One of three key focuses of the European Researchers' Nights “exploREsearch” in Austria will be to enhance the understanding and promote current research in the fields of climate and sustainability with a focus on the European Green Deal. The second key focus is citizen science, which is an efficient way to democratise science and to bring the public and science closer together for enhancing both public knowledge as well as understanding of science. Moreover, in order to open up new perspectives of seeing the world, it is more than necessary to understand arts and show the diversity of research in this area. In this context, the third focus of the European Researchers' Night events "exploREsearch" will be Arts & Research. Besides, we will also emphasize on the Horizon Europe Missions. For the first time in Austria, the ERNs will be organised in several major cities (Vienna, Salzburg and Innsbruck) at the same time covering Austria from East to West and enabling about a fourth of the Austrian population to directly participate at the events. The events will, on the one hand incorporate on-site formats such as Scientific Booths and Workshops, Science Talks, Science Cafes, Science Slams, the EU-Corner as well as several Social Activities to bring public and science closer together. On the other hand, virtual formats will integrate lectures and workshops as well as a live stream from the on-site stage program for online visitors. Furthermore, the project incorporates a large number of pre-events of which several are dedicated to Researchers at Schools activities. Support for the event and its promotion was stated by Austrian ministries (including also financial support), other public stakeholders, funding agencies and initiatives. The project "exploREsearch" integrates 7 partners with different competences, backgrounds and public outreach, therefore being able to implement successful European Researchers' Nights in Austria in 2022 and 2023.

PHERECLOS builds upon the theory of science capital and the experience that Children’s Universities (CUs) have made in the Third Mission of universities. With their engagement with children and young people, they became intermediaries between various actors in the educational and social landscape. As translators of the concerns, messages and knowledge of other parties (incl. business and industry, the state, civic society organizations etc.) they help to dismantle institutional boundaries of universities towards a wider society. The project will establish 6 "Local Education Clusters" (LECs), which bring together schools and further relevant actors in the education ecosystem of a particular pilot region, supported by a peer mentoring programme. The LECs will be incubators for enabling a dialogue between various parties and help to set up joint activities in (formal and non-formal) education, which help to develop collaborative learning environments as experimental testbeds for schools. At the same time they impact on the quality of science engagement opportunities in these areas. PHERECLOS will implement a digital “OpenBadge” ecosystem which labels institutions as reliable and responsive actors and showcases all LEC parties to become real change agents in education. At the same time, this ecosystem will testify individual achievements with respect to STEAM engagement in formal or non-formal settings or even unintended learning outcomes. The regional effectiveness and impact will be monitored by academic transfer and implementation research and lead to the development of implementation guidelines and policy briefs to enhance the sustainability of the overall approach. PHERECLOS promotes the territorial dimension of local education clusters in all their manifold facets and their catalyzing role relating to access to STEAM and higher education, critical thinking and informed decision making in a wider societal context – including competitiveness and sustainable growth.

Of all leading nations, India has the youngest population in the world where over 50 per cent of its population (total population over 1.3 billion) which is an estimated 470 million people are of working age, according to the National Sample Survey Office. Of this entire productive workforce about 45%of them are the female population. The female work force is highly underutilised as according to statistics, India currently ranks 70 out of 77 nations on the Female Entrepreneurship Index.Thus, the main objective of ENPRENDIA is to enhance entrepreneurial culture among female population in Indian HEIs while promoting gender equality and gender equity - not only inside the walls of academic institutions but also extending it to civil society and their local communities. Indian society is characterized by miscellany in caste, religion, languages, festivals, attire, economic status and location, among others. However, for various reasons the representation of various groups of the society in terms of participation within the higher education system has remained historically unequal. The emphasis laid on providing an equitable access to opportunities to female students representing various diversified groups is highlighted in ENPRENDIA.The main outputs will be to integrate gender equality policies and strategies within 8 HEIs in India.The project likewise will establish 8 Entrepreneurship Resource Centers (ERCs) with the goal of promoting entrepreneurship among female students, researchers and also bridging universities with local industry and civil society.One innovative aspect is the close cooperation with primary and secondary schools to promote science and entrepreneurship among children and young people.The impact of ENPRENDIA will be felt with the adoption of gender equality policies and equal opportunities by partner HEIs, by sustaining structures that connect universities with the business sector and by enhancing creative skills among young generations.

