UNICOM

Call: ERASMUS-EDU-2022-CBHE (Capacity building in the field of higher education)

Topic: ERASMUS-EDU-2022-CBHE-STRAND-3

Type of Action: ERASMUS-LS  (ERASMUS Lump Sum Grants)

Proposal number: 101083077

Proposal acronym: UNICOM

Timeline: 1.2.2023 – 30.1.2027

Total budget: 988,435 euro (CZU: 37,587 euro)

CZU team: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hynek Roubík (coordinator from CZU), Dr. Stacy Denise Hammond Hammond, Dr. Yelizaveta Chernysh, Viktoriia Chubur, Chama Theodore Ketuama

Coordinator: UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI GENOVA (Italy)

Partners: Czech University of Life Sceinces Prague (Czechia), LUNDS UNIVERSITET, SICUREZZA E LIBERTA, FACHHOCHSCHULE DES MITTELSTANDES (FHM) GMBH – UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCE, LATVIJAS UNIVERSITATE, ACEEU GMBH, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLATFORM NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS (PLATFORM NGO), UKRAINSKA ASOCIACIYA EVROPEYSKIH STUDIY, UKRAINIAN ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSORS AND RESEARCHERS OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION, SUMY NATIONAL AGRARIAN UNIVERSITY, VINNYTSIA NATIONAL M.I. PYROGOV MEDICAL UNIVERSITY, BOGDAN KHMELNITSKY MELITOPOL STATE PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY, Donetsk State University of Internal Affairs, INSTITUTE OF HIGHER EDUCATION OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES OF UKRAINE, IVAN FRANKO NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF LVIV, KHARKIV NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF RADIO ELECTRONICS, NATIONAL PEDAGOGICAL DRAGOMANOV UNIVERSITY, MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE OF UKRAINE

The UNICOM project aims to foster cooperation between Ukrainian universities and their surrounding communities by incorporating best practices from EU states such as Italy, Germany, Sweden, Latvia and Czech Republic. The project activities include developing policies to enhance the third mission of universities, analyzing the needs of communities and universities across Ukraine, and capacity-building for university staff through exchange programs focused on resilience, sustainability, inclusion, entrepreneurship, environment, public health, and social cohesion.

The project will develop national models of university-community cooperation centers, known as UNICOMs, through a professional capacity-building program for communities. This program, called "Open University," applies university expertise to community needs and encourages student civic engagement through a hackathon and volunteering program.

The project will also produce a policy paper and roadmap on enhancing the third mission of universities during higher education reform in Ukraine. Dissemination activities, such as web support, social media, publications, and workshops, will present project results to stakeholders and the wider public.

UNICOM seeks to enhance universities' social role and boost university-community engagement, ensuring social cohesion, resilience, and sustainability. By incorporating efficient models of interaction between communities and universities, UNICOM hopes to foster an environment of innovation and social development in Ukraine.

The project is a promising step towards promoting the third mission of universities in Ukraine and strengthening university-community cooperation. By developing policies and implementing best practices, UNICOM has the potential to create a positive impact on Ukrainian society and contribute to the country's economic and social development.

Role of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hynek Roubík and his team is to share their expertise with partners, so they can benefit from it and structurally implement it in Ukraine.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.