Goals and Spesicif Objectives
O.1. Enabling project partner institutions to develop in the field of digital transformation:
Explanation: Transforming social and sectoral needs into electronic environment in order to save time and money through information technologies is called digital transformation. Transformation is needed to keep up with the pace of the digitalizing world and to increase the quality of work. For this reason, the first target of the project is on the "digital transformation" theme. Specific objectives are listed below:
O.1.1. Increasing the knowledge of academics in the field of digital transformation: Face-to-face trainings will be organized by the academicians of the Fırat University Faculty of Technology, Alcide De Gasperi University Deaprtment of Digital Transformation, University College for Business Studies, University of Bijeljina, Barleti University, Albanian University, Adriatic University Bar, University of Donja Gorica Podgorica, and University of Mitrovica (which will be called partner universities from Western Balkans Region), cooperation between colleagues will be provided, and experience transfer will be realized. Practical laboratory studies and on-the-job observation activities will be carried out at the Digital Transformation Offices of Fırat University and Alcide De Gasperi University. Academicians working at Fırat University, Alcide De Gasperi University and our partner universities from Western Balkans will carry out joint research, write articles, prepare oral presentations, including students, and present them at international congresses and symposiums. Sixteen academic staff members will undergo training.
O.1.2. Increasing students' knowledge in the field of digital transformation: Short-term learning activities will be carried out in order to improve the competencies of students studying at the Technology Faculties of partner universities in the field of digital transformation and to increase their employability level, and internships will be offered in companies located in Fırat University Technocity. In order to increase the ability of students to carry out scientific research in the field of digital transformation, it will be ensured that they participate in international congresses and symposiums with oral presentations under the consultancy of academicians. A new curriculum will be developed in the field of digital transformation. A new course focusing on digital transformation will be introduced in partner universities in the Western Balkans. Eight students will benefit from practical placements, gaining hands-on experience in real-world scenarios related to digital transformation, 20 students will be engaged in mobility activities.
Indicators: Number of academics trained in digital transformation, number of academics making observations on the job, number of students doing internship, number of students participating in short-term education activities, number of published articles, number of papers presented, satisfaction rate of participants
O.2. Enabling project partner institutions to develop in the field of big data: Big data is a term used to describe data sets beyond the storage, management and processing capacity of the programs used (Schönberger and Cukier, 2013). The combination of the gigantic dimensions of big data and the complexity of analytics required to take advantage of it has led to the development of new classes of technologies and the tools to manage them. The "big data" discipline, which has developed in Europe, especially in Germany and Sweden, is a newly developing discipline in EU program member and third countries. Big data is the storage, analysis and transformation of huge amounts of data into workable form. While the importance of big data is increasing day by day all over the world, academicians should carry out academic and R&D studies on this subject, and students should know the definition, ecosystem, importance of big data, Hadoop, HDFS and MapReduce architectures for storage and Apache Pig and Apache Hive technologies for data analysis. is important. In the needs analysis meeting, 92% of the academicians working at partner universities stated that studies should be carried out in the field of big data, and 87% of the students expressed their desire to receive internship and training in this field. Therefore, the second goal of the project is in the theme of big data.
O.2.1. Enabling academicians working in project partner institutions to develop in the field of big data: Academicians working in partner institutions will receive training in the field of big data at the Fırat University Big Data Laboratory and will make on-the-job observations, participate in applied workshops, and conduct scientific research. Sixteen academic staff members will undergo training.
O.2.1. Enabling students studying at project partner institutions to develop in the field of big data: Students studying at partner institutions will do internship at Fırat University Technocity and receive short-term education. Papers on big data studies will be presented at international congresses and conferences by students under the supervision of academicians. Indicators: Number of academics trained in big data, number of academics making observations on the job, number of students doing internship, number of students participating in short-term education activities, number of articles published, number of papers presented, participant satisfaction rate. A new curriculum will be developed in the field of big data. A new course focusing on big data will be introduced in partner universities in the Western Balkans. Eight students will benefit from practical placements, gaining hands-on experience in real-world scenarios related to big data. 20 students will be engaged in mobility activities.
