News and Events
UniLab Newsletter. Issue #4
January 2023
The UniLab Project’s 4th and final newsletter has been published and can be accessed through this link.
This last issue of the UniLab newsletter highlights the outputs that were developed over the course of the project, and which have been made available in the Tools section of the UniLab project website. These include the code for the UniLab student portal, as well as the standards, principles and tools for work-based learning developed by the consortium consortium.
In addition to the tools outlined above, the UniLab project consortium also created and collected a number of relevant resources, including case studies of successful WBL practices in the European university project partners, research articles about developments in the field of WBL across Europe and video interviews with students who have participated in WBL programmes, both as part of the UniLab project and further afield.
The UniLab project ended on January 15 2023, however, the project’s outputs will maintain their relevance to any HEI committed to boosting their students’ employability through work-based learning.
UniLab is only one of the projects eucen is involved in. Make sure to keep up to date with eucen’s other activities here.
UniLab Newsletter. Issue #3
November 2022
UniLab’s third newsletter is available. You can download it following this link.
This issue of the UniLab newsletter provides an overview of the study visits that have taken place over the last year, and that brought the UniLab partners together in Lille (FR), Krems (AT) and Barcelona (ES). In these face-to-face meetings, the consortium was able to develop a range of tools related to the promotion of Work-based Learning in Higher Education. These include:
- a dedicated student careers portal which can be adapted to the particular needs of any HEI
- extra-curricular activities which can be implemented by career services or academic departments to boost students’ employability
- sets of standards, principles and tools which can support higher education institutions in the implementation of work-based learning.
The tools and other outputs of the UniLab project will be made available for free on the UniLab website, and will be published once the project comes to an end in January 2023.
The UniLab newsletter is launched twice per year. One final newsletter will be published at the end of the project. Please, follow this link and subscribe.
Study Visit 5 | Barcelona (ES)
UPF Barcelona School of Management, Spain. 15-17 November 2022
The final UniLab Study Visit was hosted by the Universitat Pompeu Fabra Barcelona School of Management (UPF-BSM) and held on their Balmes Campus in the city centre of Barcelona.
As in the previous study visits, participants were able to exchange their expertise and experiences relating to work-based learning, student employability, and university-industry collaboration. Representatives of UPF-BSM’s Knowledge Transfer Department explained how the university engages with businesses across various sectors, and Careers Centre staff presented their strategies for boosting students’ employability and connecting them with employers. Participants also heard from university students and how they benefited from these activities. Their presentations were followed by lively discussions among EU and non-EU partners. Over the course of the Study Visit, participants not only explored the UPF Barcelona School of Management, but visited UPF’s other sites, where they learnt more about the university’s unique public funding structure and how it has become an internationally competitive university within a short period of time.
Much of the study visit was dedicated to finalisation of the UniLab final project outputs, with a special focus on the models and standards for work-based learning which have been developed collaboratively by EU and non-EU partners. Drawing on their experiences of implementing and improving work-based learning in their institutions, and their close engagement with students and enterprises, partners were able to identify the most important principles and standards which will undoubtedly serve as valuable guidelines for other insitutions aiming to boost their students’ employability.
Study Visit 4 | Krems (AT)
IMC Fachhochschule Krems, Austria. 6-9 September 2022
The University of Applied Science in Krems, represented by the Institute of Digitalization, organized a study visit for partners of the Unilab Project in September 2022 on the campus of Krems.
This study visit provided all the involved partners with an opportunity to learn from each other, participate in interactive sessions, and work together as a team to develop new modes of collaboration between industry and academia specially for work-based learning.
In addition to the sessions led by the project team, the study visit was enriched by talks from experts in the field. Tina Gruber-Mücke talked about how networks and mentoring can enhance the employability of Graduates. Dimitrios Vlachopoulos provided fascinating examples from EdTech to demonstrate its impact on talent development and lifelong learning.
The participants of the meeting had the chance to gain first-hand experience on the use of AR/VR in Education, Training and Certification. This was made possible in the eVRy Lab at IMC Krems, which is a research lab for AR/VR technologies.
Equally inspiring to the partners was the presentation of Jobteaser (the University portal and professional network for students, staff of the university, and companies at IMC Krems). This was followed up by an exchange on the aim and purposes of the development of the portal for placements for UniLab, led by IMC Krems.
The consortium members are committed to developing an efficient model of cooperation between universities and enterprises, promoting student internships and placemenst, improving occupational guidance and extra-curricular training programmes. This study visit was definitely a great opportunity to progress on this route.
Study Visit 3 | Lille (FR)
University of Lille, France. 15-18 March 2022
In March 2022, after two years of only online meetings and events, the UniLab project consortium had the opportunity to meet again and do its first face-to-face Study Visit in Lille. This had been a very much wished activity, and those who could travel (i.e. BE, AT and AZ) met finally and had the opportunity to review the state of the project and the objectives of the next activities.
The Study Visit was organised by Université Lille (FR). Due to the current geo-political situation in Europe as well as to Covid-19 restrictions some partners could not join us. Still, those present had a good opportunity to learn from the University of Lille experience and see which tools they have available connect to work-based learning placements.
The visit included presentations about quality, standards and tools, visits in the campus and focus on workshops to develop the concepts learned and to plan how to transfer them to the AZ context.
