Faculty of Architecture and Engineering
Public Value Capture of Increasing Property Values
Duration: 27/08/2018 - 26/08/2022
Epoka University Cost Participant: Julinda Keçi
Short Description:
The shortage of financial resources is a Europe-wide problem. Coming out of the economic and financial crisis, countries as well as municipalities have decreasing means to fulfil all their public commitments. For this reason, the main aim of this COST Action is the development of a common framework for value capturing and the provision of innovative tools for public value capture based on comparative analysis to optimize the allocation of development costs and benefits as well as to disencumber the public budget. While a considerable database exists, it nonetheless shows big gaps in the data and in some cases disagreement between sources of data. Because of the different terms of unearned increments and classifications of value capture it is not possible to compare different studies of several countries. This gives strength to the idea of approaching the European Union for a study based on a network of specialist country representatives to get a common terminology and classification. A very important result will be the implementation of a permanent Europe-wide network of land management experts to interchange the knowledge concerning public value capture and its dissemination to policymakers and the general public. This network allows the improvement of existing tools by detailed discussions with experts of countries that have similar tools. On the other hand, thought-provoking impulses can be given by countries that have a totally different understanding of value capture. Participants from more than 20 countries are willing to work for the socio-economic breakthrough of public value capture.
MULTI-modal Imaging of FOREnsic Science Evidence - tools for Forensic Science
Duration: 2/3/2017 - 01/03/2021
Epoka University Cost Participant: Dr. Arban Uka
Short Description:
The main objective of this Action, entitled ‘MULTI-modal Imaging of FOREnsic SciEnce Evidence (MULTI-FORESEE)- tools for Forensic Science’, is to promote innovative, multi-informative, operationally deployable, and commercially exploitable imaging solutions/technology to analyze forensic evidence. Forensic evidence includes, but not limited to, fingermarks, hair, paint, biofluids, digital evidence, fibers, documents and living individuals. Imaging technologies include optical, mass spectrometric, spectroscopic, chemical, physical, and digital forensic techniques complemented by expertise in IT solutions and computational modelling. Imaging technologies enable multiple physical and chemical information to be captured in one analysis, from one 'specimen', with information being more easily conveyed and understood for a more rapid exploitation. The ‘enhanced’ value of the evidence gathered will be conducive to much more informed investigations and judicial decisions thus contributing to both savings to the public purse and to a speedier and stronger criminal justice system. Lack of knowledge sharing, standardized protocols and communication between Academia, End Users and industry has been a barrier to translational science in this field; the Action will use the unique networking and capacity-building capabilities provided by the COST framework to bring together their knowledge and expertise; this is paramount to engage in a synergistic approach to boost imaging technological developments, allowing scientifically sound, highly reliable and multi-informative intelligence to be provided to investigators, prosecutors and defense. COST support is crucial to conquer the challenge on short term basis and to provide a legacy to Europe to advance knowledge for the deployment of cutting edge, innovative and implementable imaging forensic science.
International Interdisciplinary Network on Smart Healthy Age-friendly Environments
Duration: 21/10/2020- 20/10/2024
Epoka University Cost Participant: Dr. Odeta Manahasa
Short Description:
To promote social inclusion, independent living and active and healthy ageing in society, the NET4AGE-FRIENDLY COST Action will establish an international and interdisciplinary network of researchers and stakeholders from all sectors. Its aim is to foster awareness, and to support the creation and implementation of smart, healthy indoor and outdoor environments for present and future generations. NET4AGE-FRIENDLY further aims to overcome fragmentation and critical gaps at both conceptual and pragmatic innovation level on responsive, age-friendly and sustainable environments to address European research and policy challenge.
Public Value Capture of Increasing Property Values
Duration: 27/08/2018 - 26/08/2022
Epoka University Cost Participant: Dr. Julinda Keçi
Short Description:
The main aim of this COST Action is the development of a common framework for value capturing and the provision of innovative tools for public value capture based on comparative analysis to optimize the allocation of development costs and benefits as well as to disencumber the public budget. A very important result will be the implementation of a permanent Europe-wide network of land management experts to interchange the knowledge concerning public value capture and its dissemination to policymakers and the general public. This network allows the improvement of existing tools by detailed discussions with experts of countries that have similar tools. On the other hand, thought-provoking impulses can be given by countries that have a totally different understanding of value capture.
