At the signing of a Joint Declaration on Engaged Research in the City of Oulu, Finland on 15 June, eight universities and cities, who are part of the UNIC European University of Post-Industrial Cities, committed to developing a common approach to engaging communities and their cities in advancing research and innovation to make a difference in people’s lives.
Bringing Europeans together across languages and borders
The Declaration, a first for Europe, champions ‘Engaged Research', which is an approach that involves local people and communities, NGO’s and Municipalities, working together with Universities to collectively decide on what is to be researched and involving societal partners in all stages of the research process. This grassroots up approach leads the way in bringing Europeans together across different languages and borders, to participate as active members in shaping flourishing, compassionate, enlightened societies, and sustainable economies, informed by the power of research and evidence.
"Meaningfully involving people in research and innovation is key to the long-term success of our cities and universities"
Prof.dr. Ed Brinksma
Voorzitter van het College van Bestuur
"Meaningfully involving people in research and innovation is key to the long-term success of our cities and universities. Today, in a first of its kind in Europe, this Declaration on Engaged Research marks a pioneering step for realising the ambitions of the EU Commission’s European Education Area and the European Research Area", says Professor Ed Brinksma, President of the Executive Board of the Erasmus University Rotterdam.
Developing a strategy for engaged research
University students and staff, municipalities and civil society partners attended an Engaged Research Strategy Forum in January and again in March 2022 in University College Cork, Ireland. There they worked together on developing the text for the Declaration, making this a truly collaborative initiative. The next step is the development of a Strategy for Engaged Research, launched later this year in Rotterdam.
“This Declaration is an important milestone for cities and universities in Europe. It is the first time that as a group we have developed such a joined-up commitment to our communities. This historic initiative will have relevance, resonance and impact across Europe for many years to come”, says Mayor of Liège, Willy Demeyer.
UNIC is one of 41 European University alliances funded by the European Union. UNIC’s focus is on teaching and research through community engagement, with an ambition of creating inclusive and sustainable societies. UNIC is creating an inter-university campus, where students, staff, researchers, and city partners will study or carry out research at cooperating partner institutions and municipalities.
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Formed in 2020, UNIC is an alliance of the following partners: Belgium Université de Liège, City of Liège; Croatia Sveučilište u Zagrebu, City of Zagreb; Finland Oulun yliopisto University, City of Oulu; Germany Ruhr-Universität Bochum, City of Bochum; Ireland Coláiste na hOllscoile Corcaigh, City of Cork; Spain Universidad de Deusto, City of Bilbao; The Netherlands Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam, City of Rotterdam; Turkey Koç Üniversitesi, City of Istanbul.
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