Fair Future

Established approaches to diversity management can no longer adequately reflect the lives of stakeholders (Bapuji et al., 2020; Ellingrud et al., 2020). For this reason, the Fair Future project aims to generate a follow-up project on a European level that will initiate a paradigm shift in diversity management throughout Europe. A focus will be placed on strengthening cooperation with excellent researchers from the new EU member states (Central and Southeastern Europe) as well as on cooperation with regional and supra-regional stakeholders. Thereby, the project aims on the one hand to provide these researchers with access to the European research area and on the other hand to ensure a reciprocal transfer of knowledge during each project phase. The initial network of the project will be expanded in the first funding phase through the relationships of the members and at conferences in order to achieve these goals. The network will be consolidated through joint participation in conferences as well as bilateral and multilateral meetings. Additionally, the transfer channels of the participating universities as well as the structures for consortium building and initiation of European research projects are used (e.g., Era-Net). Also, the active role of the HS Osnabrück in FHNet (BMBF), the EU Liaison Office (in close networking with the NCPs) as well as the leading role of the HS Osnabrück in a consortium for the initiation of internships in the Balkans (Erasmus+) are included.

To prepare the proposal for the follow-up project, a relevant Horizon Europe Call will be identified in funding phase 1. Simultaneously, predictors and contexts will be explored in close collaboration of the scientific and practice-oriented local and national partners in order to establish an interdisciplinary and internationally applicable framework model for the challenges of the Corona pandemic. Furthermore, a digital knowledge transfer platform (for collecting research results, sharing documents and ideas on the calls, having a chat function) will be established to provide a structure for the exchange in the network, the participation of the different partners in practice and the coordination of the proposal process. The platform will also be used for communication and transfer in the planned EU project. After identifying a call in the first funding phase, the consortium will select five key members who will take on leading functions in the future EU project. The key members will support the project management in particular with regard to the design of the research concept and will promote the expansion of the project group through their distinguished networks.

On the basis of the preliminary work and structures from the first funding phase, the expertise of the research and transfer partners will be cumulated in at least one joint research outline in the second funding phase. This follow-up project will aim, depending on the respective call, to empirically verify effects of the diversity management in Western, Eastern and Southern Europe, to develop evidence-based, innovative solution approaches for the current challenges and to make these approaches available for companies, public institutions and NGOs. On the one hand, this project provides access for excellent researchers to the European research area, and, on the other hand, the development of recommendations for action in the context of a reciprocal transfer process is ensured by the strong involvement of the practice partners. Simultaneously, the project enables intensive and long-term cooperation between researchers and local stakeholders in Western, Central and Southeastern Europe and thus strengthens the development of the potential for innovation in Europe in the medium term.

The Project Partners are:

Prof. Dr. Dagmar Cagáňová from the Technical University of Slovakia (Slovakia)

Prof. Dr. Daniela Spirkova from the Technical University of Slovakia (Slovakia)

Prof. Dr. Alexandra Halkias from the Panteion University (Greece)

Prof. Dr. Aija Klavina from the Latvian Academy of Sports and Educational Sciences (Latvia)

Prof. Dr. Tetyana Kryvosheia from the Mechnikov University Odessa (Ukraine)

Prof. Dr. Dragan Stanojevic from the University of Belgrade (Serbia)

Prof. Dr. Gabriela Marchis from the Danubius University of Galati (Romania)

Prof. Dr. Jolanta Pivoriene from the Mykolas Romeris, University Vilnius (Lithuania)

Prof. Dr. József Poór from the Szent Istvan University Gödöllö (Hungary)

Dr. Andrea Visztenvelt from the Szent Istvan University Gödöllö (Hungary)

Prof. Dr. Martina Rastikova Mendel from the University in Brno (Czech Republic)

Prof. Dr. Sebastian Saniuk from the University of Zielona Gora (Poland)

Prof. Dr. Anna Saniuk from the University of Zielona Gora (Poland)

Prof. Dr. Robert Stefko from the University of Presov (Slovakia)

Prof. Dr. Mihaela Vancea from the Pompeu Fabra University (Spain)

Prof. Dr. Merita Xhumari from the University of Tirana (Albania)