Building on scientific literacy in evolution towards scientifically responsible Europeans
Duration: September 2018-September 2022
Epoka University Cost Participant: Dr. Anna Yunitsyna
Short Description:
As citizens, we are confronted with a deluge of information and misinformation from the internet and the mass media. Scientific literacy, i.e. the ability to critically evaluate, apply and understand scientific knowledge and how it is produced, is therefore vital for responsible citizenship. It is a prerequisite for generating a knowledge-based society and for allowing citizens to make informed decisions. One of the most important fields of science is evolution, the foundation of modern biology. Evolutionary biology has great societal relevance and its findings have far-reaching implications for how we respond to climate change, drug resistance, issues of food security and controversies in modern medicine. However, it is frequently misunderstood or even rejected outright. This makes scientific literacy in evolution an ideal model to research approaches to improve the state of European scientific literacy. This Action will, for the first time, leverage the strengths of diverse stakeholders (evolutionary biologists, education researchers, educators, museum professionals and the media) to generate and analyse approaches used to improve public scientific literacy. Bridging differences in culture and education systems including participants from a wide range of countries and backgrounds is a source of innovation in itself. The expected result is to identify targeted strategies to raise levels of scientific literacy in Europe, thereby maximising Europe’s innovation potential. The Action will contribute to a culture of responsible, research and innovation (RRI) and will result in a more scientifically literate European citizenship, instrumental to implementing Europe 2020’s smart, sustainable and inclusive goals.
International Interdisciplinary Network on Smart Healthy Age-friendly Environments
Duration: 21/10/2020- 20/10/2024
Epoka University Cost Participant: Dr Fabio Naselli
Short Description:
To promote social inclusion, independent living and active and healthy ageing in society, the NET4AGE-FRIENDLY COST Action will establish an international and interdisciplinary network of researchers and stakeholders from all sectors. Its aim is to foster awareness and support the creation and implementation of smart, healthy indoor and outdoor environments for present and future generations. NET4AGE-FRIENDLY further aims to overcome fragmentation and critical gaps at both conceptual and pragmatic innovation levels on responsive, age-friendly and sustainable environments to address European research and policy challenges.
Natural Flood Retention on Private Land
Duration: 23/06/2017- 13/09/2021
Epoka University Cost Participant: Dr. Artan Hysa
Short Description:
The challenge is to consider multifunctional land uses, which enable temporary flood retention and flood storage on private land without restricting the provision of other ecosystem services. The reconciliation of flood risk management and land management is needed. Since all NWRM primarily need to be implemented on private land the consideration of multiple aspects includes economic issues (e.g. how to compensate for or incentivize flood retention services); property rights issues (e.g. how to allow temporary flood storage on private land); issues of public participation (e.g. how to ensure the involvement of private landowners) as well as issues of public subsidies (e.g. how to integrate/mainstream flood retention in agricultural subsidies). LAND4FLOOD cost action aims to address these different aspects and to establish a common knowledge base and channels of communication among scientists, regulators, landowners and other stakeholders in field.
Underground Built Heritage as catalyser for Community Valorisation
Duration: 09/04/2019-08/04/2023
Epoka University Cost Participant: Dr. Artan Hysa
Short Description:
The proposal will establish and implement an expert network, aiming at promoting balanced and sustainable approaches for the conservation of the underground heritage and, at the same time, realizing the potential of underground space in urban and rural areas for regeneration policies. The experts will be organized in three working groups: 1. Underground space conservation and monitoring; 2. underground Heritage-Led urban and rural regeneration; 3. Planning and governance tools. Each expert will share best-practices, by reporting on governance mechanisms, planning framework, stakeholders’ involvement management, financing mechanisms, technical needs, and their direct impacts on the underground built environment preservation, environment, society and economy, as well as potential negative externalities. Collected information will be the basis for developing new research and training, open and accessible to all parties interested in the underground regeneration, and it will provide knowledge on main technical and organizational barriers to the underground regeneration and correlated solutions.
