<< Background >>According to the in depth analysis that the partners have prepared in preparation of this application (attached)the partners have found, that in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, social inequality and societal incoherencedemonstrably increased and also became more visible, particularly through negative communication, fake news,disinformation and cyber-bullying. These societal trends are felt also in universities on two levels: as divisionsgrow, also the bitterness and style of the in-university discourse becomes rougher. There is a risk that alsoamong University members the awareness of considerate and respectful communication is suffering from thesenew trends.Need: Therefore an up to date code of respectful and effective communication needs to be developed. Such acode needs to consider the different literacies and communication styles and expectations of differentsubgroups. A more confrontational and less harmony orientated style of communication impacts on the generalsocially responsible behaviour and practices of University members. Such development is also reflected inseveral needs analyses from different European countries and recent scientific studies, which suggest thatgeneral societal behaviour and impact from habits and attitudes which have grown in social media are impactingon Universities and have significant impact on the teaching process and academic communication. Among thenegative impact of disinformation, also cyber-bullying is a growing problem with well-documented social,psychological, and academic consequences ( Byrne, V. L. (2021) Al-Rahmi, W. M., Yahaya, N., Alturki, U.,Alrobai, A., Aldraiweesh, A. A., Omar Alsayed, A., & Kamin, Y. B. (2020), since due to the COVID-19 pandemic,universities have moved their activities online. On the whole, university teachers are in the focus of attention,as they are or should be the role models of correct, respectful and encouraging communication. Suchcommunication and media literacy therefore need to be a universal part of university teacher competence. Whilemedia literacy as an approach and integrative concept to solve this divide has a strong tradition in social work,pedagogics and especially in youth work practice, there is a lack of imparting these competencies within thewider higher education sector. Also, universities are not sufficiently networked with the wider civil society, asyouth groups, cultural and civic initiatives, so that there is little knowledge of the media consumption and mediacreation habits of students and faculty and therefore little influence on these habits. Cyberbullying poses adouble risk. Children can fall victim to it, but they can also become cyberbullies themselves. Consequently, it isnecessary to focus on the relationship between media and youth culture and on the skills in relation to digitalmedia of young people, not only concerning the use of technology, but the development of cognitive resourcesthat enable them to evaluate information critically. This project calls for educational literacy not only confined tothe acquisition of skills, but to the development of a critical structure, towards the understanding of social,economic and communication contexts.<< Objectives >>To address this need, imparting media literacy has to be approached in the sense of a general values education and thought within the oncept of multiliteracies, which can be defined as “the skills to interpret, to produce and to evaluate different kinds of texts. These skills help students to understand diverse cultural forms of communication and to build their identity”. Students and university faculty have to connect with the civil society, in particular youth groups in order to develop a common, socially responsible code of conduct for media usage, which includes knowledge about media, particularly social media, as well as skills and values in using them in a university and/vs a civil society context.There needs to be an ethics code of conduct concerning factors like correctness of information, bullying, netiquette, communication style, emotional intelligence and soft skills in general. To promote media literacy, the project will establisha transnational training network between those most commonly active in this area, as experienced social workers/multipliers in the field of media literacy and respectful communication in youth work on the one side and general university staff and students on the other side. The aim of the network is to develop and practice a common code of conduct of responsible media usage and training multipliers of media and communication literacy as a resource for university staff as well as civil society activists as role models for the younger generation at universities and in society. The project addresses the topics of Democracy and inclusive democratic participation”, “Media literacy and tackling disinformation” and the “Prevention of bullying” in order to contribute to the horizontal priorities “common values, civic engagement and participation”. This will be done by contributing to “digital readiness, resilience and capacity” of University members. Therefore, the objectives of the project are:● developing the media literacy of University staff and students in order to foster a culture of respectful scientific dialogue within the university and as members of the civil society● increasing the exchange of experiences and interchange with the wider regional civic society to build a knowledge partnership between Universities and civil society for a respectful societal dialogue● develop a code of respectful dialogue in University and (social) media for all University Members● more attractive education and training programmes, in line with individual needs and expectations● modern, dynamic, committed and professional environment inside the organisation ready to integrate good practices and new methods including digital capabilities into daily activities;To this goal, it is our objective to● develop a Matrix of Media and Respectful Communication Competences for University Staff● develop Multimedia Modules on Media Competences and Respectful Communication● develop Transmedia Learning Platform on Media and Communication Competences for University MembersFurther on we aim to support the ● contribution of science to mitigating societal tensions, as expressed in phenomena like conspiracy narratives, hate speech and cyberbullying ● consideration of European values in the further internal development of Universities and in their collaboration with the Civil Society.The project will consider aspects of multi-dimensional diversity in all its activities. It will also consider eco-friendliness in the execution of all objectives. The project will therefore train in three learning activities 15 socially active advanced students, 15 University members (staff) and 40 additional University members to develop and design social implementation of a code of conduct for respectful communication and media use at the University-Civil Society interface. This core group of learners will reach out to additional 530 beneficiaries. The learning outcomes of the coaches will be certified by a Europass validated by ISSBS.<< Implementation >>We will implement Project Management activities, Learning and Teaching activities, activities to multiply and disseminate the results, internal evaluation and quality assurance activities Project Management and Implementation activities (led by Pegaso Telematic University) to● manage, coordinate, monitor project (incl financial management)● setup project administration and internal communication systems● carry out quality assurance (led by SoWiBeFo e.V.) and awareness raising activity (led by UPT) throughout project● and all other implementation activities requiredTo achieve the material results and outputs we will implement the following activities:● Elaborate methodological guide and instruments for data collection for developing a matrix of University-CivilSociety Competences for Respectful Communication and Media Competences:● Analyse COVID impact and influence of social media on in-university communication in each country● Deliver focus groups in each country● Identify and describe 5 good practices/country (3 p and short video (20 overall))● strategic planning of professional development for staff in line with individual needs and organisational objectives● Draft a preliminary matrix of media communication and respectful communication competences for validation● Survey among 10 university staff members in each country and analyse survey● Finalise matrix of media competences and respectful communication for university staff in skill developmentrecommendation report and info graphic format, translationActivities contributing to the result “Multi-Media Modules on Media Competences and Respectful Communication”(Led by POU) include:● Review of competences matrix and survey results to deduce training priorities● Selecting, adapting and developing national and target group specific content● Synthesizing and translate draft version of 10 multi-media modules (10 p written introduction to topic, ppt,instructional video (5 min))● Obtaining feedback from partner organisations and modify draft versions of multimedia modules● Elaborating final version of modules, translation, introduction of content to online portal● Contributing to the result “Transmedia Learning Platform Content” (Led by ISSBS) are the activities:● Elaborating a framework didactical concept based on transmedia storytelling● preparing content templates● Developing training material on relevant topics in infographics, stories, snippet info and adapting it to use in a webformat● Shooting 50 snippet video/animation sequences, subtitling● Registering Users, Building User Community, Facilitating use of platform (online support)● Collecting User Feedback through Focus Groups (10 users in each country in online group) and analysingfeedback● Adapting the blended transmedia learning platformMeetings:● 5 Transnational Project Meetings (4 face to Face and 1 Virtual)● 1 Virtual, 2 Slovenia, 3 Italy, 4 Romania, 5 Germany● 27 virtual meetings● 3 Learning, Teaching and Training Activities:● C1 International Training of civil-socially active students in advanced semesters from partner organisations withmulti-media modules (2-5 per country) in a blended format of 3 days Face to Face training over 4 weeks of 8 hoursfor 15 learners (● C2 Training for a mixed group of 15 civil society activists and University staff members (2-5 per country) in ablended format of 3 days Face to Face training over 4 weeks of 8 hours for 15 learners (Slovenia)● 8 Multiplier Events in the partner country to raise awareness and disseminate the results. These events will have340 participants● One International Online Conference with 150 participants, among them 40% from countries outside thepartnership (ISSBS)<< Results >>Result 1: Matrix of Media Competences and Respectful Communication for University Staff (Led by UPT):The result takes up the challenges of digitised communication, which has disrupted traditional communication styles The matrix will define a list of hard and soft skills that define a respectful and constructive communication among University