CONTEXT: In a data economy, businesses have large amounts of data available that enable them to make data-based decisions (Data-Driven Management, “DDM”). This applies not only to tech companies, but increasingly to data-intensive SMEs and Start-ups. In many cases, automated systems (e.g. Artificial Intelligence) are used to prepare or make business decisions on the basis of data. However, accessing and analyzing data requires a broad spectrum of competences and skills: Technical understanding and organisational knowledge is required. Furthermore, accessing and analyzing data requires a broad spectrum of legal knowledge, as companies and employees need to know how data can be used in accordance with legal provisions (IP rights, data protection etc), which unintended side-effects occur (e.g. discrimination) and which legal risks (e.g. liability) DDM entails and how they can be avoided. Therefore, a competent handling of automated systems and related technologies for DDM constitutes a key competence in a data economy.OBJECTIVES: DDM4SME develops and provides education on potentials, challenges and (legal and societal) risks of DDM. Knowledge will be provided on the legal, societal, technical and organizational dimension and on how DDM can be implemented in order to avoid risks and drawbacks (e.g. liability and discrimination). Thereby, the objective of DDM4SME is to provide education which fosters employability of learners and increases competitiveness of businesses. Furthermore, the education provided by DDM4SME shall fister constructive, but critical thinking towards autonomous systems.PROJECT PARTNERS: DDM4SME is conducted within a transdisciplinary research consortium involving researchers from various research areas (legal experts, IT experts, didactic experts and management experts). The project consortium consists of the Danube-University Krems (DUK, lead), the University Göttingen (UGOE), the Masaryk University Brno (MUNI) and the Kazimieras Simonavičius University (KSU). ACTIVITIES: The project activities comprise a large portfolio: In total 5 transnational partner meetings, 5 multiplier events on national level (including a final conference for an international audience), one HE Staff Training Event and one transnational intensive study program (Summer School on DDM4SME) will take place in course of the project. Furthermore several activities within the development of the Intellectual Outputs include activities addressing stakeholders or academia (e.g. focus groups, the Project Advisory Board, the External Peer Panel). All activities including an external audience are vital for the success of the project (e.g. in terms of feedback and suggestions to improve the project outcomes) and unfold multiplier effects.METHODOLOGY: The curriculum for the master’s program (IO1), the didactic concept (IO2), the course modules (IO3) and the handbook (IO4) will be developed in a co-creation process involving researchers from all project partners. This guarantees that DDM als a multifaceted issue is dealt with holistically. Furthermore, members of the target groups (students interested in higher education on DDM) and relevant stakeholders (SMEs, Start-ups) will be included in the process of developing education in focus groups and intensive study weeks. This reflects the learner-centered approach of DDM4SME, as the curriculum, the didactic concept and the course materials will be designed around learners’ needs.RESULTS and IMPACT: The main results of DDM4SME will be the 4 Intellectual Outputs: IO1: Curriculum for a Multidisciplinary Master Program on DDM in SMEs and Start-UpsIO2: Guideline on Didactics, Evaluation and Sustainable Improvement of the Master ProgramIO3: Full-Featured Course Modules and Teaching ResourcesIO4: Transdisciplinary Handbook on “DDM in SMEs and Start-ups”By providing comprehensive education on DDM, the main impact of DDM4SME will be to strengthen competences of learners to implement data-driven decision practices in business processes (specifically in SMEs and Start-ups), which also strengthens their employability. As risks of automated decisions (e.g. legal violations, algorithmic discrimination) are integrated into the education, DDM4SME also contributes to compliance with legal rules and principles related to the the use of automated systems and also to a cohesive society. By providing higher education, DDM4SME also provides SMEs and Start-ups well-educated employees, which fosters their competitiveness. LONG TERM BENEFITS: The results of the project have a strong impact beyond the project term as the project partners are committed to create a modulare master program that is eligible for ERASMUS MUNDUS JOINT MASTER. In case that a follow up funding as EMJMD cannot be achieved, the project partners will implement the curriculum (IO1), didactic concept (IO2), course modules (IO3) or parts thereof in their study programs. Joint Masters or Double degrees initiatives are envisaged.

Collaboration and sharing of resources is critical for research. Authentication and Authorisation Infrastructures (AAIs) play a key role in enabling federated interoperable access to resources. The AARC Technical Revision to Enhance Effectiveness (AARC TREE) project takes the successful and globally recognised “Authentication and Authorisation for Research Collaboration” (AARC) model and its flagship outcome, the AARC Blueprint Architecture (BPA), as the basis to drive the next phase of integration for research infrastructures: expand federated access management to integrate user-centring technologies, expand access to federated data and services (authorisation), consolidating existing capacities and avoiding fragmentation and unnecessary duplication. The main objectives of the AARC TREE project are to: (i) Capture and analyse new Authentication and Authorisation interoperability requirements (as emerging that support integration use-cases across the thematic area) and provide a landscape analysis of AAIs services (including gaps) in the RIs represented in AARC TREE (ii) Define and validate new technical and policy guidelines for the AARC BPA that address RIs use-cases. This will improve the integration of RIs across thematic areas and increase the ability of RIs to support emerging needs (iii) Expand the number of research communities that can implement the AARC BPA and/or the AARC guidelines, by providing a validation environment and toolkits. At the same time support existing AARC communities in adopting new guidelines (iv) Bring RIs, e-Infrastructures and relevant stakeholders together to align strategies to integrate new technologies, better interoperate and share resources across thematic areas and produce a compendium and recommendations for different stakeholders

