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Tempus JEP project “Capacity Building for Research in Croatia” Progress report for the University of Split Project Coordinator: Professor Željko Dujić, MD, PhD. Consortium Meeting Rijeka, Croatia, January 24-25, 2008. Welcome to Rijeka. Thank you all for taking part in this
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Tempus JEP project “Capacity Building for Research in Croatia”Progress report for the University of SplitProjectCoordinator: Professor Željko Dujić, MD, PhD Consortium Meeting Rijeka, Croatia, January 24-25, 2008
Welcome to Rijeka Thank you all for taking part in this Consortium Meeting
Background • EHEA: high quality education research-based and research-oriented; • Croatia needs to include research elements into its education; • Croatia has an urgent need for a more concerted participation in research; • ERA: The EU wants to become the world’s most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy by 2010; • Croatia, a prospective EU member, needs to invest in research and increase its technological outputs effectively in the coming years; • Solution for Croatia: full participation in EU research programmes;
Key priority for Croatia: enhanced participation in FP programmes • Legal prerequisite fulfilled (Croatia full partner) BUT: • Lack of general awareness about these programmes; • Lack of necessary administrative framework; • Lack of technical support for preparing applications; • Lack of adequate equipment; • Lack of investments from business sector;
Why this project? • Coordination and cooperation of research activities in a more systematic manner; • International and local networking; • Improving administrative and academic capacities at Croatian universities – educational modules; • Securing adequately trained staff at the universities, MSES and NFS – founding of Research Offices;
Consortium and external experts • Partner countries: Croatia, UK, The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Spain and Estonia; • 8 Croatian partners (Universities of Split, Zagreb, Osijek, Rijeka, Dubrovnik and Zadar, MSES, NFS); • 6 foreign partners (Universities of Bristol, Groningen, Leuven, Jena, Granada and Tartu). • External experts: Mr. Albin Babič (advisor at the Slovenian Research Agency) Dr. Sigurd Weinrich (EU project management at the University of Heidelberg)
The project • Consortium with maximum expertise for applying and managing research projects; • Research Offices at 6 Croatian universities; • Academic Research Committees in charge of Research Strategy, SWOT analysis, prioritizing; • Experts providing advice and support; • Considerable training programme: foreign lanugages, workshops, site visits;
Progress report University of Split The Coordinating Institution
Progress indicators for activity 1.1 - Appointment of staff • Project coordinator: Professor Željko Dujić, MD, PhD • International cooperation: Snježana Lisičić, MSc • EU project applications: Zvjezdana Popović, MSc • Technology transfer: Lana Bošnjak, MSc • Research strategy development: Livia Puljak, MD
Research Office of the UniSt • Provides counseling on EU projects and grant applications (Zvjezdana); • Counseling on technology transfer (Lana); • CBRC project administration and organization of CBRC activities.
Progress indicators for activity 1.2 and 1.3 – Research Strategy • Research Committee (RC) established; • RC proposed criteria for scientist evaluation; • The criteria discussed on two meetings with all vice-deans for science from UniSt; • Self-assessment tool developed; • Next steps: SWOT analysis and research strategy.
Research Committee of the University of Split • Professor Željko Dujić, School of medicine, Project coordinator; • Professor Roko Andričević, University of Split, Vice-rector for science; • Professor Ivica Grković, School of medicine, Vice-dean for science; • Professor Sanja Čurković Kalebić, School of philosophy; • Professor Ivica Puljak, Faculty of electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and naval architecture, Vice-dean for science; • Professor Mile Dželalija,Faculty of natural sciences, mathematics and kinesiology; • Professor Dražen Derado, Ekonomski fakultet; • Ivica Mitrović, MSc, Arts academy; • The committee met 5 times in 2007
Criteria for scientist evaluation • Necessary for SWOT analysis; • Proposed by the Research Committee; • So far criteria for biomedicine, natural sciences, technical sciences, visual arts, humanities and liberal arts have been proposed; • Discussed on two meetings with vice-deans for science; • The plan: other universities to accept these criteria too; • More about criteria on January 25.
Meetings with vice-deans for science • Two meetings held so far; • Sponsored by the University of Split School of Medicine because there are no funds for this in CBRC budget; • First meeting: 21 attendees, 8 vice-deans, 2 vice-rectors for science (participants from Split, Rijeka and Zadar); • Second meeting: 19 attendees, one dean, 8 vice-deans, 2 vice-rectors for science (participants from Split and Zadar);
Why including vice-deans for science? • University not a legal entity – each School separate story; • Invaluable to have alies in each institution; • Will help with criteria, assessment, SWOT and strategy creation; • Can provide information about scientists and research projects;
Self-assessment tool • A one-page questionnaire; • Current involvement in science, education and administration; • Future plans; • Self-assessment: world level, national level or below.
SWOT analysis and research strategy will be developed after: • Evaluation criteria for each scientific field developed; • Self-assessment performed and analysed; • Discussions on Faculty Councils and University Senate.
Progress indicators for activity 2.1 – Traning workshops • One such workshop planned per year; • In 2007: workshop in Zadar, April 19-20; • "Effective Institutional Research Strategies" • In 2008: not scheduled yet.