Indicators: Number of academics trained in big data, number of academics making observations on the job, number of scientific research projects initiated, number of students doing internship, number of students participating in short-term education activities, number of articles published, number of papers presented, participant satisfaction rate.
O.3. Ensuring that the project partner institutions develop in the field of data management systems:
Explanation: Data is the most valuable resource today. Current conditions and technological developments have caused institutions to be faced with large and complex data. Data management is the collection and storage of data in a reliable and economical way, processing it by making it analyzable and easily finding it when necessary. Large-scale research, especially in universities, necessitates data management systems. 89% of the academicians who participated in the needs analysis meeting and had administrative duties stated that they had problems in the field of data management and that experts could not be trained in this field. 92% of the students stated that they want to increase their employment opportunities in data management systems. Therefore, the third target is in the theme of data management.
O.3.1. Enabling academicians working in project partner institutions to develop in the field of data management systems: In order to increase the knowledge of the academicians in the field of data management systems at the partner universities, training will be given to the academicians by the software engineering of Alcide De Gasperi Euroregional Economy University, and on-the-job observation activities will be carried out in the Informatics Unit. Academicians working at WSGE University of Applied Sciences and partner universities will conduct joint research and prepare scientific publications. Sixteen academic staff members will undergo training.
O.3.2. Enabling students studying at project partner institutions to develop in the field of data management systems: Students studying at partner universities will receive short-term education in the field of software engineering and will do internship at WSGE University of Applied Sciences Technocity (a location in which data management system platform has been launched). Students will prepare oral presentations on the subject and present them in international congresses or symposiums. Indicators: Number of academics trained in data management systems, number of academics making observations on the job, number of students doing internship, number of students participating in short-term learning activities, number of articles published, number of papers presented, satisfaction rate of participants. Pre-test-post-test will be applied in order to monitor the progress of academicians and students in knowledge level. In addition, participants will be asked to keep a diary in order to follow their developments in the training, on-the-job observation and internship processes, and semi-structured interviews will be conducted to obtain qualitative data. A new curriculum will be developed in the field of data management systems. A new course focusing on data management systems will be introduced in partner universities in the Western Balkans. Six students will benefit from practical placements, gaining hands-on experience in real-world scenarios related to data management systems. 10 students will be engaged in mobility activities.
Indicators: Number of academics trained in data management systems, number of academics making observations on the job, number of joint research projects initiated, number of scientific publications prepared by academicians, number of students doing internship, number of students participating in short-term learning activities, number of articles published, number of papers presented, participant satisfaction rate, number of pre-test and post-test assessments conducted for students and academics, number of diaries maintained by participants, number of semi-structured interviews conducted for qualitative data.
O.4. Establishing a holistic coordination among the project partner institutions:
This objective aims to cultivate a synergistic environment where all participating universities from Turkey, Poland, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, and Montenegro work cohesively towards common goals. Holistic coordination involves not only efficient communication channels but also strategic planning, shared resources, and synchronized efforts to achieve the overarching project objectives. By fostering a sense of unity and collective purpose, this objective seeks to maximize the impact of the project, ensuring that each partner institution contributes effectively to the development of digital transformation, big data capabilities, and data management systems in the Turkey, Poland and Western Balkans. Ultimately, the establishment of holistic coordination is instrumental in creating a collaborative foundation that enhances the overall success and sustainability of the Res-Uni project.
O.4.1. Establishing administrative integrity among the project partner institutions: A joint declaration will be signed at the project partner institutions stating that they will act in cooperation throughout the project process, work in a coordinated manner, and that all university rectors will contribute to the complete realization of the project activities. In addition, a joint 5-year internationalization strategy document will be prepared by all partners within the scope of the project.
O.4.2. Establishing academic integrity among project partner institutions: Open access publications on big data, data management systems and digital transformation will be prepared by academicians in order to increase cooperation, culture and knowledge transfer between academics working in project partner institutions, to carry out multidisciplinary studies, and to increase the number of international scientific activities, and students will participate in congresses and conferences. A digital transformation office will be established at partner universities by the authorities of Fırat University and WSGE University of Applied Sciences and technical support will be provided to these offices.
