Launch Conference of the Project “Digital Ecosystem For Sustainable Learning at the University of Bucharest – EDIS-UB”

Students, professors and members of the administrative staff of the University of Bucharest will benefit from trainings from external specialists for the development of digital skills

Equipping 16 laboratories of the University of Bucharest with IT&C technology, creating virtual identities for all students at the University of Bucharest and trainings for the development of the digital skills of the university community, just some of the objectives proposed within the project “Digital ecosystem for sustainable learning at the University of Bucharest – EDIS -UB” (EDIS-UB). Funded through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), the project was launched on Wednesday, November 2, 2022.

An Advanced Computing Center of the University of Bucharest at Măgurele

Through the project, at the Faculty of Physics of the University of Bucharest, in Măgurele, an Advanced Computing Center (ACC) will be hosted, the infrastructural core of the most performing laboratories of the University of Bucharest, which will be equipped with multimedia servers, computers and applications/software/tools specific to their field.

The center, which represents one of the major investments within the project, of almost 3 million euros, will allow students, professors and researchers to carry out both activities in the didactic area and actions in the research area made possible thanks to infrastructures with high capacities calculation, storage and accounting of data from the ACC level.

Moreover, the creation of this center will represent only one of the achievements provided for in the project, which will contribute to the achievement of its general objective. At the institutional level, the challenge, through EDIS-UB, is the sustainable growth of the institutional capacity and to offer high-quality study programs and a collaborative educational environment, by creating a high-performance digital infrastructure.

16 laboratories of the University of Bucharest will be equipped with multimedia

Through the project that is part of the UB strategy on increasing the quality of educational services through the use of innovative pedagogies with IT&C support, as well as educational services through the development of education infrastructures based on digital systems, 16 study programs from the University of Bucharest, of which two new ones (the BA program “Robotics” at the Faculty of Physics in collaboration with the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics and the MA program in English “Law of new technologies” at the Faculty of Law) will be revised and updated from the perspective of digitization. The complete list of study programs that will be digitally enhanced through EDIS-UB can be consulted here.

Each UB student will have a virtual identity

Also, within the project, the GIPAS strategy will be implemented – integrated virtual spaces. Thus, each UB student will have a virtual identity and will have an Individual Virtual Space (SVI) where they will have access to a series of applications, services and resources (digital libraries, documents). As part of a learning community, each student will be able to access a Collaborative Virtual Space (SVC), composed of colleagues and professors of the faculty to which they belong.In the University Virtual Space (SVU), all members of the UB academic community can connect, thus facilitating the exchange of information and the merging of multiple resources.Through GIPAS, the integrated management of students’ academic progress and study programs will also be possible. Last but not least, the students, professors and members of the administrative staff of the University of Bucharest will benefit from trainings from specialists for the development of digital skills.

Launch event of EDIS-UB at the University of Bucharest

The launch event of the “Digital ecosystem for sustainable learning at the University of Bucharest – EDIS-UB” project took place on Wednesday, November 2, 2022. At the meeting moderated by prof. Lucian Ciolan, PhD, vice-rector of the University of Bucharest for Development Projects, Continuous Learning and Educational Infrastructure and coordinator of the EDIS-UB project, took the floor prof. Marian Preda, PhD, rector of the University of Bucharest, Sorin Ștefan Decă, deputy general secretary of the Ministry of Education, and assoc. prof. Radu Gramatovici, PhD, vice-rector of the University of Bucharest for Digitalization and member of the EDIS-UB coordination team.In the opening of the meeting that took place in the “Ion Mihăilescu” Amphitheater of the Rectorate of the University of Bucharest, prof. Lucian Ciolan, PhD, emphasized that it is an internal launch event of one of the large, financially significant projects of the University of Bucharest, implemented through PNRR.

The event brought together members of the UB academic community, both from the Management, from the project implementation team, as well as representatives of the beneficiary faculties and the Ministry of Education.“This infrastructure project has some anchors. We are trying to correlate it with other efforts: AEOS (Access to online education for students with social grants from the University of Bucharest) – the project with tablets for students in difficult social situations, program that also provides equipment to the professors who work with these students.

