Webinar on BESPOC implementation at Kaunas University of Technology

Important | 2023-11-27

On Friday (24 November), the LibOCS project partners hosted a webinar with Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) to discuss the possibilities of implementing the BESPOC (Broad Engagement in Science, Point of Contact) modules at KTU, a prototype for higher education institutions aiming to promote citizen science activities and public engagement. This initiative follows the foundations laid by another KTU project, TIME4CS. The workshop marks an important step in the LibOCS KTU team’s journey to consolidate institutional support for its citizen science initiatives.

A diverse group of KTU researchers and managers actively participated in the workshop discussion: members of the Library, Research and Innovation Projects Centre, the Department of Research Affairs, the Doctoral School, the National Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre, and the Faculty of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts.

Highlights of the seminar:

Nine BESPOC modules were discussed in detail. The meeting delved into all BESPOC modules, including the Activity Portal, the Community Builder, the Gateway to Society and Citizen Science Communication, in order to increase the reach and effectiveness of KTU citizen science initiatives.
Colleagues from KTU provided an overview of KTU citizen science projects, while LibOCS project partners stressed the need for a strong support structure, transparency and effective communication, all of which can be achieved through the BESPOC model.
Discussions focused on the role of citizen science in building and strengthening communities, promoting research transparency and establishing clear roles and partnership frameworks for successful projects.
The project partners shared experiences and practices from other BESPOC implementation activities developed in 4 other Baltic universities.

The second LibOCS and KTU team workshop will take place on 6 December, where participants will focus on the BESPOC modules identified as priorities in the first workshop – Gateway to Society, Specific Reearch Communication, and Citizen Science Templates.