THWS receives EU-funding within the frame of the European University UNINOVIS
Success for community application: As part of a European Academic Alliance, the Technical University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt (THWS) has received approval of funding by the European Union of 1.2 million euros for the next four years. The alliance UNINOVIS DATA FOR L.I.F.E. is a so-called European University – an alliance of higher education institutions from different countries that promotes innovative teaching and research, as well as mobility of students, staff, and teaching staff to establish a European University for Data Science.
These six higher education institutions form the UNINOVIS Alliance together with THWS:
· University Sorbonne Paris Nord, France (USPN) – consortium leader since 2021
· University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Caserta, Italia (UDCLV)
· University of Applied Sciences, Tampere, Finland (TAMK)
· University of Applied Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania (KUAS)
· University of Malaga, Spain (UMA)
· University of Tirana, Albania (UT)
Representatives of the public higher education institutions met in Naples. Their common objective: create an education system that focuses on the application and analysis of Big Data in all relevant disciplines. As their common vision, the UNINOVIS institutions of higher education describe the influence that Big Data will have on the day-to-day life, on functioning democracies, and the challenges of climate change. The abilities required for this are yet to be developed; not only the infrastructure but also cross-country teaching and research are needed in order to facilitate lifelong learning regarding Big Data. For this purpose, the alliance strives to establish an academic network by 2028.
At the moment, there are 64 alliances in which more than 560 higher education institutions from 35 European countries are involved. From the German higher education institutions, 66 institutions are members of 58 alliances, of which only 19 are universities of applied sciences. The request that THWS and its partner universities submitted was now approved. "The request reached 94 of 100 possible evaluation points, what we are particularly pleased with," says Dr. Daniel Wimmer, Head of the International Office, who coordinated the application process for THWS. This makes THWS one of only four Bavarian universities of applied sciences that are involved in such a European alliance. "The alliance impressively shows how well THWS is positioned regionally and on a European level. Teaching and research will benefit to the same extent – a true win-win situation," says Professor Dr. Achim Förster, Vice President for Internationalisation and Teaching.
Through UNINOVIS, THWS wants to offer students the opportunity to better interlink courses offered by involved degree programmes, for example in the form of integrated learning (so-called "blended learning"), which combines online and face-to-face teaching formats. Teachers benefit from a broader impact. The membership in a European University creates the necessary structures and reduces access barriers for THWS staff and students. Dr. Wimmer sees several advantages: "We as a higher education institution are very proud that we have received the EU funding – which is quite rare for a Bavarian university of applied sciences. We are already now benefiting from the international cooperation. In the long term, we are hoping to promote research at our University even further."
Regional partners of THWS
The THWS application was based on a broad association of regional associated partners. These partners are institutions from society, politics, industry, and commerce that support THWS with project implementation: The Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) Würzburg-Schweinfurt, the city of Würzburg, the city of Schweinfurt, the Röntgen-Gymnasium Würzburg, and the International School Mainfranken in Schweinfurt, with whose pupils THWS students are already cooperating regularly.
Background
In September 2017, President of France Emmanuel Macron presented his vision of the "Initiative for Europe" at the University Sorbonne in Paris. The idea is rooted in institutional interconnectedness of European higher education institutions. In 2021, the European Union published a call for projects for forming new alliances of European higher education institutions.
For more information, please see:
and
https://www.daad.de/de/der-daad/kommunikation-publikationen/presse/pressemitteilungen/2024/deutsche-hochschulen-bei-eu-auswahl-erfolgreich/ (only in German)
Contact:
Technical University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt
International Office
Dr. Daniel Wimmer
Münzstr. 12
97070 Würzburg
Press contact:
Technical University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt
Angela Kreipl
Münzstr. 12
97070 Würzburg
+49 931 3511-8354