members(staff and students) and vs. the Civil Society. The result will be based on a selection and expansion of such competences. The result will help Universities to reflect on negative communication styles and find competencies that need to be improved. Also competencies of understanding and identifying mechanisms of anti scientific narratives, conspiracy narratives, rules of fact and evidenced based reasoning and communication as well as essential skills of effective science communication will be defined. The result will be highly innovative and can be used by a wide audience within Universities and Civil Society organisations to review and assess own competences and to define programs of further training.Result 2: Multimedia Modules on Media Competences and Respectful Communication (Led by POU): The result addresses the need for training for coping with the disruptive style of anti-scientific narratives, hate speech and cyber bullying that currently dominates the public discourse and negatively impacts on Universities. A common competency building programme of good, factful, effective and respectful communication must be developed and implemented to ensure that the public discourse at Universities and between scientists and the civil society is a safe and encouraging space (diversity of origin and opinion, common understanding of rules of conduct).Indicative contents include:Current trends of disruptive digital communication: fake news, hate speech and cyberbullying phenomena, Philosophical and media theoretical foundations of communication and scientific argument, basic rules of respectful communication; the theory of multiple literacies; respect for diversity vs. methods for finding common ground; Communication in different systems: science vs. public discourse, differences in scientific disciplines; development of individual competences (with practical exercises; anger control and appropriate communication styles; success factors of effective science communication in University and Civil Society. Each module will have an introductory text of 10 p. plus teaching material (worksheet, presentation, explainer video) and the overall volume will equal 100 p. of written text.Result 3: Transmedia Learning Platform Content (Led by ISSBS): In order to widely communicate and transmit the findings of R 1 and to communicate the programme of R 2 to a unlimited audience of users in Universities and Civil Society the partners will create content for a transmedia platform which will feed a transmedia outreach strategy by the partners on the topic of respectful communication and dialogue within University and between University and the Civil Society. Snippet sized multimedia messages on Social Media, short videos for the use on YouTube, TikTok, Twitter, Instagram etc., produced to “go viral” to create a dominance of respectful attitudes as a standard of good practice and behaviour at universities and in Civil Society. The material and methodology is designed for sustainability: the consumers of the material will be invited and encouraged to become co-creators and the material is designed as a template for the production ofsimilar media within University seminars and in Civil Society activities. Therefore an impact far beyond the lifetime of theproject is expected. 60 learners trained and certified by ISSBS (Europass). Expert audience of 490 stakeholders involved and engaged in 8 multiplier seminars and one international conference Interim and final Evaluation report of outputs and outcomes for the information of the expert community and potential users from the target groups (30 p. + 60 p.)

Context/Background: MUST project aims to develop tools to train university staff in creating and using multimedia technologies effectively, so that they have the skills to created more realistic and attractive content of their communication in education research and university-community projects. MUST training curriculum and the created resources will constitute a dedicated service offered in universities by DigiCoaches which are university staff who will provide training to other internal/external users/trainees in creating-using multimedia technologies effectively. The project will enhance the quality and relevance of knowledge and skills of university staff in the area of multimedia technologies. Objectives of the Project: The project is designed to improve and diversify university staff skills in creating-using multimedia technologies effectively (for education, research, university-community projects, advertising and communication to public). Also, the project will improve and diversify the services offered to university users and other university staff by offering a complex training programme that empower these users with key skills and the opportunity to develop their multimedia competencies. This will be achieved by training university staff (DigiCoaches) who will then train other users, students, staff and citizens in general to use multimedia technologies. Universities have always been public spaces that have been set up to share and give access to learning and enrichment resources. The introduction of new multimedia technologies is part of the mission to teach 21st-century skills; multimedia is an example of the type of resource that will transform today’s universities into cutting-edge learning hubs and give communities access to technologies that will have a significant impact on such fields as education, scientific research, architecture, manufacturing, engineering, healthcare etc. Its important to note that the goal of multimedia technologies in universities