Clean drinking water is crucial to human health and wellbeing. The ambition of the NaToxAq ETN network is to expand the research basis for EU’s leading role in securing high quality drinking waters for its citizens. Focus is on natural toxins – a large group of emerging contaminants with unknown impact on drinking water resources. Both known toxins, like cyanotoxins, cyanogenic glucosides and terpenes and not yet explored toxins will be investigated. Twenty leading universities, research institutions, and water enterprises will pioneer the field through joint training of 15 ESRs investigating natural toxin emission via water reservoirs to water works and consumers. The natural toxin challenge is addressed by the concerted work of the ESRs within 4 scientific work packages comprising origin, distribution, fate and remediation. Priority toxins are selected using in silico approaches accompanied by novel non-targeted and targeted analyses to map natural toxins along vegetation and climatic gradients in Europe. Invasion of alien species, toxin emission, leaching and dissipation will be under strong influence of climate change. Data collected for toxin emission, properties and fate will be used to model effects of climate, land use, and design of remediation actions. Special attention will be paid to toxin removal at water works including development of new technologies tailored to remove natural toxins. The results will contribute to strengthening of European policies and regulation of drinking water, while new business opportunities within the fields of water supply and treatment, chemical monitoring and sensing, and the consulting sector will arise from academia-indstry collaborations. The urgency of the challenge, its eminent knowledge gaps, its multifaceted and multidisciplinary nature, and the need for scientific and public awareness to be communicated by ESRs in a balanced way makes the topic ideal for a European mobility and training network.

The main goal of BANISTER project is Baltic-Nordic collaboration regarding the alignment of standard knowledge within the field of sensory integration at the bachelor and postgraduate level. A. J. Ayres developed sensory Integration (SI) theory in the 1960’s and 70’s, during which she studied the connection between sensory processing in the brain and the behaviour of children with learning and behaviour disorders. The theory evolved from Ayres’ observation that children with learning disabilities had difficulty interpreting sensory information from their bodies and surroundings. She noticed that difficulties with sensory processing and integration often coincided with learning disabilities. To understand sensory integration, Ayres designed and adapted standardized tests that evaluated the elements of SI. There are seven key persons (occupational therapists) engaged in the implementation of this project. Some of the participants are experts in the field of sensory integration and others are less experienced. Most of the participants has a long background of experience as a practicing occupational therapist an as seniorlecturers. The objective of this project is to develop a Baltic-Nordic Higher Education curriculum for the promotion of knowledge and professional skills within the field of sensory integration in order to strengthen the ability of occupational therapy practitioners to conduct a systematic assessment of SI and provide individually tailored SI intervention within their own countries. Despite progress in SI theory, it is still not widely developed in Europe, nor has it been integrated into practitioners’ curricula. In addition, we aim to lay the foundations for future Baltic-Nordic cooperation in the field of sensory integration through project activities, such as courses for practitioners and students conducted in countries where sensory integration is less developed. Furthermore, the project will encompass national data collecting and analyzing national data in order to allow for the validation of the evaluation tool EASI (Evaluation in Ayres Sensory Integration) to be the first reliable assessment instrument in Baltic-Nordic countries for sensory integration. The training modules produced in BANISTER will deal with basic neurological knowledge and understanding of SI, while providing students with tools and the expertise to analyze the EASI evaluation tool results. The project will also include translation of the EASI manual and test sheets into the languages of the participating countries so that EASI could be validated and used reliably in every participating country. Finally, the project will ensure that the necessary test equipment, such as tactile items (3D materials), will be created so they may be used for the data collection. The methodology to carry out the project will be the following: regarding data collection, all parties involved will collect normative data using the EASI test. The number of children to be tested is based on the proportion of participating country in regards to world population. Regarding the training modules, the aim of Module 1 is to create materials that enable participant to understand the current neuroscience. Also to relate sensory processing to the underlying neurology and evidence base of sensory integration. The aim of Module 2 is to create materials about theory of Sensory Integration. It covers the history, key concepts and relation between the concepts, core propositions, SI dysfunctions and their effect on children and families daily life. The aim of Module 3 is to give the participants the opportunity to learn how to use some available assessments of sensory integration through practical way. The ultimate goal of this project is to help children with special needs through a specific assessment with a reliable evaluation tool which gives occupational trustworthy results to create the best therapy plan for these children. In order to achieve it, the project will develop training module based on validated evaluation tool EASI to train professionals on how to interpret the results of EASI. Finally, we hope to strengthen cooperation and ensure equal education in sensory integration within the Baltic-Nordic countries. In the Baltic-Nordic SI Congress (Multiplier Event) the results of the project will be presented to professions in health care (occupational therapists, medical doctors, speech therapists, physical therapists, special educators) in Baltic-Nordic countries. Scientific articles will be sent to the American Journal of Occupational Therapy and the Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy. In addition, articles to national occupational therapy journals will be written. As a result of this project, the SI Basic Course in English will be shared to other Universities interested, so they may benefit and use the results of this project.