Fostering resilience in ecological systems is a cornerstone of European Union programs (e.g. Climate, Environment & Maritime) aimed at ensuring a sustainable future, especially when we consider the ecological disruptions determined by the spread and establishment of Invasive Alien Species (IAS). They pose a formidable threat to global biodiversity, undermining the resilience of ecological stability and exerting substantial pressures on vital ecosystem functions and services. In Europe alone, an estimated 11% of approximately 12,000 introduced species are classified as invasive, inflicting extensive environmental, economic, and social harms. Recent assessments highlight that it will be difficult to achieve the ambitious goals of the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 in terms of reducing the impacts exerted by IAS due to the inadequate level of knowledge and the fragmentation of competencies. As a result, we need to reconsider management strategies for IAS, demanding for more integrated, effective knowledge that encompasses multidisciplinary, inter-sectoral, and international dimensions. To achieve this, the project BUILDERS has the ambition to combine three pivotal disciplines: (i) Citizen Science, (ii) the study of animal behaviour and (iii) the bio-functioning monitoring. The integration of the respective approaches not only innovatively addresses the complex challenges posed by IAS - overcoming disciplinary barriers - but also promotes the career advancement of researchers and professionals in the field at various stages. The objective of BUILDERS is to provide advanced training opportunities through a network of 7 academic and 4 non-academic partners spread across 6 European countries—Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Italy, Portugal, and Romania—and Brazil.

"<< Background >>Environment and climate action are the most urgent priorities of our time. The European Green Deal confirms the EU’s commitment to tackle climate and environment-related challenges. The UN Agenda 2030 emphasises the need to integrate social, environmental and economic aspects to accomplish this goal. For the Green Deal and the UN Agenda 2030 to succeed, involvement and engagement of the public is of utmost importance.Schools contribute significantly to engage pupils, parents and the wider community in a successful sustainable transition. Thus, SDGs are increasingly being integrated into European school curricula. However, often this integration lacks deep pedagogical embeddings and is experienced as a top-down approach. To address pupils in ways they find meaningful, interdisciplinary tools and inquiry-based learning methods linked to real-life problems and decisions of pupils that foster the understanding of complex and interconnected challenges in Europe and the world are needed. Global Citizenship Education (GCE) as a pedagogical approach has the potential to provide a proper methodological tool box for this aim.We address this context by designing an open-access simulation-based learning program for cross-curricular education on sustainable development. It will stimulate citizenship and digital competencies in school for an age group 14-19 with a focus on social inclusion based on the following pedagogical approaches: 1) Combine inquiry-based learning with a methodology that conveys the complexity of sustainable development in a global dimension: Teacher trainings today still often lack pedagogical approaches that address the increasing linkages and competing interests in the world, rather than dealing with isolated problems of sustainable development.2) Develop inclusive methods of learner-centred teaching in GCE: In order to “Leave no one behind” there is a need for high-quality (digital) learning resources and competence development that is inclusive of all types of learners. Recent studies on the effects of the Covid-19 crisis highlighted that digitalisation in schools can widen the gap for underprivileged young people if the diversity of learner’s needs is not considered.3) Strengthen citizenship engagement in school through critical reflection, global perspectives and information literacy: To promote a sustainable future, young people not only need knowledge on the SDGs, but also the competencies to act as informed citizens (UNESCO, 2018). However, teachers are often challenged by a political disenchantment among young citizens. They need methodological skills, to transmit knowledge on the Agenda 2030 and to motivate, engage and teach youth how to participate in civic and democratic life towards a sustainable future for all.To promote a sustainable future, all young people need knowledge on the SDGs and civic competencies to engage in society as informed citizens (UNESCO, 2018). We therefore combine digital learning and teaching resources on sustainable development with citizenship competencies within an inclusive approach so as to address the needs of the following target groups:1) Teachers, who need training in experience-led, learner-centered learning methods engaging complex real-world topics, focussing on cognitive aspects as well as social and emotional learning;2) Pupils aged 14-19 from a diverse array of school types, including vocational schools and schools in socially disadvantaged areas so as to strengthen competences to engage in behaviour supporting global sustainability;3) Early career scientists and teacher training students that need support in strengthening inclusive pedagogical approaches in global development and in learning how to create connections between real world problems and the complexity of the SDGs;4) Stakeholders in education systems as well as experts in GCE, who need high- quality educational materials that can be implemented on a large scale in European school systems<< Objectives >>Our project’s objectives are: 1) To develop