The member universities of the EUniWell (European University for Well-Being) Alliance have committed to another four-year collaboration starting in November 2023. Despite the exclusion from the Erasmus educational and Horizon research programs due to an EU decision, Semmelweis University continued its work within the EUniWell Alliance and secured funding from the National Research, Development and Innovation Office to fulfill its commitments.
The EUniWell Alliance includes 11 universities, more than 330,000 students, nearly 60,000 university staff, and a thousand research groups. The member universities are: University of Birmingham (United Kingdom), University of Florence (Italy), Inalco (France), University of Konstanz (Germany), University of Cologne (Germany), Linnaeus University (Sweden), University of Murcia (Spain), University of Nantes (France), University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain), Semmelweis University (Hungary), and Taras Shevchenko National University (Ukraine).
One of the consortium’s flagship programs is the EUniWell Seed Funding Program, which has included more than 50 successful projects. The next call for applications will be available again from July 1, 2024.
The EUniWell Seed Funding Program supports collaborative projects initiated by researchers, students, teachers, and administrative staff of the partner universities. These projects align with the EUniWell mission, covering topics such as health, well-being, quality education, and environmental sustainability.
Winning Projects of the previous Call
Following the latest 6th EUniWell Seed Funding call, 11 winning projects were selected, with Semmelweis University participating in five of them:
The PROMISE initiative led by the University of Florence aims to integrate environmental sustainability, support practices that reduce waste, and alleviate eco-anxiety. Semmelweis University’s team, led by Dr. László Rosivall, Head of the International Nephrology Research and Training Center, Department of Pathophysiology, and PhD School of Basic Medical Sciences, participates in the project.
The TRAUMA2 project is the continuation of a previously successful Seed Funding project, led by the University of Florence, covering psychological, social, and collective trauma. On behalf of Semmelweis University, Dr. Zsolt Unoka, Head of the Department of Psychotherapy, Dr. Lilla Gerlinger, Clinical Psychologist of the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, and Evelyn Lévay, PhD student, are involved in the project.
The OER.Pro project aims to increase the awareness and use of Open Educational Resources (OER) through a comprehensive campaign, including an analysis of the current situation, collection of best practices, promotion on social media channels, and workshops. This initiative is led by the University of Konstanz, with significant contributions from Dr. Zoltán Tibor Lantos, Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Virtual Health Guide Methodology at the Faculty of Health Sciences at Semmelweis University.
The BAGSKOL project aims to develop teacher training to effectively address culturally complex issues and problems. This project is led by the University of Nantes and seeks to bring together students, teachers, and researchers to design and evaluate effective methods for these challenges.
The AI4Well project will focus on developing and implementing an ethical framework for artificial intelligence (AI) solutions. The initiative is led by the University of Florence, with Semmelweis University’s delegation coordinated by Anna Éliás from the Faculty of Health Sciences.
Additional Successes
Beyond the above mentioned projects, one of the winning projects of the fifth EUniWell Seed Funding call is led by Semmelweis University. The project is titled “Tackling the taboo of cancer through contemporary art: an integrative education programme that explores the universal human experience of cancer.”
The project, initiated by Dr. Richárd Kiss, Pathologist at the Institute of Pathology and Experimental Cancer Research, aims to break the taboos surrounding cancer through contemporary art. The primary goal was to unite healthcare professionals, students, patients, and artists in workshops to explore various aspects of the disease in collaboration with the teachers and students of Semmelweis University, the University of Florence, the University of Murcia, and Lund University.
Under the leadership of Dr. Richárd Kiss, experts and artists worked for five months on the topic of cancer, creating new artworks. These artworks were exhibited in the “C80 – The Aesthetics of Cancer?” exhibition at the Institute of Pathology and Experimental Cancer Research, which was open to both professional and general audiences in April and May 2024.
The EUniWell Alliance continues to encourage innovative collaborative initiatives that contribute to well-being in education, research, policy development, and student life. The goal is to implement joint student, educational, and research collaborations within the following four themes in cooperation with EUniWell partners: (i) Well-being and health, (ii) Individual and social well-being, (iii) Environment, urbanity and well-being, (iv) Teacher education.
Current Call for Proposals
Applications can be submitted under the 7th EUniWell Seed Funding Call from July 1, 2024, for grants of up to EUR 25,000 per project. The organizers eagerly await applications from Semmelweis University. For inquiries and coordination within the university, please contact the EUniWell team members.
Eszter Turopoli, Directorate of International Relations
Photos by Gábor Ancsin, Képszerkesztőség
