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Description
Currently, there is a gap between the available education for students at the doctoral level and the technologies used in research laboratories. This gap is leading to an underqualified workforce that is not competitive enough for the international research job market. The aim of this project is to strengthen the institutional cooperation between the two partner institutions by developing a novel educational module for Ph.D. students through innovative teaching methodologies. The target group for this project is represented by Ph.D. students from the two universities that will have the opportunity to attend the course on RNA epigenetics as part of their Doctoral Studies curriculum and early-career researchers that will participate in the workshops developed in the project.
The intellectual outputs of this project will include a book on RNA epigenetics and non-coding RNA and an educational module on RNA Epigenetics for Ph.D. students. Additional activities will include workshops on RNA Epigenetics and non-coding RNA that will be taught by the staff from the two partner institutions. Moreover, multiplier events during which the intellectual outputs will be presented will be organized during the implementation period.
The project envisages directly impacting the new generations of Ph.D. students from both universities and increasing their abilities in advanced genetics and genomics through access to the intellectual outputs developed in the project. The educational module will remain an integrated part of the School of Doctoral studies curriculum and will be available for interested Ph.D. students.
The educational module and intellectual outputs developed in the project will serve as a model for inter-institutional collaboration for closing the gap between research education and practice with the possibility of transferability and applicability to other institutions.
Summary of project results
The rapid evolution of technologies and available methods of studying complex genetic and genomic alterations has led to an incredible advancement in our understanding of the complex genetic mechanisms of human diseases. This rapid advancement has led to a gap between education and practice in genetics and genomics research with education for research remaining far behind what is currently happening in the research laboratories. This gap needed to be urgently addressed in order to align tertiary education with the practice.
The project "Strategic University Cooperation to Improve Research Abilities for PhD Students for Higher Educational Quality (Qualitas), was implemented by the "I Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Cluj Napoca (Romania) and the Oslo University Hospital (Norway), to develop an innovative approach for doctoral studies curriculum by introducing an educational module on non-coding RNA and RNA epigenetics which is approaching the current and emerging technologies used in the research.
This educational module is supported by a well-developed course syllabus, interactive presentations, practical sessions in our university laboratories. Project partners elaborated, as well, a book on RNA epigenetics and non-coding RNA.
Additionally, we had the chance through this project to enrich the knowledge of both staff and students through short-term transnational learning mobilities at the Oslo University Hospital, the project partner institution, to learn how to use and integrate these technologies into their research.
The contribution of epigenetic factors and processes, which include DNA methylation and modification of histone residues, is well established in cancer. RNA epigenetics, which is defined as post-transcriptional RNA modifications together with the RNA binding protein activity for the modified RNA species, is a rapidly emerging field of research. By offering this course curriculum the partners improved the level of knowledge of early career researchers on this promising subject which is currently an area of intense interest in biomedical research. On the long-term we expect to increase the visibility of the Romanian research team and to create a visible presence in the international research ecosystem with the help of well trained human resource.
Both partners achieved the following results during the implementation period:
O1. the elaboration of the course syllabus and materials for the RNA Epigenetics
O2. the elaboration of the book - RNA Epigenetics and Non-coding RNA
03. Five short-term staff mobility for staff (4 Ro to No and 1 No to Ro)
04. Development of the teaching abilities of the staff from the two universities in using innovative technologies for curriculum development.
05. Short-term student mobility from Romania (Ro) to Norway (No) - Phd Students attended a three week short term mobility in the donor partner institution where they actively worked in the lab and developed their skills.
06. Two transnational meetings and workshops organised:
07. Two joint publications in open-access journals (both published in high-impact journals).
08. One project website where all the project materials will be made freely available and social media accounts.
Summary of bilateral results
The consortium of the project is developed between two leading institutions in biomedical research - "I. Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy and Oslo University Hospital - that, through this project, joined forces to develop an educational module for Ph.D. students from both universities that enhanced research abilities and attractiveness on the job market of the participants.Our two institutions have earlier collaborated to jointly apply for the EEA grants in 2019 and since then, we''ve been in regular contact. This project helped us strengthen our cooperation, actively work together and create synergies between our teams for the years to follow. In addition, both teams expanded their collaboration through networking events with other staff from the two institutions, therefor we expect to have more joint projects submitted in the future from the two institutions.Each institution was an essential player for the project’s success and had a major role throughout the implementation period. The collaboration between our institution is continuing even after the end of this project and we are currently developing joint-research projects on the field of brain tumors and RNA epigenetics in which PhDs and post-docs from both institutions are working.Additionally, at the Department of Molecular Medicine, the Norwegian partner and others have contributed to several seminal discoveries in the nascent field of RNA epigenetics, therefore we are planning to continue the collaborations in the field of young researchers training.