The baseline problem and needs analysis for the project ‘Learning from the Margins’ (LEMA) show that marginalised youth in European urban areas display low levels of inclusion and participation in the societal arenas that we know develop the individual and which can also contribute to bringing individuals out of marginalisation. At the same time, it is clear that on the professional level we are more or less checkmate compared to working with precisely the inclusion of the most marginalised young people. This is partly due to societal inequality structures, but it is also because the professionals are not yet trained in understanding the extent of the young people's situations, which are particularly complex in urban settings. By professionals we refer to all those working professionally with marginalised youth in urban areas and they encompass social workers, pedagogues, social educators and teachers. The lack of professionalism in this field is probably because until now it is not common practice to understand social and educational work as a matter of planning individual, social and contextual (including socio-spatial) solutions concerning young people at risk.The overall goal of the LEMA project is therefore to develop a sustainable pedagogical model for working with extremely marginalised youth – a model for Participatory Social Planning (PSP), which includes:•The development of a participatory context-sensitive social pedagogy for innovative solutions (cross-national)•A wider knowledge on the connection between an urban setting and the marginalisation processes of young people•Repertoires of practice for professionals, welfare officials, NGOs, policy makers, educators and researchers in relation to understanding, recognising and responding to the complex social problems that marginalised young people have to face.The participatory aspect will be crucial in that context-specific solutions must always take their point of departure in the parties involved. It is therefore significant that the marginalised young people are key partners in the development of new innovative solutions. They are, as it were, the real experts, and learning from their marginalised position is essential to the innovative solutions of this project. The target groups of the project are thus both youth at risk in urban areas and the professionals and educators working with them. Thus, the project partners are higher education institutions and organisations working with marginalised youth in three different urban contexts: University College Copenhagen and 3B Housing Association in Copenhagen, Denmark; Malmö University and Malmö City in Sweden; University of Malaga and the NGO Asociacion Marroqui in Malaga, Spain. The partners all share a mutual interest in connecting social work and participatory design concerning at-risk youth in urban settings. At the same time, their common interest is in the transferability of actions research methods and values to social work and professional development. In order to change the realities of the marginalised youth and thereby the structures of inequality, the professionals need profound new knowledge and repertoires of practice. Both the field of research and the field of social practice have need of the international exchange of practice-based knowledge, research and the innovative spin-off from the different urban contexts to respond effectively to the challenges of inequality. The shared reality is that the local solutions are not sufficient in bringing young people at-risk out of marginalisation and a transnational innovative initiative is therefore necessary.The absolute social innovation of the LEMA project is to bring marginalised young people, professionals and researchers together in an analytical work that can create and develop a new international practice within pedagogy and social work. This will be composed in the Participatory Social Planning model (PSP). The model will enable professionals in working with overcoming marginalisation of youth in urban areas. At the same time, the new approach of this model will be implemented locally in the organisations of the participating partners. Additionally, the impact of the LEMA project is directly transferable and complementary to the everyday work in both HEI and in the kinds of organisations represented by the participating partners.

