NEOLAiA

Objectives

NEOLAiA (Transforming Regions for an Inclusive Europe) is a European Universities Alliance selected under the 2023 European Universities call. Out of more than 30 consortia participating in the call, only seven were selected for funding.

The Alliance is the result of a joint commitment by its nine partner universities, led by the University of Jaén in preparing the project proposal. The collaboration aims to develop a shared institutional strategy and sustainable cooperation structures, with a long-term perspective.

During its initial four-year period, NEOLAiA aims to strengthen cooperation among the partner universities by developing new governance and coordination mechanisms and promoting an open, inclusive and interconnected European university model.

Its main objectives include:

• developing innovative approaches to teaching and learning;
• promoting interdisciplinary research and collaboration among universities;
• supporting entrepreneurship and innovation;
• fostering diversity, inclusion and intercultural dialogue;
• promoting multilingualism and participatory European citizenship;
• strengthening the relationship between universities and their regions, with particular attention to non-metropolitan areas;
• accelerating digital transformation and the sustainability of university activities.

Activities and Technologies

NEOLAiA’s work programme is structured into ten Work Packages (WPs), which define the Alliance’s main areas of activity and cooperation.

These activities cover, among other areas, management and coordination, mobility, teaching and learning, research and regional impact, entrepreneurship, diversity and inclusion, interculturalism, multilingualism, digital transformation and dissemination of results.

Particular attention is devoted to Open Science and Open Data through Work Package 8 – Adopting and Sustaining Open Science.

In this area, initiatives are promoted to make research results more accessible, enhance the value of open data produced by partner universities, and encourage the sharing of scientific knowledge and resources.

Collaboration

NEOLAiA brings together nine European universities:

• University of Jaén (Spain), coordinator of the Alliance;
• University of Salerno (Italy);
• University of Bielefeld (Germany);
• University of Nicosia (Cyprus);
• University of Ostrava (Czech Republic);
• University of Örebro (Sweden);
• University of Tours (France);
• Stefan cel Mare University of Suceava (Romania);
• Šiauliai State University of Applied Social Sciences (Lithuania).

The University of Salerno participates in the Alliance by contributing to joint activities and international cooperation initiatives. The scientific representative for UNISA is Vittorio Scarano.

Results

NEOLAiA aims to consolidate a European university network capable of generating long-lasting benefits for partner universities and their respective regions.

Expected results include:

• sustainable governance and cooperation structures;
• new opportunities for mobility and international cooperation;
• innovative teaching pathways and joint educational initiatives;
• interdisciplinary research projects;
• greater participation of local communities;
• wider adoption of Open Science and Open Data practices;
• stronger inclusion and a stronger European dimension within universities.

The initiative has total funding of €14,398,401, of which €1,585,254 is allocated to the University of Salerno.

Resources and Links

NEOLAiA Portal and UNISA Initiatives

Visit the NEOLAiA page at the University of Salerno to learn about the team, partners, project activities and updates on European cooperation.

Open Science and Open Data

The NEOLAiA Open Science Portal presents the Open Science and Open Data activities carried out by partner universities under Work Package 8 – Adopting and Sustaining Open Science.

The portal includes articles, updates and insights based on datasets published in the NEOLAiA Open Data Repository, providing a transparent overview of research results and the Alliance’s collaborative initiatives.

A dedicated WP8 page is also available on the official NEOLAiA website.