Embedding Circular Economy Thinking in HEIs Through University and Industry Partnerships Erasmus Project

Project Title

Embedding Circular Economy Thinking in HEIs Through University and Industry Partnerships

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Environment and climate change; Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills

Project Summary

The European Commission has adopted a new action plan for sustainable growth which directly points to the needs of the circular economy. In a circular economy, the materials are used continuously back through the value chain for reprocess, resulting in less energy and resource consumption. During the actualization of these principles there are several actors on the platform including Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Thus, the main aim of the CirThink Project is to embed CE thinking in HEIs through university and industry partnership. The main reason behind this design is in the literature various studies have examined how universities can support sustainable development through formal learning outcomes. Also these studies have highlighted how student-led change from formal learning, sustainability in campus operations, and branding the green university or green campus were key factors for embedding sustainability in education. However few studies have focused on the “hidden curriculum” and the role that universities, as part of the local economy, can assume in implementing the sustainability practices they teach.
The hidden curriculum is defined as the difference between the actual learning and the curriculum-based learning in the personal student experience within an educational facility. In this project, it is aimed to show how universities can play a key role in helping to promote circular economy approaches by engaging their students and being a key partner with both public and private organisations. Besides how human resources development outside of the curriculum will be important for circular economy approaches in industry, will be explored in partner countries.
Target group of the project includes the administrative board of the universities; the HEIs’ students, the academics, industry representatives, professional organizations, Chambers, research centers, policy makers, public authorities and other stakeholders who specifically focus on the needs of CE thinking.

Coordinator of the CirThink project is Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University (MSKU) from Turkey. Partners of the project are Archivio della Memoria – Italy , European Learning Centre – Spain, Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg – Germany, HF & VUC FYN – Denmark, Social Enterprise Development Ltd. – UK. . As it is seen from the above the partnership is made up of 6 partners from 6 countries all of which have either experience in HEIs and education related issues, developing technologies and material for learning and training, mainstreaming and dissemination, evaluation, and or working with the user groups of HEI institutions. The consortium will support the transnationality carried potential of the project. In other words, this project should be carried out transnationally since not only the governments have numerous policy instruments at their disposal to address circular economy, including the adoption of certain laws and development of national skills qualification systems for CE, but also the HEIs are focusing on the improvement of the skills of students , academics and administrative staff and employees of HEIs. Also European Commision has addressed the needs of circular economy thinking in their latest publications and releases such as Europe 2030 strategy.

Once the project is complete, it is expected to obtain:
1. The possibility for the involved HEIs to develop a hidden curriculum for all target groups and learners in their institutions at the partner countries level.
2. To provide an overarching analysis report of CE Thinking in partner countries which includes a background analysis, a stakeholder engagement analysis and a workshop design (drivers, barriers, opportunities).
3. To develop a networking such as OER platform which brings together all stakeholders. This shall lead into further collaborations in the future in terms of circulating the idea of CE thinking.
4. To extend the possibility of mobility across partner countries.

Briefly, the CirThink project will mainly lead to:
1. An enhanced experience of a Hidden Curriculum which includes all main stakeholders (university and industry) and design stage.
2. An enhanced experience of Overarching Analysis of CE Thinking which includes all main stakeholders (university and industry) at delivery phase.
3. The development of two ( 1 for teaching and 1 for learning) very well ‘polished’ units/manuals in the field of CE Thinking.
4. An enhanced experience of joint CE Thinking education delivery with the inclusion of various fields and academic experts from different EU partner countries.
5. An enhanced experience of building OER platform for all target groups both in HEIs and in the industry.
6. A (or more than 1) published paper/s informed by the research project in question.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 165400 Eur

Project Coordinator

MUGLA SITKI KOCMAN UNIVERSITY & Country: TR

Project Partners

• European Learning Centre
• Social Enterprise Development Limited
• Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg
• Archivio della Memoria
• HF & VUC FYN