Description
The basic goal of the project is to establish an industrial approach in scientific education through the elaboration of an intensive summer course. As a result of the project the participating students will be able to adopt an innovative, more industrial attitude in the field of applied chemistry, which shall help them on the labor market as well. The project will involve researchers to the elaboration of this joint interdisciplinary course in the fields of chemistry and chemical industry (theory and laboratory work combined). More than 15 students and 6 teachers will participate in the summer school where the method of cooperative learning will be used. The role of the donor partner, the University of Tromsø, is to provide the research facilities and infrastructure, give lectures and evaluate students at the end of the course. The overall aim of the partnership is to bring a new perspective to the participating universities’ educational approach in terms of training methods and materials.
Summary of project results
The main goal of the project was to establish a close collaboration between the partner universities in the field of organic chemistry. The basic assumption of our project was that the industrial approach is more emphasized during the scientific education in Norway than it is in the education of the University of Szeged and the University of Debrecen. The goal of our project was to integrate this industrial approach into the scientific education of the partner universities in Hungary. Another aim of the project was to establish a long-term scientific cooperation between the partner universities. During the project a 20-day-long Summer School was organized at the partner institute, University of Tromsø with the participation of 15 Hungarian, and 2 Norwegian university students from different level of education (BSc., Msc., PhD). The main outcome of the project is the creation of a new interdisciplinary programme which brings a new perspective to the existing educational systems of the partner universities.The results gained from the implemented research projects in cooperation with the researchers of the University of Tromsø will contribute not just to completing the students thesis and dissertations, but lead to publications and maybe new scientific discoveries. As a result of the project the participating students gained experience with an innovative, more industrial method in the research field of applied chemistry. Through future cooperation activities new scientific results, innovative methods and applications are expected to be created. In the long term, young people who are currently students will have new skills, experience, and a broader perspective with which they will increase their employment opportunities. The goals of the project were consistent with the Strategy for Europe 2020 which declares that partnership between the industrial sector and higher education is able to enhance innovation and technology development. During the project a 20-day-long Summer School was organized at the partner institute, University of Tromsø with the participation of 15 Hungarian, and 2 Norwegian university students from different level of education.Students expressing interest in Chemistry and its related fields (e.g. Biology, Bionics, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering) was provided with the opportunity to participate in the programme. The students who fulfilled the requirements of the course received ECTS credits.
Summary of bilateral results
The cooperating institutions in the project were the University of Szeged (Department of Organic Chemistry), the University of Debrecen (Department of Physical Chemistry), and the donor project partner was The Arctic University of Norway - University of Tromsø (Department of Chemistry). The role of the University of Tromsø was to provide research facilities and infrastructure for the summer school. At the same time the University of Tromsø also participated in the project by giving lectures and evaluating the students at the end of the Summer School. The University of Debrecen and the University of Szeged also placed emphasis on sharing the results of the project with the research community via the website of the universities and at the events organized by the departments. The implementation of this project is seen as a first step toward a broader scientific partnership. Both the Hungarian universities have remarkable experience on the field of organic catalysis, while the Norwegian partner has wide experience with the synthesis of biologically active molecules in the area of antibacterial and cancer research. One of the most important applications of the usability of heterogenized metal complexes is the pharmaceutical industry. As a result of the project, an intensive discussion is underway about possible research projects in this field. The meetings organized during the project created a great opportunity for sharing information about ongoing research projects and available facilities at the departments and to exchange research ideas. Several researchers and students of the participating Departments have already applied for mobility grants in the framework Erasmus+ Programme and the EEA Grants to study at the University of Tromsø.