiles the collective knowledge generated during the workshops. Includes the contributions of participants in the sessions of Part I – Presentation of research projects (8), and the topics of discussion in the Round Table sessions of Part II (16). Overall, details of ongoing projects, discussion summaries, and important messages are provided. This e-book is a valuable resource and a testament to the impactful results of the Re-UNITA project in promoting collaborative research efforts across the UNITA alliance. It provides knowledge and practical strategies that can be applied in various contexts to drive positive change, empowering our community to further develop UNITA’s research identity.”
UNITA at R&I cross-alliance event in Brussels
UNITA was present in Brussels on October 4th, alongside 13 other European University Alliances to share the results obtained from projects dedicated to research and innovation, such as Research for UNITA (Re-UNITA). Two UNITA representatives had the chance to presented the network of shared infrastructures, set up thanks to the Re-UNITA project. Les Alliances d’Universités Européennes financées en 2020 et ayant reçu des projets SwafS (Science with and for Socity) se sont réunies à Bruxelles pour présenter les résultats de leurs projets visant à renforcer la dimension R&I des Alliances. Ces projets triennaux arrivent à leur terme cette année ; ce fut donc une excellente occasion de faire le point sur les trois dernières années et de discuter de l’avenir de la dimension R&I au sein des Alliances. Unanimement, les résultats des Alliances européennes en termes de recherche et d’innovation ont été salués, ainsi que l’esprit d’entraide qui amène un partage effectif des bonnes pratiques et des résultats obtenus entre nos différentes Alliances. Le programme a porté à la fois sur les principaux résultats des projets et sur l’avenir du financement de la R&I pour les Alliances. 14 Alliances ont présenté les activités qu’elles ont menées et leurs résultats dans des domaines clés : le renforcement du capital humain (soutien aux carrières des chercheurs, évaluation des carrières, développement des compétences, etc.) et les stratégies/politiques communes de R&I (programme commun de R&I, plateformes communes, activités de recherche communes, etc.). Rosa Bolea Bailo (Vice-présidente de la politique scientifique, Universidad de Zaragoza – Espagne) et Frédéric Marias (coordinateur Re-UNITA, Université de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour – France) ont représenté le projet Re-UNITA et l’Alliance UNITA. Mme Bolea Bailo a pu présenter le réseau d’infrastructures partagées mis en œuvre durant Re-UNITA, son fonctionnement et ses résultats, en soulignant son élargissement dans le cadre de la phase de consolidation d’UNITA. ©SimonBlackley Lors des échanges, l’audience a pu souligner l’engagement politique fort des établissements de l’Alliance UNITA pour mutualiser nos ressources de recherche, et a montré un intérêt fort pour la plateforme numérique mise en place. En outre, des représentants de la Commission européenne ont participé aux discussions avec les alliances pour aborder les résultats des projets SwafS, mais aussi les futures possibilités de financement de la R&I pour les alliances. L’événement a également été l’occasion d’engager des discussions fructueuses avec le public et la Commission européenne, de partager les bonnes pratiques et de défendre les besoins des Alliances en termes de R&I pour l’avenir. L’événement a donc marqué une étape importante dans l’histoire de l’Europe.
