Search Results (91)

Ensuring accessibility in urban public spaces is a key challenge for contemporary cities, particularly in the context of ageing populations, socio-spatial inequalities, and the global call for inclusive urban development. Despite its importance, accessibility is often treated as a cross-cutting issue rather than as a central objective in planning practice. This study examines how accessibility can be addressed in participatory urban public space design through a geodesign workshop conducted with architecture students from the University of Alicante. Focusing on the area along Line 2 of the TRAM light-rail network in Alicante, Spain, the workshop applied the geodesign framework in four iterative phases: system analysis, stakeholder role-play, design negotiation, and consensus building. The workshop participants represented six stakeholder groups with varying objectives and priorities, proposing micro-interventions in vulnerable urban areas aimed at improving walkability, surface conditions, and access to services. The role-play phase highlighted contrasting views on accessibility, particularly emphasised by groups representing older adults and people with disabilities. Negotiation revealed both alliances and tensions, while the final consensus reflected a moderate but meaningful inclusion of wide accessibility concerns. The resulting proposals showed spatial awareness of socio-territorial inequalities. The findings suggest that geodesign fosters critical thinking, collaboration, and empathy in future urban professionals; however, challenges persist regarding inclusivity, contextual adaptation, and integration into practice. Future work should explore long-term impacts and co-creation of accessibility standards. Full article

This study examines how policy incentives enhance students’ entrepreneurial mindset and agility through industry–academia collaboration. Unlike prior research that often adopts institutional or industry perspectives, this paper foregrounds the experiences of students as the primary beneficiaries of entrepreneurship education policies. Drawing on survey data from 528 students across Taiwan and Malaysia, the study tests a comprehensive conceptual framework incorporating professional engagement, curriculum design, and skill development as mediating mechanisms. Using structural equation modeling, the findings show that policy incentives exert strong direct and indirect effects on entrepreneurial outcomes, although some mediating pathways are contingent on the quality of engagement. By positioning student perspectives at the center of analysis, this study contributes to understanding how policy support translates into experiential learning and entrepreneurial agility. Implications are drawn for educators, policymakers, and students, with suggestions for refining collaboration structures and fostering student-centered entrepreneurship ecosystems. Full article

The holobiont paradigm, conceptualizing host–microbiome assemblages as functionally integrated entities, has fundamentally altered interpretations of adaptive responses to environmental pressures spanning multiple organizational levels. This review synthesizes the current knowledge on microbiome-host coevolution, focusing on three key aspects. First, it examines the evolutionary origins of holobionts from primordial microbial consortia. Second, it considers the mechanistic basis of microbiome-mediated stress resilience in plants and animals. Finally, it explores the ecological implications of inter-holobiont interactions. We highlight how early microbial alliances (protomicrobiomes) laid the groundwork for eukaryotic complexity through metabolic cooperation, with modern holobionts retaining this plasticity to confront abiotic and biotic stressors. In plants, compartment-specific microbiomes (e.g., rhizosphere, phyllosphere) enhance drought tolerance or nutrient acquisition, while in animals, the gut microbiome modulates neuroendocrine and immune functions via multi-organ axes (gut–brain, gut–liver, etc.). Critically, we emphasize the role of microbial metabolites (e.g., short-chain fatty acids, VOCs) as universal signaling molecules that coordinate holobiont responses to environmental change. Emerging strategies, like microbiome engineering and probiotics, are discussed as tools to augment stress resilience in agriculture and medicine. By framing adaptation as a collective trait of the holobiont, this work bridges evolutionary biology, microbiology, and ecology to offer a unified perspective on stress biology. Full article

Transdisciplinary challenge-based learning (T-CBL) has emerged as a transformative educational approach in life sciences and sustainability education, promoting the development of students as change agents. T-CBL engages learners from diverse disciplines in addressing real-life challenges—such as environmental, societal, and ethical issues—through collaboration with both academic and extra-academic actors. However, the role of coaches, who are often key academic actors within T-CBL, remains insufficiently defined and under-evaluated. In this study, 18 coaches from six T-CBL courses offered by an alliance of four Dutch universities were surveyed using a combination of baseline questionnaires and semi-structured interviews to explore their perceptions of their role within T-CBL. Coaches described their role as versatile and complex. Beyond assigning grades, they were responsible for providing feedback on group processes and individual students’ development, including self-reflection, personal goal setting, and overall well-being. Support offered by coaches primarily focused on cognitive processes and social dynamics, rather than content-specific guidance. Regarding preparation for the coaching role, most coaches reported having received no formal training and expressed feeling insufficiently prepared. The findings indicate a need for further investigation into the role of coaches in relation to other actors involved in T-CBL, with the ultimate aim of identifying factors to consider in designing T-CBL courses, including determining which actors to involve and how to prepare them for their respective roles. Full article