is to create a realistic perception of the users on novel learning technologies and potential of digital resources and reinforce that learning with simpler hands-on projects. Description of activities/Number and profile of participants: Following delivery of comprehensive training in creating and using multimedia technologies effectively, university staff in the 5 universities in the project (from RO, ES, LT, SI and MKD) together with 2 companies from DE and PT (experts in creating digital resources) will then pilot the new multimedia skills development curriculum among university users at each university - min 50 DigiCoaches will be trained in the consortium (during C1-3). Initially, the new training curriculum will be integrated into the existing university staff training programmes in each of the EU partners in the project. Following this, the DigiCoaches will train other university staff during the project (at least 20% of each university partner staff will receive MUST training and will gain specific professional competences in multimedia). More than 300 universities staff will be mentored through online instruments/courses provided by the Consortium partners taking part in the MUST project and through their involvement in multiplier events (E1...E5) and other dissemination events. Methodology to be used in carrying out the project: For the MUST project implementation there will be 6 core activities which will deliver the outcomes of the project: A1 Project management; A2 Mapping multimedia skills development to empower university-community interaction; A3 Developing, testing and implementing multimedia skills development training curriculum; A4 Elaborating multimedia skills development trainers’ toolkit; A5 Validating quality assurance and improvement of training curriculum and materials; A6 Transferring project results and best practices. Institutionalizing multimedia skills development in each university partner in the project to ensure ongoing training of university staff for future generations.Results & impact: Running MUST project within universities will lead to an increase in the number of multimedia resources creators-users in these institutions, but also to an increase of promoting of these innovative technologies among the stakeholders and community. Assimilation of these innovative technologies by university staff will lead to their personal development through MUST lifelong learning program and to the diversification of the services offered to users of university communities, increasing their attractiveness to the younger generations for higher education. By default, this will increase the visibility of these institutions, not only locally/regional but on the international level. This project represents an opportunity not only for technical background trainees, but anyone who wants use multimedia in various fields. MUST project is expected to have immediate & long term effect on improved and modernized education.

GAEA is a forward-looking project, aiming to improve the quality of entrepreneurship education in the agriculture sector for young women not in employment, not in training (NEETs) living in rural areas. Aligned with the latest EU priorities, GAEA is fully encompassing the priority of sustainable development and green transition. The project is also aligned with the EU' Common Agricultural Policy. The project’s main aim is to provide a solid connection basis amongst the sector’s key stakeholders, through the introduction of a one-stop-shop digital platform. The platform, will include a number of key training material, industry links, mentorship and coaching opportunities, and a highly innovative AI-powered application which will give the opportunity to young women to assess their skills based on ESCO classification. The multidisciplinary partnership, represented by 13 partners in 10 EU countries, will deliver a pan-European digital ecosystem for young women agri-preneurs, developed in such a manner that it can be sustained and further developed after the 3-year project duration. GAEA will place special emphasis on delivering an innovative, hybrid approach towards learning based on both physical, practical training and on digital training, through a digital platform. The platform will be embedded with a highly innovative AI mobile application, which will offer the trainees the opportunity to perform a skills-assessment; powered by AI technology, the trainees will have access to an accurate skill-profiling, which will be used as a basis to select the best matching career for them. The project will also feature a highly interactive face-to-face bootcamp, addressed both to trainers and trainees from all participating partnership countries, which will have as a main aim to transfer skills and knowledge in the areas of agriculture & entrepreneurship, through innovative approaches. The project is comprised of 9 WPs, aiming to deliver the project’s innovative training programme, the digital platform, the bootcamp and a well-structured policy recommendation report. Three WPs are horizontal, and relate to Project Management, Dissemination, and Quality Assurance. The consortium to implement this project is a cluster of various respectable entities in the educational, entrepreneurial, agricultural, technological and research sectors from all over Europe. Therefore, the partners come from the Southern Europe (Cyprus-Greece-Spain) Central Europe (Germany, Poland, Hungary, the Netherlands, Belgium, Slovenia) and Northern Europe (Norway) resulting to a very geographically balanced team, thus tackling the project’s aspirations in EU widely.