Innovation Prize 2024
The latest edition of the Innovation Prize ended with the announcement of the 3 winners during the final conference of the Re-UNITA project, held in Pau on the 2nd of July. This year, 16 projects from the 6 universities belonging to the UNITA Alliance were presented, covering a wide range of fields from sport to renewable energy and languages. Three of them have been awarded. The project that won first place is MUS-ESP, and it’s from the University of Zaragoza (UNIZAR), in Spain. The primary goal of this project is to develop and refine a comprehensive educational methodology that utilizes a progression of phantoms, ranging from simple models to highly realistic anatomical replicas, for training medical students and professionals in ultrasoundguided procedures. These phantoms are meticulously designed to replicate human soft tissue and anatomical structures, providing a realistic and safe environment for skill acquisition and practice. Second place went to the Pav-OK! project, the result of research carried out at the University of Beira Interior (UBI) in Portugal. The Pav-OK! solution is as an innovative technological approach to digital and intelligent pavement data inspection and processing. The project aims to overcome the limitations of traditional methods and fill the gap in planning the diagnosis of the condition of municipal and airport pavements by taking advantage of new technologies and Artificial Intelligence (AI) potential, providing so a technologically advanced solution at a lower cost. The solution incorporates image data capture and recording, laser and georeferencing devices, and can be classified as a low-cost multifunctional mobile system with semi-automatic data processing. Finally, the third prize went to Tips – M, a project from the University of Turin (UNITO). The project is aimed at the development of stable thin-film mini-module architecture based on hybrid perovskite photoabsorber for internet of things (IoT) application. This device could be integrated into window blinds or window glasses to provide power for small-scale electronic devices, including microcontrollers, detectors, sensors, and indicators. It could be very helpful for usage in remote mountain locations, providing power to smart-home systems and weather and air quality monitoring which is located far from the electric grids. Congratulations to the three winners of this year’s edition, and to all the participants who submitted their projects during the 3 competitions. Once again, they demonstrated the dynamism of the students and researchers of the UNITA Alliance in terms of research and scientific innovation. *Re-UNITA is a project funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme. To know more about the projects: https://www.research.univ-unita.eu/en/news/re-unita-innovation-prize-discover-the-2024.html
UNITA PhD International Talent Challenge | Announcement of the winning teams
As part of the Re-UNITA – Research for UNITA project, the six partner Universities launched, in June 2023, an international competition open to PhD students enrolled in any PhD Program at Re-UNITA Universities (UBI, UNITO, UNIZAR, UPPA, USMB and UVT). In a first phase, stakeholders from the territories of each UNITA university participated in local workshops, to propose global challenges in the respective scientific areas – Circular Economy, Cultural Heritage and Renewable Energy. Subsequently, the International Juries voted and defined one challenge for each scientific area. In a second step, 13 teams of PhD students from Re-UNITA Universities applied for the competition. The teams, composed of 2 to 5 members, had to choose one of the proposed challenges and then work for six months to develop innovative projects with solutions to the chosen challenge. Three teams stood out – one in each scientific area – and won the competition: – Circular Economy: Project “The transition from linear to circular economy in the Faget area through industrial symbiosis”. UVT PhD Team: Alexandra Burdulea, Paul Handro, Amelia Laura Maris and Elena-Alexandra Sinoi. – Cultural Heritage: Project “The Unita Move App (TUMA)”. UPPA PhD Team: Noémie Rivière and Elodie Rivière. – Renewable Energy: Project “Zero net energy residential green buildings”. UBI PhD Team: Hugo Antunes, João Dinis, Pedro Andrade and Pedro Barandier. Congratulations to the winners and to all participants!! Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/5GqqnNgEpT0
Building a European University: UNITA’s Research Milestones
From July 2nd to 4th, the Université de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour hosted over 100 participants (faculty, administrative staff, and doctoral students) from the 12-member universities of the UNITA Alliance, marking a new milestone towards the creation of a European university. Numerous significant events punctuated these three days, attended by high-level institutional representatives, including Mr. Galez, Rector of the Université Savoie Mont Blanc, representatives from the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research, France Universités, and over 10 vice-rectors dedicated to research. The first day was marked by the final conference of the Research for UNITA (Re-UNITA) project, which began in September 2021. Rectors and vice-rectors, faculty members, and administrative staff reiterated UNITA’s shared commitment to building a European university, promoting the circulation of knowledge, sharing scientific resources, and developing new research collaborations. During the following two days, the working groups made significant progress towards new activities aimed at developing rural, mountainous, and cross-border territories through education, research, and innovation. Various missions were discussed: UNITA thanks all participants for their presence, contributions and enthusiasm. Concluding these three days of intense work, the teams are already focused on the next steps to be achieved. First, the CHORAL project kick-off will be held on the 17th of October, symbolizing the dynamism of UNITA towards the recruitment of PhD students in co-tutelles within our universities. Then, the years 2024–2025 will be punctuated by 10 matching events.