This article explores the implementation of a tandem course that integrates gamification and interactive teaching methods and investigates how this model affects teacher motivation and participant engagement, particularly in higher education contexts. This study also highlights the potential of tandem teaching beyond its traditional use in language learning and provides qualitative and quantitative insights into the experiences of both course participants and educators, showing how collaborative, gamified teaching strategies can inspire more effective, student-centered pedagogy. It examines how the course was developed, the outcomes in terms of teachers’ engagement and the enhancement in learning experiences, and proposes a new perspective on how education can be restructured. The study emphasizes that traditional, lecture-based teaching is no longer sufficient in engaging modern learners and teachers too. By adopting more digital, student-centered approaches, we suggest that subjects can be reimagined as more interactive and teacher–student-friendly. The main question stated in the article sounds like the following: “How does gamification and interactive teaching methodologies, like tandem course, affect teacher and participant engagement and motivation?”. To address this question, a study was conducted based on the tandem course titled “Gamification in the learning process and interactive teaching methodologies” prepared within the FORTHEM Alliance by three united universities. It was delivered online during four meetings in May 2024. Full article

The rapid neutron-capture process (r-process) is responsible for the creation of roughly half of the elements heavier than iron, including precious metals like silver, gold, and platinum, as well as radioactive elements such as thorium and uranium. Despite its importance, the nature of the astrophysical sites where the r-process occurs, and the detailed mechanisms of its formation, remain elusive. The key to resolving these mysteries lies in the study of chemical signatures preserved in ancient, metal-poor stars. These stars, which formed in the early Universe, retain the chemical fingerprints of early nucleosynthetic events and offer a unique opportunity to trace the origins of r-process elements in the early Galaxy. In this review, we explore the state-of-the-art understanding of r-process nucleosynthesis, focusing on the sites, progenitors, and formation mechanisms. We discuss the role of potential astrophysical sites such as neutron star mergers, core-collapse supernovae, magneto-rotational supernovae, and collapsars, that can play a key role in producing the heavy elements. We also highlight the importance of studying these signatures through high-resolution spectroscopic surveys, stellar archaeology, and multi-messenger astronomy. Recent advancements, such as the gravitational wave event GW170817 and detection of the r-process in the ejecta of its associated kilonovae, have established neutron star mergers as one of the confirmed sites. However, questions remain regarding whether they are the only sites that could have contributed in early epochs or if additional sources are needed to explain the signatures of r-process found in the oldest stars. Additionally, there are strong indications pointing towards additional sources of r-process-rich nuclei in the context of Galactic evolutionary timescales. These are several of the outstanding questions that led to the formation of collaborative efforts such as the R-Process Alliance, which aims to consolidate observational data, modeling techniques, and theoretical frameworks to derive better constraints on deciphering the astrophysical sites and timescales of r-process enrichment in the Galaxy. This review summarizes what has been learned so far, the challenges that remain, and the exciting prospects for future discoveries. The increasing synergy between observational facilities, computational models, and large-scale surveys is poised to transform our understanding of r-process nucleosynthesis in the coming years. Full article

The number of identified neurodivergent individuals in UK higher education, within both student and staff populations, is steadily increasing, yet there is limited evidence on how best to support them. In the context of financial pressures and sector-wide transformation, setting priorities for neurodiversity research is critical to make the most of limited resources. This study used an adapted James Lind Alliance methodology to identify the most pressing research questions concerning neurodiversity in higher education, gathering 385 ‘uncertainties’ (or possible research questions) from 135 students and staff across 37 UK universities. These were refined into 66 indicative research questions spanning 16 categories. Following interim prioritisation and a final consensus workshop, 10 top research priorities were identified. These reflect five key themes: staff knowledge, attitudes and practice; assessment; support; outcomes; and accessibility. This is the first study to systematically establish research priorities for neurodiversity in higher education, providing a foundation for evidence-based change that reflects the perspectives and needs of both neurodivergent students and staff. Full article