the GCE approach towards an inclusive approach through a digital learning program that considers the diversity of real life and needs of young people in Europe since so far GCE tends to be implemented in elitist school contexts.2) To enable teachers to use experience-led learning methods in GCE, focussing not only on cognitive aspects but also on social and emotional learning 3) Foster citizenship competencies in order to stimulate youth participation for a sustainable future4) Contribute to the cross-curricular implementation of the GCE approach in European school systems5) Provide skills for teacher educators and scientists working on the grand challenges of a sustainable global future to use the interdisciplinary GCE approach in teacher training and science outreach activities To achieve the objectives the project is carried out transnationally by the four partner institutions ÖFSE, CRS, RFP and KUW all disposing of highly specialized profiles, as well as complementary expertise. Special benefits are the sharing of knowledge among partners and the dissemination of the project results and the implementation of the learnings on a large scale in Europe. Our expertise profiles link to the objectives as follows:CRS is an expert in developing and applying innovative methods and tools, such as serious games and social simulations. The online social simulation based on scientific data developed in the project allows pupils to experience a bird's eye on how and why actions influence a sustainable life and global developments. Its design activates collaboration and supports critical and constructive dialogue. This contributes to the development of a model on how to implement GCE in school practice. RFP has experience in educators’ training and applies comprehensive approaches that include sustainability education, game-based learning, drama pedagogy and person-centered education. They contribute know-how on methodology in teachers training to enable them to use experience-led learning methods for cross-curricular education on sustainable development in a global dimension. ÖFSE’s experience in educational work on topics of international development that creates a bridge between youth engagement, researchers, volunteers, activists and decision makers helps to design a learning program that allows for a change of perspective of the learners, encourages critical thinking and fosters citizenship competencies. Methodologically, its expertise in peer-to-peer learning and involving the target group in co-creation processes as well as making excluded voices visible contribute to foster citizenship competencies. KUW’s experience in reducing obstacles and promoting access for young people to education and science supports the project's approach to develop GCE in school towards an inclusive cross-curricular subject that considers the diversity of life worlds and needs of young people. In addition, KUW’s expertise in working with young people having refugee/migration experience supports the involvement of disadvantaged groups in the co-creation process in the project. Its cooperation with the Centre for Teacher Education at the University of Vienna ensures the provision of skills for teacher educators and scientists to use the interdisciplinary GCE approach in teacher training in all school subjects. Via our networks the project will reach out to stakeholders in the field of education and science in Europe: KUW administrates the European Network of Children’s Universities (EUCU.NET) in 40 European countries reaching out to 530.000 young people and 14.000 academics. RFP’s network of teacher and educator training providers contributes to the objective to promote cross-curricular implementation of the GCE approach in European school systems. Other important networks for the project’s outreach are: the European School Heads Association (ESHA), GENE and the UNESCO ASPnet.<< Implementation >>Our project develops, implements and disseminates an online learning program for cross-curricular GCE in schools for pupils aged 14-19. In addition, we support teachers with training and materials, enabling them to put the learning program into practice. Further, we conduct a broad range of dissemination activities.According to the main target groups, objectives and tasks, the project will develop five categories of project activities: 1) Production of 5 results with a focus on co-creation and piloting activities2) Training activities in multiplier events3) Dissemination activities in multiplier events4) Other dissemination activities (online promotion, education conferences, local and regional school board events)5) Project management activitiesIn the following, we list expected achievements in these categories of activities:Ad1. -) 5 project results will be realized. The co-creation and piloting activities will involve teachers and pupils in all results. They enable teachers to contribute to implementing GCE in school practice. By this, teachers and pupils are strengthened to actively engage in a sustainable future for all. -) Questionnaires for teachers’ and pupils’ feedback will be developed and used for feedback loops. It will be complemented by detailed feedback in interviews and debriefing sessions. An ongoing evaluation of the project activities and the results will be conducted and prove the program's achievements.Ad2. -) 4 of the 6 multiplier events are planned as teacher trainings (one day workshops), 150 participants (teachers) are expected. Thus, teachers at national and regional level become multipliers for the learning program in Austria, Hungary and Poland.-) In the multiplier events different perspectives, ideas and good practices are identified and will be implemented by the education staff in the classroom and in other educational projects. An inclusive approach will be disseminated, multiplied and expanded. Ad3.