And, last but not least, a priority is the connection with the CIVIS European Alliance, where the University of Bucharest is co-leader of the digital and technological transformation hub (Hub 5 Digital and Technological Transformation – CIVIS 2.0).The EDIS-UB project is dominantly an infrastructure project that will be capitalized for the University of Bucharest to achieve its internal strategic objectives, and last but not least, to become an important player in CIVIS”, said prof. Lucian Ciolan. Sorin Ștefan Decă emphasized the importance of the program, one of the first funded by the PNRR to begin implementation. At the same time, he pointed out that it is an honor to support universities through such projects “to align labor market and study programs and the use of technological equipment”. The rector of the University of Bucharest, prof. Marian Preda, pointed out that the implementation of the EDIS-UB project must aim to meet current needs and ensure sustainability in the future.

“As a team, we are at an important moment in the project: implementation. The draft writing and approval procedures have passed, so we are facing a new challenge. Next, we must make joint efforts; on the one hand, let’s not get discouraged in the implementation process, which is not at all easy, and on the other hand, let’s interact closely together with our partners, with the administration, with the other units involved in less bureaucratic mechanisms for project implementation”, noted prof. Marian Preda Assoc. prof. Radu Gramatovici, PhD, presented an overview of the EDIS-UB project, focusing on the main elements of the digitization strategy at the University of Bucharest. The meeting ended with a session of conclusions and debates, as well as a brief presentation of the activities that will be carried out at the University of Bucharest in the following period. The “Digital ecosystem for sustainable learning at the University of Bucharest – EDIS-UB” project, code 1828329254, with a total value of 43,997,550 lei, has a duration of three years (September 16, 2022-December 31, 2025) and is financed by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, component C:15, reform 5: “Adoption of the legislative framework for the digitization of education”.

Evenimentul a reunit membrii comunității academice a UB, atât din Conducere, din echipa de implementare a proiectului, cât și reprezentanți ai facultăților beneficiare și din Ministerul Educației.

„Acest proiect de infrastructură are câteva ancore. Pe lângă el însuși, în paralel cu acesta, încercăm să îl corelăm cu alte eforturi: AEOS (Acces la educație online pentru studenții cu burse sociale din Universitatea din București) – proiectul cu tablete pentru studenții cu situații sociale dificile, program care vine la pachet și cu echipamente pentru profesorii care lucrează cu acești studenți. Și, nu în ultimul rând, prioritară este conexiunea cu Alianța Europeană CIVIS, unde Universitatea din București este co-lider al hub-ului de transformare digitală și tehnologică (Hub 5 Digital and Technological Transformation – CIVIS 2.0).

Proiectul EDIS-UB este dominant un proiect de infrastructură care va fi valorificată pentru ca UB să-și atingă obiectivele strategice interne, și nu în ultimul rând, pentru a deveni un jucător important în CIVIS”, a afirmat profesorul Ciolan.

În continuare, Sorin Ștefan Decă a subliniat importanța programului, unul dintre primele finanțate de PNRR care încep implementarea. În același timp, oficialul a punctat că este o onoare să sprijine universitățile prin astfel de proiecte „pentru a-și alinia piața muncii și ceea ce ține de programe de studii și de utilizarea echipamentelor tehnologice”.

Rectorul Universității din București, profesorul Marian Preda, a punctat faptul că implementarea proiectului EDIS-UB trebuie să țintească atingerea nevoilor curente și sustenabilitatea asigurată pe mai târziu.

„Ne aflăm, ca echipă, într-un moment important al proiectului: implementarea. Partea de scriere de proiect și de proceduri de aprobare a trecut, astfel încât ne aflăm în fața unei noi provocări. În continuare, trebuie să facem eforturi comune; pe de o parte, să nu ne descurajăm în procesul de implementare care nu este deloc ușor, și pe de altă parte, să interacționăm strâns împreună cu partenerii noștri, cu administrația, cu celelalte unități implicate mecanisme mai puțin birocratice de implementarea proiectelor”, a subliniat rectorul UB.

Conf. univ. dr. Radu Gramatovici a expus celor prezenți o prezentare generală a proiectului EDIS-UB, focusându-se pe elementele principale ale strategiei de digitalizare la nivelul Universității din București.

Întâlnirea s-a încheiat cu o sesiune de concluzii și dezbateri, cât și cu o prezentare succintă cu următoarele activități care vor fi derulate la nivel de UB în perioada următoare.

Proiectul „Ecosistem digital pentru învățare sustenabilă la Universitatea din București – EDIS-UB”, cod proiect 1828329254, cu o valoare totală de 43.997.550 lei, are o perioadă de derulare de trei ani (16 septembrie 2022-31 decembrie 2025) și este finanțat prin Planul Național de Redresare și Reziliență, componenta C:15, reforma 5: „Adoptarea cadrului legislativ pentru digitalizarea educației”.