The built environment plays a critical role in achieving climate neutrality, yet the construction sector continues to contribute significantly to carbon emissions and resource depletion. This study evaluates the experimental phase of the New European Bauhaus Academy (NEBA) Alliance pilot project, which aims to support sustainable transformation in the built environment through the integration of circular economy principles, adaptive reuse, and nature-based solutions. Conducted at the Lodz University of Technology, the pilot study involved interdisciplinary modules combining Building Information Modeling (BIM), urban regeneration strategies, and sustainable material use. A mixed-methods approach was employed, including structured surveys and qualitative analysis of student projects, to assess the effectiveness of these interventions. The results indicate that the pilot project successfully enhanced the participants’ understanding of sustainable design practices and their application in real-world architectural and urban contexts. Participants demonstrated increased competence in using digital tools for low-carbon design and in proposing regenerative solutions for existing urban fabric. The findings suggest that targeted, design-led initiatives can contribute meaningfully to the transformation of the built environment, aligning with the goals of the European Green Deal and the New European Bauhaus. This study offers a replicable model for embedding sustainability into professional practice through applied, context-sensitive strategies. Full article

In today’s rapidly evolving global landscape, the need to cultivate innovation-ready, globally competent talent has become a strategic imperative. This study critically investigates how sustainable open innovation strategies—particularly within non-profit organizations and university alliances—can serve as a catalyst for global talent development. Responding to the growing demand for interdisciplinary, cross-sectoral collaboration, the research employs a robust mixed-methods approach, integrating the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) to evaluate and prioritize key strategic factors. The findings reveal that initiatives such as international internship programs, operational funding mechanisms, joint research ventures, and technology transfer are essential drivers in creating environments that nurture and scale global talent. Building on these insights, this study introduces a structured, sustainable innovation model that categorizes strategies into three tiers—collaborative, interactive, and foundational service-oriented actions—providing a practical roadmap for resource optimization and strategic planning. More than a theoretical exercise, this research offers actionable guidance for non-profit leaders, academic administrators, and corporate partners. It highlights the reciprocal value of multi-sector collaboration and contributes to a broader understanding of how mission-driven innovation ecosystems can foster resilient, future-ready workforces. By positioning non-profit–academic partnerships at the center of global talent strategies, the study sets a foundation for rethinking how institutions can co-create value in addressing pressing global challenges. Full article

In the new media era, the green technology alliance with multi-participation has emerged as a powerful contributor to achieving the strategic goal of a green economy. Therefore, this paper constructs a stochastic evolutionary game model of green technology innovation led by the government under an uncertain environment and jointly promoted by enterprises, universities, and research institutes. Then, this study firstly explores the influence of different factors on evolutionary equilibrium and secondly discusses the role of main factors on the behavior strategies of each game subject. Furthermore, numerical simulation analysis using Matlab R2019a 9.6 will be used to prove the model’s validity. The research has shown (1) that media monitoring positively impacts the stability of the alliance and that product greenness can further accelerate alliance evolution when media monitoring is in place. When this factor is small, it will lead to the transformation of Industry-University-Research’s (IUR) optimal strategy into non-cooperation in the early stage. (2) The green degree of products positively affects the decision-making choice of the IUR, but it is not the case for the government. And the role of media supervision will further coordinate its influence and accelerate the evolution of alliances. (3) The enhancement of media monitoring capacity can encourage game subjects to evolve in a more beneficial way. In addition, the implementation of media supervision will help reduce the cost of government supervision and provide reputation benefits. The research fully accounts for the complexity and variability of the environment, and the results provide theoretical support and practical advice for the high-quality development of the green technology innovation alliance. Full article

The intense rising of machine learning in the previous years, bolstered by post-COVID-19 digitalization, left some of us pondering upon the transparency practices involving projects sourced from European Union funds. This study focuses on the European Union research clusters and trends in the ecosystem of higher education institutions (HEIs). The manually curated dataset of bibliometric data from 2020 to 2024 was analyzed in steps, from the traditional bibliometric indicators to natural language processing and collaboration networks. Centrality metrics, including degree, betweenness, closeness, and eigenvector centrality, and a three-way-intersection of community detection algorithms were computed to quantify the influence and the connectivity of institutions in different communities in the collaborative research networks. In the EU context, results indicate that institutions such as Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, the University of Cordoba, and Maastricht University frequently occupy central positions, echoing their role as local or regional hubs. At the global level, prominent North American and UK-based universities (e.g., University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University, Imperial College London) also remain influential, standing as a witness to their enduring influence in transcontinental research. Clustering outputs further confirmed that biomedical and engineering-oriented lines of inquiry often dominated these networks. While multiple mid-ranked institutions do appear at the periphery, the data highly implies that large-scale initiatives gravitate toward well-established players. Although the recognized centers provide specialized expertise and resources, smaller universities typically rely on a limited number of niche alliances. Full article

