MUDUALBA PROJECT VISIT AT MONDRAGON UNIBERTSITATEA
The study visit from the DUALBA project explored how Mondragon Unibertsitatea implements its Dual model. Participants learned about the Dual model, key programs, and faculty experiences through presentations and round tables from the Faculties of Business, Education, Gastronomic Sciences, and Engineering. The visit included a session at Bilbao AS Fabrik and a lecture on the cooperative movement. The experience will help Albanian partners develop their own Dual education model, aided by insights on accreditation.
Revolutionizing Workplace Safety: Collaborative Robots Empower Workers with Disabilities
Mondragon Unibertsitatea researchers participated in a project combining robotics and AI to improve safety for workers with disabilities. Their focus was a refrigerator dismantling process, previously risking muscle strain. The team developed a robot-human collaborative system using AI vision to handle the magnetic seal removal. A real-time monitoring system, tested via reinforcement learning in a simulation environment, ensures worker safety and efficient coordination in the new process.
Adapting Knowledge to Changing Roles: EZATECH Supports Employee Development
Mondragon Unibertsitatea participates in the EZATECH project, which addresses the need for employees to acquire new skills as their roles evolve. The project created a 7-phase knowledge management framework supported by a technological platform. This tool tracks employee knowledge evolution, detects skill gaps, and identifies growth opportunities, helping organizations align training with strategic goals. Applied successfully in industry and education, EZATECH effectively supports employee development.
EU4DUAL Entrepreneurial Winter School 2024
The Winter School involved 70 participants from ESTIA, Savonia, and MU, including 8 student-entrepreneurs presenting start-up market studies. The event fostered collaboration among students and professionals from EU4DUAL partners, emphasizing intercultural and intergenerational exchange. ESTIA’s entrepreneurial task force played a key coaching role. The connection of several entrepreneurs to the MOB’E international mobility program reinforced the strong link between entrepreneurship, education, and mobility within EU4DUAL.
Entrepreneurial Mobility Journey of Romane Forment
Romane Forment, an ESTIA engineering student and self-employed entrepreneur, participated in the EU4DUAL entrepreneurial mobility pilot in early 2024. Supported by both the Savonia Business Incubator and ESTIA Entreprendre, Romane developed her venture with dual mentorship, gaining international experience in two distinct entrepreneurial ecosystems. Her success showcases the alliance’s commitment to integrating dual education with entrepreneurship, leading to Romane becoming a fully incubated entrepreneur.
Leveraging Initial Success into Broader Collaborative Research Programs
MCAST has a strong history of collaborating with diverse partners to enrich education and expand opportunities for students, academics, and researchers. Through the EU4DUAL Alliance, MCAST has deepened these efforts, co-developing dual education models and joining impactful initiatives like Engage All (inclusive digital education) and the APP Mobility Project (enhanced digital mobility tools). Collaborating with institutions such as DHBW, Mondragon, ESTIA, and Savonia, MCAST advances innovation, reinforcing its role in shaping future-ready, practice-based learning environments.
Empowering Mobility: Paving New Pathways for Professional Growth
Between May 12-16, 2025, nursing students attended a Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) in Kuopio, Finland. The mobility focused on patient safety in surgical nursing, combining academic learning with cultural immersion. Students engaged in hands-on sessions (patient positioning, airway management) and visited local hospitals for real-world insights. Collaboration with peers from Finland, Austria, and Slovenia enriched the experience, fostering valuable international professional connections.
Bridging Research and Challenges: Positive Outcomes from the EU4DUAL Conferences
MCAST academics and students actively participated in the EU4DUAL 2024 and 2025 conferences, presenting research and establishing international partnerships. This platform facilitated connections with institutions like Mondragon and Savonia Universities, leading to follow-up discussions on joint projects in social care, circular economy, digital heritage, and engineering. The experience was described as highly enriching, strengthening academic collaboration, sharing innovative practices, and aligning education with global sustainability goals.
Digital humanities and digital skills in the future of work
This publication explores how digital humanities is shaping future workplaces. Written by academics from EU4Dual and Ukrainian institutions, the book examines how digital skills and technologies like artificial intelligence and Industry 4.0 affect science, work and cultural heritage. Focusing on practical and collaborative research, it provides insights into using digital humanities in education and industry.
Staff Week on future of work
From 13 to 17 May 2024, FH JOANNEUM held its first International Staff Week as part of the EU4DUAL programme, focusing on the ‘Future of Work’. Twenty-one people from 11 countries took part in workshops, company visits and cultural activities. Highlights included presentations on artificial intelligence, campus tours, and visits to Gösser Brewery and Andritz. The week ended with discussions about future partnerships, leaving participants motivated to implement new ideas.