Study Visit 2 | Krems
IMC Fachhochschule Krems, Austria. 22-23 September 2021
The second Study Visit of the UniLab project took place online on 22-23 September, organised by IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems. The activity was aimed to explore ways to improve work-based learning and work placements opportunities for students and alumni in Russia, Belarus and Azerbaijan.
The Study Visit was addressed primarily to participants from the Partner Countries’ universities from Russia, Belarus and Azerbaijan and was aimed to provide them with knowledge and insights into how career services and student support could be better organised to serve the needs of students, universities and companies.
These were some of the presentations during the Study Visit:
- Nicolas Aron, Career Centre Business & Career Services IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems, presented the Career Services of IMC Krems and the activities for students and companies.
- Prof. Michael Bartz, IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems presented some of the outcomes of his research and provided insights on how students may have to adapt to a changing world of work.
- Dr. Klaus Peter Niedl, Global HR Director at Novomatic shared the perspective of a company in recruiting new talents in the IT sector.
On the second day of the online Study Visit, Deepak Dhungana from IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems presented the work done by his team on the development of the UniLab Students’ Portal and went through the different functionalities of the first prototype. After his presentation, the participants were invited to test the prototype portal and give feedback on their experience.
Based on the partners’ feedback, the team of IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems will continue to work further on the development of the students’ portal, which will be interconnected to the UniLab website in Autumn 2022.
UniLab Newsletter. Issue #2
June 2021
UniLab’s second newsletter is available. You can download it following this link.
In this newsletter we want to emphasise the importance of “placing the students in the centre”. Students and their priorities and needs are central to our economy!
You can also read about the latest project highlights:
- the development of the prototype to develop existing collaborations
- the development of the prototype to develop the University-Business cooperation
The UniLab newsletter is launched twice per year. You can subscribe and receive it automatically. Please, follow this link and subscribe.
UniLab Focus Discussion Groups meetings
Thu 07 January 2021
Between October and December 2020, the UniLab partners in Russia, Belarus and Azerbaijan have established and held their first focus group meetings, engaging local and regional stakeholders such as enterprises, chambers of commerce, academic staff from other universities, students, etc. In this first focus group meetings, organised mostly online between October and December 2020, the partners shared with participants the learning and results of the Study Visit organised in September 2020 by the School of Management of the University Pompeu Fabra.
The focus groups are part of the peer learning approach of the UniLab project, by which local/regional actors will be regularly consulted/involved throughout the project by each of the partner countries’ universities to discuss the work done within UniLab as well as specific project outputs. The aim is to ensure that both project work and deliverables are relevant for the specific needs and features of the actors concerned and the local/regional context. The focus group meetings contribute to raise awareness among a wide range of individuals and organisations who can contribute and have a role in improving work-based learning practices, generating useful discussions which will feed into the project work.
International presentation of UniLab during the eucen ULLL Open Fora 2020
UniLab Newsletter: Issue #1
November 2020
The first UniLab newsletter is out!
We have developed an electronic newsletter dedicated to the project and to the topic of work-based learning. We will do periodical issues, summarising what has happened in UniLab and bringing in interesting news from others working on the same area.
In issue #1 we include description of the work done by the consortium specially.
If you are interested in the topic of HE work-based learning and would like to receive this publication, please, contact us at unilab@eucen.eu
Get involved and be informed of our work!
Press Release 1
The first official announcement of UniLab
14 October 2020
The first official announcement made by UniLab has been a formal Press Release with date of October 2020:
Press Release 1 announces that the UniLab website is available and describes what users can expect to find in it.
The project plans are to have at least two other press releases: one when the student’s portal becomes available and another towards the end of the project, when the resources are all available.
You can download the press release here. Feel free to distribute it too. Thanks!
Study Visit 1 - Barcelona
Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona School of Management. 22-23 September 2020
The first Study Visit of UniLab will have the format of a virtual activity instead of the face-to-face event that had originally been planned and we all would have liked to do. The new format brings some challenges to its organisation, but the extensive experience of the Barcelona School of Management working with large groups of students and delivering high quality content will be an asset for the success of the activity.
The main objectives of this study visit are to present the model and success factors of the Barcelona School of Management as well as the University Pompeu Fabra at large, and to learn new methodologies in work-based learning modalities of programmes. All the learnt lessons will help participants to reflect on how to refine existing systems in RU, BY and AZ and develop a more modern and effective work-based placements system.
National Workshops
Online events. June 2020
The RU, BY and AZ partners have invited national stakeholders to participate in their national workshops. The stakeholders will include students, university administration, teaching staff, employers, chambers or commerce, associations, etc. The national state of the art and the conclusions from the Peer Learning Seminar will be presented. Participants will be asked to give feedback about the work done so far and will be invited to become part of the national Focus Discussion Groups. More information about these events can be found in the Facebook page of Unilab.
UniLab has its own Facebook page
04 June 2020
The UniLab project has launched its own Facebook page! You can visit and follow this page now.
The project will announce all its activities and developments not only in its website but also in Facebook. So, if you are using this social media normally, follow us and be informed of our developments!
Peer Learning Seminar
Barcelona, 10-12 March 2020
This two full days seminar gave to the consortium the opportunity to share the collected materials and conclusions from the desk research done at national level in RU, BY and AZ. It also was an opportunity to present the identified case studies of successful practices of Work-Based Learning programmes from European countries.