Outcomes of Zadar workshop • Learning about research strategies; • Brainstorming about creating research strategies at Croatian universities; • Performing SWOT analysis of a University; • Defining needs of doctoral students: research or education? • Evaluation of progress and performance;
Progress indicators for activity 2.2 – Language training • Several RO and RC members attending foreign language courses within the project; • Preferences survey was made; • All prefered semester learning instead of two-week intensive courses;
Progress indicators for activity 2.3 – Site Visits to EU institutions • Six foreign partners – six site visits; • However, only five visits in the budget; • First visit combined Bristol and Groningen, October 21-25, 2007; • The most unfortunate combination, considering how close Groningen and Leuven are; • The decision has been dictated from Bristol.
Seven CBRC delegates in Groningen. October 2007.
Outcomes of Groningen-Bristol visit Groningen: Learning about functioning of research offices and their funding; international office and managing European projects. Bristol: • Research-based university; • RED (Research and Enterprise Development): training of RO staff, quality control, monitoring, project management, staff development, EU projects, visit to BLADE (Bristol University for Advanced Dynamics Engineering), how they perform research assessment.
Research Assessment Exercise • of interest to those responsible for: • Research assessment; • Research policy planning. • “the primary purpose of rae2008 is to produce quality profiles of research activity of eligible UK higher education institutions”
Progress indicators for activity 2.4 - Educational modules for staff • Will be provided by another Tempus project: InterProject; • 4 educational modules (intercoaching) planned for second half of the second project year; • Detailed presentation by prof. Blazenka Divjak, coordinator of the InterProject.
Progress indicators for activity 3.1 – Information leaflets • Leaflets designed and ready for printing; • Competitive tenders received, best offer chosen; • Invoice for printing services sent to Bristol in October – not paid yet; • Therefore – no leaflets yet.
Progress indicators for activity 3.2 – Publication of Newsletters • Four newsletters planned for the project; • First published in July of 2007; • Electronic version available; • not printed yet – waiting payement for printing services;
Schedule for newsletter • Second planned for February 2008 • Therefore: • We need texts and graphics about: • Activity of your research office; • Research-related events at your Uni; • Description of research activities;
Progress indicators for activity 3.3 – Web pages • Web pages created; • Croatian version: www.unist.hr/uzz/pocetna.htm • English version: www.unist.hr/uzz/home.htm • All presentations and documents from CBRC meetings and events available on this page under “Calendar of Events” section.
Progress indicators for activity 4.1 – Equipment • Equipment listed in the grant ordered, paid and delivered; • Software and books: not paid yet by Bristol; • Additional equipment: listed by ROs in November, butnot paid yet by Bristol.
Progress indicators for activity 4.2 – Scientific web portal • Planned with Tempus “InterProject”; • InterProject was recently approved; • The CBRC will collaborate on this as planned.
Progress indicators for activity 5.1 – Monitoring visits • First monitoring visit by Bristol administration performed in July 2007 by Ms. Cheryl E. Lloyd; • No monitoring yet by External Experts; • Subject to availability of External Experts.
Progress indicators for activity 5.2 – Meetings of CRO partners • First inter-institutional meeting of CRO partners was held on July 18, 2007 in Split; • The second is scheduled for April.
Progress indicators for activity 6.1 – Consortium Meetings • First: January, 2007 in Split; • Second: January, 2008 in Rijeka; • Third: scheduled for September 2008.
Progress indicators for activity 6.2 – Project Management • University of Split managing the project; • University of Bristol – financial management and monitoring;
Other activities • We became partner institution of CARDS project “Intellectual Property Rights Infrastructure for the Research and Development Sector in Croatia” • Cooperation with Tempus program “Stimulating Croatia's Entrepreneurial Activities and Technology Transfer in Education-CREATE”. • J. Douglas Toma lecture in Split on “Strategies and Management of Higher Education in the U.S.”
Problems • Major problem: access to finances in Bristol; • Other problems in Bristol: • First administrator was replaced with Cheryl E. Lloyd, which created delays due to duties take-over; • Ms. Lloyd is a part-time employee and required to administrate two Tempus projects; • Lumping together Bristol and Groningen for site visit, instead of two closer universities; • Delays in payments from Bristol: 2-3 months necessary for reimbursements;
Problems contd. • No staff costs have been paid yet; • Problem with equipment payment: • Waiting for payment a long time; • Local bank fees charged to the contracted company, even though bank transfer fees are in the project budget; • Waiting since September response from EC regarding local bank fees – software and books not paid, no additional equipment has been ordered or paid;
Conclusion • With only 5% of MSES funds readily available the RO at the UniSt is struggling to organize everything as planned; • Paying for services and equipment a huge problem! • Better financial management and timely actions from Bristol would ensure smooth functioning of the project.
Tentative calendar of events in 2008 • February: 2nd newsletter; • February: 2nd Site Visit, Leuven, Belgium; • April: 2nd CRO meeting; • June: 3rd Site Visit, Tartu, Estonia; • September: 3rd Consortium Meeting; • November: 3rd newsletter; • December: 4th Site Visit, Jena, Germany.
Contact Professor Željko Dujić, MD, PhD zdujic@bsb.mefst.hr Web: http://www.unist.hr/uzz/pocetna.htm
Thank You for Your attention Questions?