On May 28, 2021, under the Erasmus+ program, the mini-grant project “Cradle for Excellence in Social Sciences and Humanities — CROSS” from the Aurora Alliance was launched. Karazin University is an associate partner of the Aurora European Universities Alliance and is actively involved in the implementation of joint projects.

Project participants: Palacky University (Czech Republic), Leopold-Franz University of Innsbruck (Austria), University of Tetova (North Macedonia), V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University.

Main goal of CROSS project — to offer a platform for the exchange of knowledge of employees involved in project management of higher educational institutions in the field of social sciences and humanities, in order to increase the number of competitive proposals submitted to excellence competitions at all universities participating in the alliance.

The platform will study effective practices of researchers' interaction as a tool for cross-socialization outside certain academic structures. It is designed to offer the alliance participants seminars and supporting materials for preparing project proposals by teams of higher educational institutions.

Target audience: scientists, participants of doctoral and postdoctoral programs, master's students.

The aim of the project is:

1. to involve outstanding researchers in the field of social sciences and humanities through the platform;
2. to raise awareness of the positions of MSCA postdoctoral fellowships in the Aurora network;
3. to create a database of potential leaders;
4. to facilitate contacts for participation in MSCA staff exchange projects, grants of ERC Synergy, Twinning and Teaming for Excellence.

Project objectives:

• to initiate cooperation between prominent young researchers in the field of social sciences and humanities;
• to increase interest in MSCA postdoctoral fellowships in the field of social sciences and humanities of the Aurora network;
• to promote the development of cooperation between well-known leading researchers in the field of social sciences and humanities;
• to initiate cooperation and knowledge sharing between grant applicants support teams in the development of excellence in social sciences and humanities in accordance with Component 1 of the Horizon Europe program and the section "Widening participation and spreading excellence".

Expected results of the CROSS project:

• three one-day thematic workshops for researchers,
• collective manual "How to write a competitive project proposal at higher educational institutions in the field of social sciences and humanities step-by-step",
• review and evaluation of strategic measures for stimulating the creation of project proposals in social sciences and humanities at higher educational institutions.

Project manager: Oleksandr KHYZHNIAK, Head of the International Relations Office.

Project coordinator: Olena MASHYNTSOVA, Project Manager, International Programs and Academic Mobility Department, International Relations Office.