The Strategic Alliance for Regional Transition (STARS EU) brings together the considerable strengths of 8 longstanding, complementary types of high education institutions in an ambitious effort to re-conceptualize the nature and function of a higher education institution, aiming towards establishing a new European University.
The general objective
The STARS EU general objective I is to build an Alliance of truly engaged Universities and together become a future-oriented European University that will: Create a new generation of future-oriented students; Deliver innovative, flexible, diverse and challenge-based educational and research systems; Exploit the synergies of inter-regional collaboration; and Impact positively and substantially on sustainable regional and European development.
The collaboration
The collaboration of the Alliance using the challenge-based approach, new learning technologies and innovative pedagogies will enable deep institutional transformation and contribute to the European knowledge economy, employment, creativity, culture, and welfare.
STARS EU will strengthen its collaborations with the research and innovation landscape in the regions contributing to the green and digital transition of the respective regions and Europe and its outreach towards the society and economy.
Inter-institutional cooperation
Since STARS EU partners aim to transform the inter-institutional cooperation bringing it to the next level, making it more systemic, extensive, intensive, and engaged. Partners will mobilise all four missions of higher education institutions (HEIs): Education, Research, Innovation, and Service to society. The diverse innovative and structural models for implementing and achieving systemic, structural, and sustainable cooperation will be tested and will serve as inspiration for the wider higher education sector.
STARS EU campus
STARS EU will establish an open STARS EU campus, co-creation ecosystem where students, teachers, researchers, staff and relevant stakeholders collaborate physically and virtually across sectors and borders. The learners, researchers, enterprises, local bodies and citizens will be able to co-create relevant innovative solutions for societal challenges articulated with regional partners having regional, national and global impact. A facilitating structure will include elements such as a virtual campus with a course catalogue (allowing learners complete access to courses of all connected universities) and physical facilities of campus for rendering and following courses where virtual and physical learning are blended.
STARS EU Regional transition will focus on addressing future-oriented complex, interdisciplinary challenges from the STARS EU priority areas identified in the RIS3 by pooling experts in Knowledge-creating Teams on 1. Circular Economy, 2. Energy Transition, 3. Digital Transformation; 4. Arts and Creative Industries; 5. Healthy Ageing and 6. Entrepreneurship and Innovation. STARS EU partners will also contribute substantially to deeper European inter-regionalisation and internationalisation.
STARS EU Thematic Interest Groups – TIGs
Will play a key role in knowledge creation and its translation into innovative products and public and private services, a process that will engage researchers, scientists and technologists, professors, students, local entrepreneurs and civil society leaders around the STARS EU Priority Areas. TIGs are established to ensure STARS EU engaging, sustainable, long-term inter-institutional collaboration performing joint research; developing and implementing joint projects; exchanging knowledge and experience; staff exchange and many more joint activities