Coop4EDU

Coop4EDU is born in a EU-wide generational challenge, characterised by mass youth unemployment, but also in a potential ground for economic and social innovation insufficiently exploited. This project seeks to establish a sustainable European platform of collaboration among the cooperative movement and academia, through a EU-wide Strategic Partnership which aims at empowering HEIs to stimulate and support cooperative entrepreneurial initiatives.

The adopted approach establishes the tools and mechanisms breathing innovation into mainstream workflows, in order to create a positive environment for young cooperative entrepreneurs. To do so, four sets of tools will be created:

• Higher educational (teaching and learning) material integrating a cooperative approach, designed to be integrated into existing HE programmes, and to support the creation of specialised curricula. They will especially involve exchanges among teaching staff, cooperative staff members and trainers, to foster modernisation and innovation of higher educational teaching methods and content, but also contribute to improving the quality of professional training.
• Cooperation schemes among HEIs and cooperatives. The Partnership will rely on a transversal involvement of HEIs and cooperatives, through the establishment of both transnational and local collaborations. It will enable HEIs to provide an integrated learning path composed of relevant HE programmes complemented with an adapted mentoring support.
• Web-based solutions supporting transnational coordination and exchange, providing a dedicated platform for sustainable transnational collaboration among HEIs and cooperatives around open educational resources.
• EU-wide and local communication campaigns and policy recommendations, designed to expand the project results towards younger generations across Europe and raise policy makers’ awareness. Automated communication channels will especially be developed.

Partners: University of Alcalá, Catholic University of Leuven, University of Ioannina, Cooperatives Europe, COOPETIC, Co-operative College, European University Foundation