NEXTFOOD will drive the crucial transition to more sustainable and competitive agrifood and forestry systems development by designing and implementing education and training systems to prepare budding or already practicing professionals with competencies to push the green shift in our rapidly changing society. NEXTFOOD will challenge the linear view of knowledge transfer as a top-down process from research to advice and practice, and support the transition to more learner-centric, participatory, action-based and action-oriented education and learning in agrifood and forestry systems. In several pioneering case studies, covering agrifood and forestry systems in Europe, Asia and Africa, farmers solve real challenges related to sustainability together with researchers, students and other relevant stakeholders while developing both green technical skills and soft collaborative competencies. NEXTFOOD will assure quality in research and education by creating a peer-review system for evaluation of practice-oriented research outputs focusing on sustainability and practical usefulness. In addition, we will develop an international accreditation framework for education and training in fields relevant to sustainable agrifood and forestry systems. An innovative action research process will guide the NEXTFOOD project’s development in a cyclical manner, ensuring that the research process and actual case studies are ever-improving. This will exemplify how practice-oriented research can be instrumental to achieve: better collaboration between university and society, more innovation in the agrifood and forestry systems sector, and a progressive agrifood community ready to tackle complex sustainability challenges of the 21st century

The project CoTalent (Working in Europe to Connect Talent development in higher education) addresses the problem that talented students in European higher education are not sufficiently challenged. As a consequence, young people do not fully develop their talents and the skills they need to have an excellent start in society. They might even drop out of education. Europe cannot afford to lose these talents.The overall aim of this project is therefore to help talented young people reach their full potential so they can positively contribute to solutions of societal problems and challenges. We therefore need to systemize the way in which we challenge students to develop their talent while in higher education. The best way to handle this problem is to better equip teachers. Teachers need to develop specific skills and need to experience how other colleagues in other cultures and educational circumstances intervene in the process of talent development.Nine organisations strongly committed to talent development have therefore developed tools that can help teachers in higher education spot and stimulate talents. The CoTalent team has created an e-learning environment, which consists of three main elements (Intellectual Outputs):1. The MeTalent Mirror. This is a set of tools to help teachers to self-evaluate and develop their views towards talent development. The three main tools are the Roadmap tool (a broad self-evaluation tool), Characteristics tool (a teaching-specific self-evaluation tool), and Stereotype tool (a classroom assignment with students). All tools are published in English, with the Roadmap and Stereotype Tool also available in German, Danish, Dutch and Romanian.2. The YouTalent Spotter. This is a set of tools to help teachers spot talented students. The four main tools are Talent Spotting list, Entrepreneurial Talent Toolkit, Poster Tool and Writing Tool. The first two are for use by teachers; while the latter two allow students to show their skills. They are all available in English, German, Danish, Dutch and Romanian.3. The CoTalent e-Library. This is an e-learning environment, offering teachers information about didactics and pedagogical methods as well as practice-based tools to let their talented students flourish. The e-library’s main element is a series of 35 short instructive and inspirational co-created videos related to talent development and honors education. All videos are accompanied by background information, reflective questions and references (available in English).All tools were developed in co-creation, with teachers and students working together on an equal basis, guided by researchers. A core group of around 50 teachers and students worked on the tools in three task groups. Two week-long CoTalent Workshops were milestone events in the co-creation process. A dedicated Quality Assurance task group focused on evaluations, progress reporting and impact measurements, all aiming to bring the best possible products to a targeted audience of teachers.Over a thousand people directly benefited from or were targeted by the CoTalent activities, which included nine Multiplier Events. Thousands more were reached through the project website. In disseminating the tools, we have directly reached (in meetings) an audience from at least 22 countries. Through the website we reached over 100 countries in total.The project has put the subject of talent development firmly on the internal agenda of the partner institutions, with some of them starting or developing new programs. Also, other institutions informed us they were inspired by the project to develop a new focus on talent development and start programs.The CoTalent website www.cotalent.eu integrates all tools and serves as a living e-library which can be further developed. It will continue to be hosted by lead partner Hanze UAS. Further development will be coordinated by associate partner European Honors Council, which will encourage teachers, students and all others interested in talent development to keep on meeting, researching, exchanging and adding, in order for Europe to develop its talents to the max.