At present, the high complexity of the environment, the uncertainty of income, and the choice of strategies have attracted extensive attention from all walks of life who are committed to studying the game of collaborative innovation between government and industry–university–research. Based on this, first of all, with the help of stochastic evolutionary game theory and fuzzy theory, this paper constructs a multi-party stochastic evolutionary game model of green technology innovation about the government guidelines and the joint promotion of industry, universities, and research institutes. Secondly, it discusses the evolution law of behavior strategies of each game subject and the main factors to maintain the alliance’s stability under fuzzy income. The numerical simulation results show the following: (1) Reputation gains have a significant positive correlation with the evolution stability of alliance behavior, and the incorporation of reputation gains or losses will effectively maintain the cooperation stability of the alliance. (2) Under the influence of product greenness, government subsidies, and long-term benefits, it will promote the pace consistency of cooperative decision-making between industry, universities, and research institutes, and accelerate the evolution of alliances. (3) The enterprise’s ability and the research party’s ability will restrict each other. When one party’s ability is low, its willingness to choose a cooperation strategy may be slightly low due to technology spillover and other reasons. When the two parties’ abilities match, their behavior strategies will increase their willingness to cooperate with their abilities. Compared with the traditional evolutionary game, this study fully considers the uncertainty of the environment and provides theoretical support and practical guidance for the high-quality development strategy of the industry–university–research green technology innovation alliance. Full article

The current global academic system, rooted in a reductionist, materialist and westernized worldview, reflects the modern industrial era in which it took shape and is therefore ill-equipped to address the complex challenges of today’s polycrisis. This viewpoint offers a vision for a complementary system aimed at filling this gap, one grounded on an expanded notion of what science and higher education can be and how best they can serve the world. It is part of an independent research and book project on the broad topic of Reimagining Academia, developed in dialogue with pioneering and spiritually oriented scientific and professional networks. Moving from the recognition of the principal limits of today’s universities, the paper describes an alternative home for all those scholars, students, practitioners and social constituencies whose worldviews and knowledge systems are shifting towards more holistic approaches. Grounded on a new ontological framework and on a human-centered modus operandi, the proposed system would aim to revive scientific disciplines from the inside out, by means of new life-affirming assumptions and purposes. The paper concludes by outlining practical steps for the realization of this vision, proposing a global alliance of scientific, cultural, and social actors. Full article

Six novel Microbacterium phages belonging to the Tectiviridae family were isolated using Microbacterium testaceum as a host. Phages MuffinTheCat, Badulia, DesireeRose, Bee17, SCoupsA, and LuzDeMundo were purified from environmental samples by students participating in the Science Education Alliance Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) program at Alliance University, New York. The phages have linear dsDNA genomes 15,438–15,636 bp with 112–120 bp inverted terminal repeats. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging analysis revealed that the six novel phages have six-sided icosahedral double-layered capsids with an internal lipid membrane that occasionally forms protruding nanotubules. Annotation analysis determined that the novel Microbacterium phages all have 32–34 protein-coding genes and no tRNAs. Like other Tectiviridae, the phage genomes are arranged into two segments and include three highly conserved family genes that encode a DNA polymerase, double jelly-roll major capsid protein, and packaging ATPase. Although the novel bacteriophages have 91.6 to 97.5% nucleotide sequence similarity to each other, they are at most 58% similar to previously characterized Tectiviridae genera. Consequently, these novel Microbacterium phages expand the diversity of the Tectiviridae family, and we propose they form the sixth genus, Zetatectivirus. Full article

This study explores how higher education institutions (HEIs) can foster the relevance of education for sustainable development (ESD) and strategic human resource development for a holistic sustainability transformation. Sharing a case example, it discusses how sustainable and responsible research, development and innovation (RDI) competences can be recognised, described and acknowledged to support the contextualised application of ESD and human resource development in one HEI of the INVEST university alliance and its stakeholders. It compares education professionals’ and stakeholders’ views on current and future competence needs and investigates inter-organisational competence development practices. The methodology encompasses a qualitative and interpretive case study based on focus group interviews. The results on the current sustainable competences indicated that HEI and stakeholder respondents identified disciplinary competences as the most important competence cluster followed by systems-thinking, strategies-thinking and integration competences. Although HEIs and stakeholders jointly regard disciplinary competences as most critical for the future, they have considerably different perspectives on the megatrends influencing these needs and the overall spectrum of the required competences. This study provides methodological means for contextualising sustainability competences and enhancing stakeholder-informed competence development. The results may serve as a point of reference for aligning higher education curricula and human resource development with ESD for more sustainable higher education. Full article