Consortium

Established in 2004, Cyprus University of Technology (CUT) is one of the two public universities in Cyprus. Although being one of the newest universities in Cyprus, it is ranked in first place in Cyprus according to the 2020 Times Higher Education World University Rankings (in the 301-350 range). According to the same list, it ranks 63 in the global young university rankings. CUT has an orientation towards applied research. In the last four years, it has received more than 45M Euros in project funding. Currently, CUT is involved as a partner in 40 H2020 projects (coordinating 13 of them). As a public and independent University, CUT has developed into a modern, pioneering university that offers education and research excellence with a high impact on economy and society. Research activities cover fundamental and applied research in academic fields related to the University’s seven faculties. Even though CUT initiated its research activity very recently, it implements a significant number of research projects funded by the Cyprus Research Promotion Foundation and European research projects under the European Research Framework Programmes, the LIFE Programme, the European Territorial Cooperation Programmes and others. In relation to the current project, CUT participates through the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies and, in particular, the Department of Public Communication.

The University of Strathclyde is a leading technological university in the UK, which was founded as a ‘place of useful learning’ and undertakes internationally excellent research, education, and knowledge exchange with business and society. The European Policies Research Centre (EPRC) operates through two distinct entities, namely EPRC Glasgow (at the University of Strathclyde, in Glasgow, Scotland) and EPRC Delft (at the Technical University Delft in the Netherlands).

EPRC‘s origins date back to 1978 when it operated as a research team within the Centre for the Study of Public Policy at the University of Strathclyde in Scotland. EPRC became a separate research institute in 1987, and is now part of the School of Government & Public Policy in the Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences at the University of Strathclyde in Scotland, UK. EPRC Glasgow specialises in regional and rural development in Europe, including regional innovation strategies, administrative capacity building, EU Cohesion policy strategies and implementation, European territorial cooperation, EU Competition policy, and financial instruments. EPRC Glasgow also engages actively in knowledge exchange with policy-makers across Europe, notably via a long-standing programme funded by government departments in 12 European countries (EoRPA). EPRC Glasgow has an interdisciplinary staff of 14, providing research expertise for both public and private organisations across a range of policy areas.

In July 2017, a new independent entity was founded – European Policies Research Centre Delft (EPRC Delft) – working from the Technical University Delft in the Netherlands. EPRC Delft is a non-profit foundation (Stichting) registered in the Netherlands under Dutch law. It has been established to conduct comparative policy research and knowledge exchange relating to EU Cohesion policy and other EU policies, including via a research and knowledge exchange programme comparing the implementation of Cohesion policy programmes in different European countries and regions (IQ-Net).

Politiechnika Wroclaska renamed as Wrocław University of Science and Technology (WUST) was established in 1945 as a heir to the material heritage of the German Königliche Technische Hochschule Breslau and the intellectual and scientific legacy of Lviv Polytechnic. Today, WUST is one of the largest universities in Poland, having over 26.000 students attending mainly full-time courses at 13 faculties. It employs over 4000 employees (including ca. 2 000 research and teaching staff) and offers 42 diverse fields of study, including 45 study programmes in English.

WUST has actively participated in research and education programmes, such as: FP5, FP6 , FP7, H2020, CIP, EUREKA, COST, ESA, the Coal and Steel Fund, Structural Funds, COSME, Leonardo da Vinci, LLP- Erasmus, Erasmus-Mundus, Erasmus+, Vulcanus in Japan, double diploma programmes. It is a member of the European University Association, T.I.M.E. Association, Top Industrial Managers for Europe, European Society for Engineering Education. In June 2016 European Commission granted our University the logo “Human Resources Excellence in Research”. It is given to those institutions that apply the principles of the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers.

The Babes-Bolyai University (BBU) in Cluj-Napoca was founded in 1959 and today has more than 40000 students in 105 different specializations. The university strategy for 2016-2020 emphasizes the importance of education for democracy and research excellence. The BBU team members belong to the Center for the

Study of Democracy, which was established in 2006 in the Department of Political Science at Babeș-Bolyai University. The Center has significant expertise on public policy and governance practices on democratization, education, media, migration, political participation, cultural diversity and inequality as well as on research methodology. Its members were active in several cross-national studies, based on both qualitative and quantitative approaches, with a focus on media education among youth. The center’s reputation in research has been endorsed by a large number of competitive grants won recently by its members. BBU has the necessary infrastructure and technical equipment to carry out the proposed project. It possesses the relevant resources in terms of libraries, computer equipment, and the software necessary for both quantitative and qualitative analyses, and will make them available to the project.

The Democratic Society (Demsoc) is an independent, non-profit organisation that works for more and better democracy, so that people and institutions have the desire, opportunity, and confidence to participate together. It works to create opportunities for people to become involved in the decisions that affect their lives and for them to have the skills to do this effectively. We promote a culture of openness and participation in public services. Demsoc works on a wide range of projects, across Europe and beyond, from its offices in Brussels, Milan, Manchester, and Edinburgh.

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) is an internationally oriented research university with a strong focus on societal impact in its research and teaching. Its researchers and students endeavour to solve global societal challenges in the areas of health, wealth, governance and culture. Founded in 1913, EUR is currently one the biggest universities of the Netherlands with a student population of 29,000 and a research community of circa 1,400. The university consists of seven faculties and two institutions. As part of a large global network of academic partnerships, in strategic alliance with Leiden University and Delft University of Technology and in a unique collaboration with city and port, the dynamic city of Rotterdam serves as the university’s laboratory. The quality of research at Erasmus University, named after Rotterdam-born humanist and theologian Erasmus, is reflected in its consistent top-100 position in most major universities rankings. On the lively, modern campus, students and scholars of more than 100 nationalities are constantly encouraged to develop their talents and meet their ambition.

The Department of Public Administration and Sociology is part of the Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences at Erasmus University Rotterdam. The department holds the top 1 position in Public Administration (Shanghai Ranking). Several large EU projects were managed by staff members of the department (FP7 COCOPS SME project (2.5 million, prof. Van de Walle; the FP7 LIPSE project (3.7 million, prof. Bekkers). The research group is well-known for its vital connections with the public domain. The department executes a large-scale research program on citizen initiatives (RePolis).

EURACTIV is unique in being the main pan-European media network specialised in EU policy, acting as a highly effective media multiplier at the same time. EURACTIV’s assets: The network includes 13 partners across Europe: France, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Croatia (most recent partner is Hanza Media), with headquarters in Brussels for English language coverage (legal office in the Netherlands) – Thanks to its 13 partners, the visibility of the messages and contents is amplified – Its multilingual projects allow outreach to citizens across Europe in their own language – Free content remains online for at least two years and can be picked up by other media, thus increasing the impact of the project’s message even after it ends. Additionally, EURACTIV has become a reference point for other national and international media seeking information about EU policy. Therefore, EURACTIV is routinely consulted and quoted by journalists (such as The Guardian, Der Tagesspiegel, France Inter…) and has established several cooperation’s with national media across Europe (e.g. La Tribune in France, Der Tagesspiegel in Germany). Thanks to its Network and media partners, EURACTIV can aggregate and localise content with a continuous exchange of information from Brussels to the capitals and vice-versa, as well among capitals. This is facilitated by the in-house translation team. The combination of in-house journalists, video producers and communication experts allow EURACTIV to effectively cover news and policy in a professional, impartial and innovative way. The production of videos and new journalistic formats maximises impact and media innovation. For over 10 years, EURACTIV has led and participated in EU-funded projects: DG AGRI, DG REGIO, the European Parliament and other Institutions and programmes.