O.4.3. Creating unity among the project partner institutions in terms of contribution to society: With the dissemination activities to be carried out within the scope of the project, local institutions in the cities where the project partner universities are located will be ensured to keep up with the digital transformation, local actors will be informed in the fields of big data and data management systems, digital transformation opportunities will be offered for individuals with disabilities, and the employability rate of students will be increased.
Indicators: The performance indicators of the target are the number of declarations signed by the partners, the number of internationalization strategy documents prepared by the partners, the number of scientific studies published by academicians, the number of congresses and conferences attended, the number of digital transformation offices opened, the number of local institutions and local actors informed within the scope of digital transformation, and social satisfaction rate.
O.5. Ensuring that project partner institutions provide services within the framework of European Quality Standards:
This objective encompasses a holistic approach, emphasizing inclusion and diversity, environmental sustainability and responsibility, digital education, and active participation in the European organizational network. The objective underscores the commitment to maintaining high-quality standards within partner institutions, fostering an environment that is inclusive and diverse. Additionally, it promotes practices that reflect environmental responsibility and sustainability, integrates digital education strategies, and encourages active involvement in the extensive network of European organizations. By championing these principles, the objective aims to enhance the overall quality and relevance of services provided by partner institutions, aligning them seamlessly with the established European framework.
O.5.1. Inclusion and diversity: In order to increase the inclusiveness of the project, first of all, care will be taken to ensure that the number of men and women is equal or close to each other in the selection of academicians and students in partner universities. In the project, 50 students with geographical, socio-cultural disadvantages or with disabilities will be included.The activities carried out in the field of technology in the project partner countries are generally subject to gender classes and perceived as male occupation. However, there are many successful female students and female academicians at undergraduate and graduate level in all project partner institutions. The project will include female students and female academics in the fields of digital transformation, big data and data management systems, and the employability level of students will be increased. In addition, students with high academic achievement but low socio-economic income will be given priority in the project. Within the scope of digital transformation, prototypes will be produced that will facilitate the lives of individuals with disabilities.
O.5.2. Environmental sustainability and responsibility: If conditions are possible in project mobility, they will be provided with green travel opportunities. Information and awareness-raising activities will be carried out for the participants to get to know the European common heritage and raise ecological awareness. The visibility materials of the project will be produced from sustainable and recyclable materials. In addition, incentive mechanisms will be developed for participants to use recyclable and no-cruelty products in their mobility and daily life.
O.5.3. Digital education: Throughout the project, maximum use will be made of digital platforms in order to increase communication, disseminate information, reinforce face-to-face mobility, and implement monitoring-evaluation activities. Zoom and Google meeting tools will be used in the communication processes between the project partners. Padlet, Kahoot, Prezi Web 2.0 tools will be used to reinforce face-to-face training activities. An international meeting will be held using Bizzlogic, which offers conference facilities in the metaverse environment, in dissemination efforts. In the monitoring and evaluation studies, satisfaction surveys and scales will be applied to the participants with Google Forms, and focus group interviews will be held via Zoom. Copies of project documents will be stored in Google Drive.
O.5.4. Active participation in the network of European organisations: EU platforms will be actively used to increase the recognition of the project in the Western Balkans and Europe. To achieve this, the project will strategically leverage EU platforms, utilizing them as dynamic channels to elevate the project's recognition not only within the Western Balkans but also on a broader European scale. This proactive involvement in European networks aims to foster collaboration, share best practices, and enhance the visibility of the project's outcomes. By actively participating in European organizations, the project seeks to contribute to the broader European dialogue, fostering mutual learning and strengthening the ties between the Western Balkans and the wider European community.
Indicators: The target performance indicators are the ratio of men and women in the project, the ratio of prototypes produced for disabled people, the economic income distribution of the project participants, the distribution of disadvantaged individuals participating in the project, the percentage of recyclable materials used in the project, the number of green travels, the number of digital tools used, the Europe utilized Number of commissions. In order to use the budget effectively, the trainings will be given via online platforms. Moreover, internship of the students will be funded via Erasmus+ KA131 and KA171 programs.
