"While we were doing group work in the Staff Week in Oslo, we developed an idea for a blended, interdisciplinary study programme, based on the Olympic Games. We did not know each other from before, but suddenly we were discussing this in a break, in French! We decided to try to make this happen – the rest is history," says Zuma Trocellier, project lead from Université Paris Cité.
King’s College and Aarhus University are the other partners in the team.
Lecture series and four days in Paris
"The Circle U’lympics, warm up for Paris 2024" project consists of two parts. First an interdisciplinary online lecture series from January to March 2024, followed by a short period of mobility in Paris in April.
The online lectures, open to all students across Circle U., will be delivered by colleagues from the partner universities, and will cover a wide range of topics, for example the ecological impact of hosting an international sporting event, links between sport and genetics, sports science and nutrition. The mobility will be open to five students from each of the eight Circle U. partner universities, in addition to 40 students from Paris.
"Inspired by the bottom-up approaches we learnt about in Oslo, and the success of MOOCs and TED talks, our project will deliver an academic experience that is intellectually rigorous and inclusive by design. We also plan to prioritise students who may not otherwise have the opportunity to take part in a mobility programme when selecting students for the trip to Paris," says Trocellier.
Create ties
She says the aims for the project are to familiarise students with the world of Olympic and Paralympic sport, share knowledge and perspectives relating to the sports science disciplines, and develop critical thinking and analytical skills while encouraging exchange and collaboration between the diverse institutions and European universities in Circle U.
"We hope that this will be a project that will help create ties between both students and academics around a common a theme and event that everybody knows. With both academic content and a physical meeting around sports, we hope to offer an engaging type of event that could serve as a model for future types of Circle U. projects/events. By involving students who have competed in the Olympics, and some also winning medals, we hope to inspire our communities and learn what it takes to succeed, among others," says Trocellier.
Ground-breaking book
The other project is not about a roaring summer in 2024, but centers around a silent spring. 60 years ago Rachel Carson published her ground-breaking book “Silent Spring”, which is widely recognized as one of the most influential science books ever.
"The publication of "Silent Spring" had two main consequences: the changes in environmental policies and the exposure of a female writer, firstly highly dismissed both as a biologist and as woman, to be finally honoured for her work," says Claudia Pisuttu, project lead from the University of Pisa.
The project SEGRETI is a multisession online workshop to celebrate Carson and her most famous literary work. The workshop will investigate different scientific contents from an agronomic, ecological and biological/health point of view and social issues concerning gender equality and its bearing in the achievement of sustainable democracies.
Aarhus University and University of Belgrade are also in on the project.
Gender disparity
“As students and young researchers in science, me and my colleagues wanted to find a useful, easy and accessible tool to discuss about sustainability from multiple angles – moving from a strictly biological/ecological point of view to a social and inclusive one. Additionally, as women, we also needed to find a space to express all the issues and hopes related to the gender disparity. Carson’s book represent the link between these two points and since in 2022 there was the 60 years’ anniversary, it was natural to celebrate it,” says Pisuttu.
Three parts
The blended workshop is divided into three parts: Session 1 will focus on advances in sustainability of agricultural and productive processes; session 2 explores the use of agrochemicals through history, while session 3 will give an overview of significant figures and challenges for women scientists.
Horizontal segregation of women (often referred to as the limited opportunities for one gender in certain occupations) will be studied both as a phenomenon causing disparity and discrimination, but also as a loss of voices and views that limits science, depriving scientific research and policies of women’s approaches.
“The project will foster connections between the Circle U. partners in developing strategies and research projects to sustain the green transition in the frame of new European and global policies and Agenda 2030,” concludes Pisuttu.
Circle U. Seed Funding Scheme
The objective of the Circle U. seed funding scheme is to foster new collaborations across institutions in the Circle U. alliance. It is a mechanism that provides academic and research staff and students with opportunities to develop projects across the alliance, to strengthen the alliance and to drive bottom-up initiatives.