As Europe shifts to a bio-based circular economy, a plethora of new packaging restrictions have emerged. MAGNO seeks to improve packaging effectiveness, sustainability, efficient usage, end-of-life (reuse and recycling), and innovative business practices in EU food systems through revolutionary strategies shaped for the ecological transition required by the European Green Deal and EU 2030 climate target plan. These strategies will strengthen the EU food and packaging policy frameworks at a local and regional level. They will also increase social innovation, consumer participation and acceptance of new packaging designs and production models in cross-border food value chains through a web platform and a series of citizen science tools. At the beginning of the project, an overview of Europe’s ecosystems and value chains for different kinds of plastic packaging will be studied. A detailed quantification of impacts and solutions in terms of health, environment, raw materials, and sustainability will then be developed to set the basis of an Ecosystem Digital Twin software. The Digital Twin will be programmed to support the analysis of different scenarios which contributes by not only providing ground-breaking strategies for improving the packaging sector but also identifying the best options in terms of innovative business. The whole project will be supported by the active participation of food multi-actors (researchers, food business operators, food packaging producers, developers of sustainable packaging, packaging converters and recyclers, consumers, and local and regional authorities). Their contribution to the creation of results and validation of the final strategies will prevent and reduce plastic packaging pollution for the food and packaging sectors.

EuNIT targets the management and operation of HEIs in Jordan, Lebanon and Libya by focusing on increasing their international activity. In order for HEIs in these countries to increase their participation in international cooperation projects and benefit from opportunities available to them through programmes such as Erasmus+, H2020 and ENI, they require greater expertise in project design and management. EuNIT aims to equip these HEIs with the necessary skills and resources. It will produce:- A comprehensive training programme for 24 selected staff from 8 partner HEIs in Jordan, Lebanon and Libya, combining theory, practical work and international travel, adapted to the needs of South Mediterranean HEIs to enable them to increase their participation in EU initiatives and international cooperation.- 8 EU project design and management units dedicated to EU cooperation and research projects set up in partner HEIs in Jordan, Lebanon and Libya.- A regional network bringing together HEIs in the South Mediterranean region for the exchange of good practices and experience in project design and management.- 2 external training sessions run by Jordanian, Lebanese and Libyan trainers reaching out to HEIs across Jordan, Lebanon & Libya targeting 80 staff.- Massive Open Online Courses in EU project design and management accessible to all HEIs.The project aims to impact the 8 partner HEIs from Jordan, Lebanon and Libya. Then, the dissemination strategy will enable activities to reach firstly all HEIs in Jordan, Lebanon and Libya and secondly other Patner Countries in the South Mediterranean region. HEIs in the countries concerned should become more independent in designing and managing EU projects, being able to increase the amount of project applications they submit, and targeting more closely their needs in terms of developing and modernising their HEI. To this effect, HEIs in the South Mediterranean region will be able to develop sustainable international partnerships.

E-TALEB is a structural project aiming at developing Lebanese Professional Standards in Teaching and Learning and cooperating for innovation and exchange of good practices and experiences relevant to similar frameworks established in Europe.The main objective of this project is to support the initial and continuing professional development of staff engaged in teaching and foster dynamic approaches to teaching and learning through creativity, innovation and continuous development in diverse academic disciplines and/or professional settings. The project will support in creating a community of researchers in different disciplines who share inter and intra university practices in teaching and learning.E-TALEB will acknowledge the variety and quality of teaching, learning and assessment practices that support and underpin student learning including instructional technology. It will also demonstrate to students and other stakeholders the professionalism that staff and institutions bring to teaching and their support for student learning. As a result, the project will have high national impact, providing at once many outcomes: - Establishing Professional Standards Framework in Teaching & Learning LBPSF;- Offering Post-Graduate Certificate Programme in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education for Faculty members;- Collaborating interuniversity activities centered on training and educational programs; - Creating Centers for Teaching Excellence inside each of the participating universities supporting faculty and students in their teaching and learning activities;- Supporting the universities in their accreditation programs by having a formal process for teaching and learning;- Developing human capital and talented experts in teaching and learning in the participating countries;- Sustaining the competitiveness of the Higher Education field in Lebanon, the Middle East and participating EU countries;- Publishing the Lebanese Journals on Teaching and Learning.

The economic crisis and pandemic in South Mediterranean and sub-Saharan countries have put the HEIs in a challenge to accommodate for the new requirements of online teaching. The RL4Eng project aims to improve the quality of higher education in third countries and make it more relevant into the today’s digital transformation world through establishing Remote and Virtual Laboratories for Teaching and Training Engineering Students to modernize the current teaching approaches and improve the digital and entrepreneurial capacities of both students and teachers in South Mediterranean and Sub-Saharan HEIs. The project’s contribution to the priorities of the call includes the digital transformation under which digital education is the focus of the project. Online teaching for laboratories has been implemented in EU countries with successful outcomes. The involvement of different European Universities will help integrate good practices and minimise potential risks in implementing the RL4Eng project. South Mediterranean HEIs have identified the necessity of training with numerous initiatives available in the European system. Few Research is available on the effective delivery of remote labs and take-home labs. The project involves several workpackages in efforts made to elevate the knowledge of remote labs and take-home labs in the partners institutions via capacity building for students, staff and faculty and share of experiences. A remote lab will be established in each country of the partners institutions and a take-home lab will be established in each HEI of the partner countries. The very nature of remote labs, and take-home labs makes them sustainable and easily scalable as they becomes part of the university structure and receives part of its budget. Moreover, the nature of the remote labs makes them sustainable as they are accessible from everywhere and could be used for both teaching and for research.