"The fight against unemployment and social exclusion is one of the major challenges modern Europe is fighting with. Integrated guidelines concerning Europe’s 2020 Strategy clearly indicate priority steps aimed at improvement of the socio-economic situation of the EU member countries. One of the guidelines indicates to ""promote social inclusion and combat poverty."" In order to combat social exclusion, empower a citizen’s position and promote economic activity social security systems, learning for a lifetime and inclusion policies should be reinforced in order to widen the opportunities people have at different stages of their lives and to protect them from the risk of exclusion most of all among groups at the highest risk of the social exclusion, such as single parents, minorities, people with disabilities, children and young people, elderly, legal migrants and the homeless. Preventing families from the social exclusion requires modern services to be provided by the properly trained staff within the local environment. The necessity for decision making and actions taking requires from the specialists an accurate knowledge and abilities that allow them to recognize citizens’ needs in social activities. Constant vocational development is required in the effective actions taking. Manifestations of changes in the social life require from the aid institutions an active approach towards education, knowledge gaining, educational methods development, ways of information flow activation as well as gaining and straightening of their didactic competencies. Currently in Poland, although families’ support services “Family’s assistant” have been introduced there is still a lack of developed work tools and methods of operation that in a significant way constitutes an obstacle in the professional support provided to the families.The main objective of the project is to enforce the level of the social integration of families at risk of social exclusion by the dissemination of methods used within the “Family’s assistant” project in public assistance institutions. Detailed goals of the project include: 1. Enhancement of professional competencies of social workers in the field of the use of modern methods of working with families at the risk of social exclusion. 2. Preparation of a new, adequate to the modern forms, form of the environmental support, addressed to families at risk of social exclusion, by adapting the methods and techniques used in the process of helping to the conditions and practices used in the public assistance institutions. The project is addressed to the representatives of institutions that support individuals and families socially excluded or at risk of social exclusion. Realization of the goals will be possible through a partnership with four organizations in four different EU member countries (Poland, Czech Republic, Austria and UK) - experienced in the effective combating of unemployment and social exclusion as well as in the use of modern methods of education. Accomplishment of the goals will occur as a consequence of the creation of the following intellectual work results: 1. Online platform “Integration through education” – interactive educational tool addressed to the target group of the project and others interested. Prepared workshops and individual conversations scenarios will be placed on the platform. These will use different informal methods focused especially at: motivating family members to cooperate and solve problems independently; counselling; planning of individual paths towards social and occupational integration; talents discovering and development; case management. 2. Report from the research “Determinants of the effective support for socially excluded families” including the analysis of the needs of the target group and the expectations of the support system’s consumers. 3. E-book: “Integration through education – methodology used in families’ support”. Manual with methods, tools and techniques used in working with families - possible to use in daily practice by the representatives of the target groups. An important action of the project will be the training of 40 representatives of the target groups in the practical application of the tools produced and participation of the target group in the process of testing and evaluation. The plan of dissemination of the results of the project expects its effect not only on representatives of the target groups but also on other stakeholders who have a potential or realistic impact on families’ situations: local, regi. and national (in which of the member countries), social and educational policies makers, experts as well as widely understood staff working with families. Through the compilation of the described interactions the project will result in the wider use of the modern methods in the process of the social integration of families in the future and in the long term will help to decrease the level of unemployment and social exclusion"

The project covers the regional priority for Asia through curriculum development and Education. training and life-long learning. The project follows the EHEA vision that everyone has the right to quality and inclusive education, training and life-long learning in order to maintain and acquire skills that enable them to participate fully in society and manage successfully transitions in the labour market. The project integrates 3 courses in teacher training programs to foster democratic values, non-discrimination, gender equality as well as pedagogic tools to combat radicalism. We will also develop the professor in education. In order to impart the new knowledge the AURORA project needs to be sure that the teachers have the required skills, methodologies and competences to do so. It is important that not only they are able to deliver the message but also have the messenger able to do it.the AURORA centres will also help in disseminating the project and its outcomes to a wider population base. This is done because we don’t want to only affect the education system but the entire society. The knowledge we are trying to give: inclusiveness, democractic values, gender equality, fight against radicalism should not be only taught inside a classroom be in the “wild” with other people. The more exchange we have, the more democratic it will be and the more understanding people will be between each other.