Exploring joint possibilities within Europe with ID4H Community coordinators

Mobility, exchange and collaboration opportunities are growing rapidly at EELISA. But in the midst of this moment of acceleration, we believe it’s important to capture the vision and experience of each and every person who is making that growth possible.

On this occasion, we look back to December 2022, when EELISA Community Industrial Design for Human (ID4H) members and coordinators Piera Maresca and Òscar O. Santos-Sopena participated in an event to promote the collaboration with ERASMUS+ KA103 Staff Mobility for Training programs.

By sharing their expectations, experience and views, the ID4H community members, along with the EELISA Academic & Scientific Board, had the chance to gather at Universitatea Politehnica din București and discuss possible initiatives in which students, professors, and researchers from both institutions could be involved to continue spreading the mission of EELISA, as well as the mission of its respective communities.

Read more about Òscar and Piera’s experience in Bucharest in the following co-written article:

Our initial goal as Vice-Dean of International Relations and Associate Director for Students Affairs, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation at Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería y Diseño Industrial (ETSIDI) and both members of the coordination team of the EELISA Industrial Design for Human (ID4H) community, was to promote collaboration within the framework of Erasmus programs that are aligned with the general objectives of the European alliance EELISA and it specific of the ID4H community. Thus, being able to talk, learn about, and prepare new joint and participatory initiatives in which students, professors, and researchers from both institutions can be involved.

Thanks to the flexibility and integrating nature of the EELISA alliance, we have been able to share experiences more organically and diversely, since we have been able to listen and share ideas together with the EELISA Academic & Scientific Board. This made the experience even more enriching, and thus acquired new organizational skills thanks to active participation in their program.

We emphasize that the sharing of these days led us to understand from a broader perspective what the challenges of the alliance are. And thus, be able to continue developing our work within the community and promote collaboration and teamwork, knowing first-hand where the EELISA alliance is going. In addition, we were able to learn what the future strategic lines are to combine experiences and efforts inside and outside the communities.

In this way, we were able to open our minds to be able to continue developing our work as active members of the community and the alliance to be able to create joint degree programs, attractive initiatives for students, and new possibilities for joint research proposals where financing and the spirit of European identity/community are essential.

Piera Maresca, Vice-Dean of International Relations

Òscar O. Santos-Sopena, Associate Director for Students Affairs, Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería y Diseño Industrial (ESTIDI), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid

More about Piera

Dr. Piera Maresca is an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical, Chemical, and Industrial Design Engineering at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. She is a courses coordinator for several Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree programs in Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering.

Currently, she is the Vice-dean of International Affairs at Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería y Diseño Industrial of the UPM and a member of the EELISA Industrial Design for Human Community.

More about Òscar

Dr. Santos-Sopena holds a Ph.D. in Spanish Language, Literature, and Culture – Comparative and Cultural Studies from University of Maryland – College Park, and a Certificate in Arts Administration from New York University (NYU).

Òscar organizes internacional and educational programs, coordinates cultural events, and designs communication, social media and digital marketing strategies to promote several international students services and arts management initiatives.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ID4H EELISA COMMUNITY HERE.