Alba Graduate Business School, The American College of Greece, secured two new European collaborative research projects following successful participation in highly competitive European Union funding calls, within the framework of the Horizon Europe and Erasmus+ programmes.
The INTERLINK-CAREERS and IMPACT ALLIES projects, with a total duration of 36 and 24 months respectively, bring Alba into collaboration with leading European universities, entrepreneurship and innovation organizations, investors, and technology companies. At the same time, they strengthen Alba’s international research presence and its contribution to addressing major challenges shaping the future of the European economy and society.
INTERLINK-CAREERS: Artificial Intelligence for the future of research careers
The INTERLINK-CAREERS, with a duration of 36 months, is funded by the Horizon Europe programme and focuses on the development and utilization of research human capital in Europe.
Although more than half of European researchers work in the private sector, their career paths and mobility between academia and the business sector remain largely undocumented. The project aims to fill this gap by leveraging Artificial Intelligence and big data for a better understanding and prediction of research careers and knowledge flows between different sectors.
Within the framework of the project, a pan-European data ecosystem will be created, as well as a Living Lab that will connect universities, businesses, and policymakers. Among the key outcomes will be a Career Interoperability Framework, a Knowledge Flow Index, and digital twins simulation environments, which will enable evidence-based decision-making and the development of more effective policies for research careers.
The research consortium is coordinated by Harokopio University, and participants include, apart from Alba Graduate Business School, the University of Durham (United Kingdom) and technology companies from Germany, Austria, Lithuania, and Turkey.
IMPACT ALLIES: Entrepreneurship, innovation, and investments with positive impact
The IMPACT ALLIES, with a duration of 24 months, is funded by the Erasmus+ programme and aims to connect higher education with entrepreneurship ecosystems and investments with social and environmental impact.
The project develops an innovative, challenge-based educational model, which combines Smart Specialisation Strategies (S3), impact entrepreneurship, and investment readiness. At the same time, it utilizes hybrid forms of education and the Inner Development Goals (IDGs) framework, with the aim of developing adaptive and conscientious leadership.
As noted by Gerasimos Kouvaras, Academic Lead of IMPACT ALLIES: “It is not enough to train people to create financially successful businesses. We need to redefine what we mean by success, but also to work with those who decide which ideas are worth funding. This is for me a particularly interesting dimension of IMPACT ALLIES: It trains both tomorrow’s entrepreneurs and potential investors, bringing them into a common dialogue around an essential question: What is worth creating and funding?”
Through a Triangle Mentorship Model, enterprise-led learning labs, and a reverse investment-readiness programme, the project will create new bridges between students, entrepreneurs, businesses, and investors.
By its completion, the model is expected to have been tested by more than 160 adult learners, to have supported 36 start-up initiatives, and to have mobilized 100 impact investors, while also contributing to strengthening the innovation capacity of European higher education institutions.
The research consortium is coordinated by the European organization Impact Hub Network and participants include, apart from Alba Graduate Business School, the Politecnico di Milano (Italy), the Universidad Pontificia Comillas (Spain), and the University of Primorska (Slovenia).
Strengthening Alba’s European research and educational impact
Securing the two projects constitutes significant recognition of Alba’s research and academic activity and strengthens its participation in international collaborations that connect research, education, entrepreneurship, and innovation.
Through the two new projects, Alba contributes to the development of solutions with practical application for important European challenges, from the future of research careers and the use of Artificial Intelligence to sustainable entrepreneurship, innovation, and investments with positive impact.
As stated by Danae Manika, Executive Dean of Alba Graduate Business School: «Alba’s participation in two new European projects confirms our commitment to research with international reach and meaningful impact. Through strong European collaborations, we want to actively contribute to the knowledge and solutions that will shape the future of work, entrepreneurship, and innovation».