Within the framework of Second Key Action “KA2 Cooperation and exchange of good practices – Capacity Building in the field of Higher Education” of Erasmus+ Programme the joint project “Technology-based Entrepreneurship for Supporting Sustainability in MENA Region / MENA-Preneurs” has started in 2021. Over a period of three years, the Global Responsibility Unit at the International Office at the University of Cologne will collaborate with eight partner universities in the MENA region and in Europe to implement the project objectives. The aim of this project is to create an interdisciplinary diploma degree and training activities in Technology Based Entrepreneurship (TBE) aiming at building a robust entrepreneurship ecosystem that can foster and allow the start-ups and SMEs to play a leading role in economic development's and job creation in MENA region.

The implementation concept aims to compile several indicators on outcomes from different databases for ulterior international comparison and analysis. It will assist the client to analyse the connection between task characteristics and work organisation and outcomes. The task will be carried out with particular emphasis to specific countries and specific levels of aggregation (region, sector, size of business and occupation) for ulterior merging with the client databases. Original sets of indicators will be provided regarding: economic performance, innovation, spread of technology, employment and labour market, and product quality. Moreover, the team will produce a proposal to operationalise digitalisation and technologisation. The team will gather data indicators from secondary international sources (EUROSTAT, OECD, ILO, LFS, etc.). Thus, the main deliverable will include a compilation and documentation of secondary indicators focusing on the aggregation levels. The compilation will document the metadata of the indicators and its measurement (as a systematic and reliable way to manage data) including a report for potential difficulties and solutions in terms of international comparability across countries and datasets.

Contracting Partner: Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung (BIBB), Bonn (Germany)

Este proyecto diseña la escala de Especialización Lingüística del Trabajo (ELT) y asigna valores ELT a la totalidad de las ocupaciones clasificadas en los sistemas CNO-2011 (Clasificación Nacional de Ocupaciones en España); CIUO-2008 (Clasificación Internacional Uniforme de Ocupaciones) y SOC- 2010 (Clasificación Estándar de Ocupaciones en Estados Unidos).

El presente proyecto diseña la escala de Intensidad Lingüística del Trabajo (ILT) y asigna valores ILT a la totalidad de las ocupaciones clasificadas en los sistemas CNO-2011 (Clasificación Nacional de Ocupaciones en España); CIUO-2008 (Clasificación Internacional Uniforme de Ocupaciones) y SOC-2010 (Clasificación Estándar de Ocupaciones en Estados Unidos).

This project aims to explore the relationship between the system of vocational and educational training (VET) and the innovation processes developed by SMEs in Catalonia. The purpose of this project is to analyse the training on innovation carried out by VET centres, what are the innovation skills demanded by companies and what is the role of technical workers in the innovation processes of SMEs in Catalonia.

The goal lies in exploring the change in the identity of expatriates (organizational or not) following an international experience applying the Repertory grid of Kelly (1955).

Funded by Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Government of Spain

This project analyzes how language rationalization within business organizations shapes ethnic and gender relations. Language becomes a commodity and it is increasingly evaluated in economic terms. One notable aspect of globalization is the increasing importance of worker’s language skills and abilities. Language becomes a raw material in managerial programs. Decisions concern what language and what language properties and styles are essential to minimize transaction costs within the organization and to improve service quality and customer satisfaction. From a sociological approach, our main goal is to understand to what extent these processes of linguistic rationalization of work tend to reproduce social inequalities.

Funded by Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Government of Spain

The low level of intermediate skills, compared to OECD mean, and the predominance of small and medium scale companies (SMEs) in the industrial fabric are both important aspects of the Spanish economic model. Training and innovation (as well as relation between both of them) are part of the solution that has to be taken to respond to the current challenges. But how can this response be developed? How is it working nowadays training and innovation system? In which apects can them be improved? This project aims to com up with proposals to answer the previous questions.  

Funded by Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Goverment of Spain

This research project addresses the gender division of labour effects on the creation of spin-offs from universities. It aims to verify if differences found in self-employment by gender are the same in the creation of spin-offs and it wonders which role plays the university system in the production / reproduction of gender inequality.