Project: UPTAKERS Upgrading academic skills and innovative caPacities through virTuAlly Enclusive hybRid Studios
Abstract
The UPTAKERS project addresses the critical digital divide in higher education institutions (HEIs) in the South-Mediterranean region (Egypt, Jordan, and Tunisia) by leveraging the transformative potential of Extended Reality (XR) technologies, including Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR). The project aims to enhance the digital competences and innovative capacities of academic staff, technicians, and students. Through a comprehensive program, UPTAKERS will develop and modernize curricula with 36 new and updated XR-based courses and workshops, establish 6 fully equipped XR laboratories as open-access hubs for innovation, and implement extensive capacity-building activities, including international Training of Trainers (TOT) and student mobility. By fostering a hybrid, inclusive learning environment and creating strong academia-industry links, the project seeks to modernize teaching methodologies, boost graduates' employability, stimulate entrepreneurship, and contribute to the region's sustainable digital transformation. The outcomes will be showcased in a final international exhibition and forum, ensuring widespread dissemination and long-term sustainability of the project's impacts.
Partners:
1. Ovidius University of Constanta (Coordinator)
2. Sapienza University of Rome.
3. Universität Politécnica de Catalunya.
4. Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport.
5. Future University in Egypt.
6. Jordan University of Science and Technology.
7. Al-Balqa' Applied University.
8. Université de Sousse.
9. University of Monastir
10. Centre de Calcul El-Khawarizmi
Project Name
UPTAKERS Upgrading academic skills and innovative caPacities through virTuAlly Enclusive hybRid Studios
Ref No/ Funded Entity
101179167
Project Duration
3year
Project Start Date
2024-11-01
Project End Date
2027-10-31
Total Budget
EUR
Budget of the academy in this project
EUR
Project Website
Objectives
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1. Foster Innovation in higher education in order to enhance its relevance for the labour market and society, by designing and developing innovative curricula related to XR technologies.
2. Improve the level of digital competences, skills and employability potential of students in HEIs.
3. Bridge the gap of digital literacy by implementing innovative learning and teaching methods, hybrid education availability, assessment mechanisms, and presentation methods for HEI staff and students.
4. Increase the capacities of HEIs to make the digital transformation as comprehensive and inclusive as possible through hybrid education access and the development of virtual labs.
5. Improve the training of teachers, to ensure the long-term sustainability of the project, and the wider dissemination of its effects.
6. Build a strong link and cooperation with the private sector and legislative entities, promoting innovation and entrepreneurship, by organizing continuous professional development workshops.
7. Achieve an institutional ownership of the CBHE results thus ensuring sustainability, by having scientific publications.
8. Increase the National ownership of the project's assets, by opening UPTAKERS labs to any researcher, institution, organization, company in the country.
9. Foster cooperation across different regions of the world.
Our Partners
- Universitatea Ovidius Din Constanta - RO
https://www.univ-ovidius.ro/
Yasser Gaber Dessouky
Dean of Scientific Research and Innovation
Mobile: 01006030790
E-mail: ygd@aast.edu
Project Coordinator
Yasser Gaber Dessouky
Dean of Scientific Research and Innovation
Mobile: 01006030790
E-mail: ygd@aast.edu
This Project is Funded by
UNIVERSITATEA OVIDIUS DIN CONSTANTA - OUC