Science-Shop at EHU shares the results of the academic year 2021/2022
Science-Shop is a new opportunity offered by the European Humanities University for the implementation of project activities in the field of civic engagement. The program is specifically aimed at delivering the projects by the students with the support of their teachers and supervisors within the training courses, as well as course and annual projects at EHU. What is important, research topics and project directions are proposed by civil society organizations and independent researchers, taking into account their real needs and requests. On behalf of EHU, Science-Shop is acting as an intermediary in the process of facilitating partnership contacts between academia and civil organizations, providing coordination and support for all participants involved in project activities. Thus, the goal of the program is consistent with the mission of the University — to support the development of civil society for students from Belarus and the region, through quality education, promoting European values and agility as a timely and adequate response to changes in external and internal social environments.
Partners and Implementation Plan
The Science-Shop partnership program was launched at Central European University (CEU) together with EHU with the support of the Open Society University Network (OSUN) in the 2021/2022 academic year. The program is aimed at project activities in the field of civil initiatives, and its objectives are:
- to strengthen ties between the academy and civic organizations in Belarus, Lithuania, Hungary and Austria;
- to research local civic initiatives in the context of current developments in civic engagement.
- to support and develop the practices of
- experiential learning, engaged and service learning, community-based teaching and learning, civic engagement, citizen science and participatory action research;
- to support the inter-institutional relations and exchange of experience between CEU and EHU in the framework of OSUN, as well as including the establishment of new academic contacts with other academic institutions to promote the activities of the universities aimed at the development of civil society.
During the 2021/2022 academic year, the Science-Shop partnership program facilitated 6 projects implemented at EHU with the participation of civil society organizations, as well as EHU students and faculty. In addition, in July 2022, the results of the partnership work between CEU and EHU with the support of OSUN were presented at the University of Groningen in the format of the workshop “Changing Role of Science-Shops in a Politically Charged Environment” at the Living Knowledge international conference, which brings together various projects implementing their activities according to the Science-Shop model.
In the 2022/2023 academic year, Science-Shop at EHU is planning to deliver a new stage of the program implementation and invites non-commercial Lithuanian civil society organizations, Belarusian civil organizations relocated to Lithuania, Poland and Georgia, as well as other civil society initiatives, cultural and educational platforms, and research centers, interested in cooperation, regardless of their location.
Projects of 2021/2022
The projects and internships below mark the first, pilot semester of the OSUN Science Shop at EHU. Following info-sessions targeting the university community and the local NGO landscape, we collected project ideas from faculty members and NGO representatives. Many faculty members were open to take in the community requests from civic society organizations and work on them with students. Based on discussions with NGOs, the following project ideas were selected and carried out during the Spring semester 2022.
Project 1: Digital solutions for online citizenship
Course: Digital Technologies and Law
Faculty: Inesa Stolper
Community partner: Meta-Belarus
Description of the project:
Together with Belarusian civil society organization “Meta-Belarus”, EHU students of the continuing education program “International Law and European Union Law” took the “Digital Technologies and Law” course led by Inessa Stolper. As part of the Science-Shop project, students have researched legal solutions for an online government, specifically — legal aspects of smart contracts and decentralized methods of dispute resolution on the example of the system “Kleros”. The focus of the study was on feasibility and risks connected with smart contracts which are a convenient technological solution for protecting online the rights of signees. Students researched the decentralized system of dispute resolution in cases when smart-contracts were not properly executed. The research topic of private decentralized systems that became a very popular tool to litigate commercial issues is of key importance to the civil society organization that requested this research support. This research will contribute to creating solutions for dealing with digital matters in society within a decentralized online court system.
According to the course faculty Inesa Stolper, “This Science-Shop project revived the whole academic course. Through participation in the project, students had an opportunity to explore issues that arise in practice and apply their academic knowledge to solve a “real life” problem. It gave an impetus to think about theoretical issues more deeply and critically, as well as to work in the group and gain valuable experience in the field.”
Project 2: Research on psychological support for Belarusians exiles
Course:Methodology of Media Research
Faculty: Andrei Vazyanau
Community partner: PsyVilnius
Description of the project:
Together with the Belarusian-Lithuanian civil society initiative “PsyVilnius”, currently implementing a research on psychological problems of relocation, Maryia Shkumayeva, participant of the course “Methodology of media studies” led by Andrei Vazyanau within the BA program “Media and Communication”, has researched the adaptation strategies and psychological needs of Belarusian exiles, as well as the availability, scope and effectiveness of psychological support. The student has collected data by conducting 10 interviews and polling 80 respondents to a questionnaire, subsequently processing and analyzing the results of this qualitative research. Also, a guide for qualitative interviews has been produced that can be used by the civil society organization in their work.