-) The program will be disseminated in 2 conferences with 200 participants (e.g. stakeholder in education, school masters, scientists) from the partner countries and beyond-) The direct involvement of stakeholders during the project will spread the use of the learning program, which will, in turn, improve schooling possibilities in the specific field of citizenship education.-) The program is suitable and easily transferable into non-formal learning settings. The modular and open design allows adaptations and remixes: different perspectives can be enriched, information can be updated. These are important aspects for long-lasting dissemination. Ad4. -) All results will be open-access; an online learning platform is implemented and will be visited by a broad number of users. The platform facilitates the easy use of all results-) Result 5, the “What we recommend” manual, is specially targeted to share experience and knowledge gained in the project with different stakeholders-) A large-scale roll-out of the project results can be expected to be achieved by the dissemination activities in cooperation with various transnational networks from European countries and beyond. This will stimulate the implementation of the SDGs in their programs. Networking and dissemination activity on EU policy-level ensures a systemic impact; a central goal of the project is to implement GCE in the teaching practices of schools across all EU member states. Ad5.-) In order to assess whether and to what extent, the project reaches its objectives and results, a detailed project-monitoring plan will be implemented. In addition, a quality management plan will define the level of quality to be attained and describe how the project will ensure this.-) All project results will be open access and will be published under a Creative Commons (CC) license, allowing the widest possible dissemination.<< Results >>In terms of results, the project produces an open-access simulation-based learning program for cross-curricular education on sustainable development. It will stimulate citizenship and digital competencies in school for an age group 14-19 with a focus on social inclusion. The program is primarily addressing (1) teachers and provides them with comprehensive training and (2) youth who is empowered through active learning environments. Both become participants as main target groups in co-creation and piloting activities. In more detail, the learning program consists of:1) The ""Making Europe's Future Sustainable!” simulation (R1) - digital social simulation focused on the SDGs;2) Teacher`s Toolkit (R2) - practical training material for teachers;3) The “Making Europe's Future Sustainable!” Online Learning Materials (R3) - digital, interactive learning materials for pupils;4) Online Learning Platform (R4) – an open-access platform, where all materials will be presented in a structured way5) “What we recommend” (R5) – a policy and implementation manual The education program will be available in English and in the languages of the partners (Polish, Hungarian and German). It is designed for the flexible implementation in school curricula in different school types and across countries. Via the Online Learning Platform, all materials will be accessible open access and independent of location or platform (PC, tablet, smartphone). In terms of learning outcomes, the program promotes the development of knowledge and skills, which are of particular importance for young European pupils, guiding them to become change agents in the transition towards a sustainable future. These include:1) Knowledge on the UN’s 2030 Agenda and its 17 SDGs: We live in an increasingly globalised world where cross border problems and challenges must be addressed by joint, multilateral political measures. Therefore, young people need knowledge and skills to understand, participate in and interact critically with our global society as empowered global citizens. To prevent young people from losing confidence in (inter)national institutions, we base our project on the methodology of GCE. It focuses on supporting active learning and encourages reflection through the active participation of learners and educators.2) Digital competences, in particular literacy to assess information and data; communication, collaboration and problem-solving skills: since we live in a highly digitalized and information-intensive and highly interconnected world such competences form a basis to act as a responsible citizen. 3) Citizenship competence, in particular the ability to engage effectively with others, critical thinking and integrated problem-solving skills, skills to develop arguments, and decision-making skills: these competences are the key to enable each citizen to act in a constructive way in our democratic society and actively participate in a sustainable and inclusive transition. In terms of implementation and dissemination, multiplier events with teachers, teacher-training institutions and stakeholders will be organized. 6 events are planned: 4 train the trainer workshops will qualify teachers to use the learning program in class (150 multipliers); 2 conferences aim at a large-scale roll-out in Europe (200 direct participants). In addition, at least 50.000 persons will learn about project results through various dissemination activities. In terms of sustainability and transferability the learning platform is published on the CRSs platform learn.socialsimulations.org regularly financed by The Sendzimir Foundation grant, enabling future users to access the result also after the project ends. All project partners use the platform even after the project ends and ensures the regular updates. The project consortium will share their experience gained during the project with different stakeholders. The manual (R5) is especially designed towards this goal."