Maryia enthusiastically supports the continuation of the project during the next academic year: “This was my first research project of such a scope and importance. I plan to continue working with my research results during a summer school on digital media and social change, and would like to produce publication-ready material eventually. This Science-Shop project increased my interest in empirical research and I want to continue and extend my work into inclusive research in Belarusian context of political repressions.”
The course professor Andrei Vazyanau shared his experience: “I was especially pleased to participate in this format of collaboration between our students and public initiatives. This is not only because I myself combine research and activism, and also not only because communication with civil society is one of the priorities of EHU. Today, social science simply cannot afford to remain in its bubble of academic ivory-tower remaining purely theoretical: society demands that every university responds to its requests and concerns. As I see it, the future belongs to such collaborations between universities and civic society.”
Project 3: Card game on gender inequality
Course: Final projects internship for the students of the BA program “Visual Design”
Curators: Kseniya Shtalenkova and Natalya Mikhailova
Community partner: Lygių galimybių plėtros centras
Description of the project:
As part of their internship, EHU students of the BA program “Visual Design” assisted a Lithuanian civil society organization “Lygių galimybių plėtros centras” (Center for Equality Advancement) in preparing gender-neutral materials for a card game to be distributed in Lithuanian kindergartens. The intersection of gender inequality and disability has been researched and visualized by the students, the prototype has been tested in several kindergartens by the civil society organization in spring of 2022, with the final design materials produced and given to the civil society organization for use and distribution in kindergartens. With the agreement of the BA program “Visual Design” leads, the project was implemented directly through the mediation of Science-Shop at EHU between students and the civil organization.
Project 4: SMM materials against stigmatization
Course: Final projects internship for the students of the BA program “Visual Design”
Curators: Kseniya Shtalenkova and Natalya Mikhailova
Community partner: Rigra paramos fondas
Description of the project:
As part of their internship, EHU students of the BA program “Visual Design” produced social media marketing and corporate identity design materials for a Lithuanian civil society organization “Rigra paramos fondas” (Rigra support fund) that provides help for marginalized social groups, specifically people with drug addictions and people living with HIV/AIDS. The civil society organization aims to address the need for behavioral change towards stigmatized segments of population. Students have researched the visual design elements that are conducive for positive change in perception and created visual characters to embody the values of help and understanding. Also, a complete package of social media marketing materials has been produced for the civil society organization to use in their outreach and communication campaigns. With the agreement of the BA program “Visual Design” leads, the project was implemented directly through the mediation of Science-Shop at EHU between students and the civil organization.
Project 5: System of Visual Communication for the “PsyVilnius” initiative
Course: Final projects internship for the students of the BA program “Visual Design”
Curator: Kseniya Shtalenkova
Community partner: PsyVilnius
Description of the project:
In addition to the research on psychological support for Belarusian exiles in cooperation with the Belarusian-Lithuanian NGO “PsyVilnius”, EHU students of the BA program in Visual Design created a system of visual communication for the “PsyVilnius” initiative. At the moment “PsyVilnius” is going to publish the results of the research on its instagram account, so the student’s project was focused on logo rebranding, as well as on designing the templates for information posts and announcements related to the content of the research results, including case studies and the activities aimed at psychological support provided by the initiative.The project was finished at the beginning of May, 2022. With the agreement of the BA program “Visual Design” leads, the project was implemented directly through the mediation of Science-Shop at EHU between students and the civil organization.
Project 6: Research on minorities representations in Lithuanian media
Course: Media, communication, and discrimination
Curators: Andrei Vazyanau
Community partner: Lietuvos žmogaus teisių centras
Description of the project:
In response to a request from a Lithuanian civil society organization “Lietuvos žmogaus teisių centras” (Lithuanian Center for Human Rights), participants of the course “Media, communication, and discrimination” led by Andrei Vazyanau within the BA program “Media and Communication” researched media representations of vulnerable minorities. The civil society organization requested research support on the topic of anti-discrimination laws (especially Roma and Jewish minorities), as they plan to produce policy suggestions and legal basis for anti-discrimination legislation in Lithuania.
If you are interested in cooperation, please email us via: ehuscienceshop@ehu.lt
Contact persons
Kseniya Shtalenkova, Science-Shop manager at EHU
Natalya Mikhailova, Science-Shop coordinator at EHU