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Our expert, Msc. Enis Sokoli from CCIS, participated in a Short-Term Scientific Mission (STSM) in Porto, Portugal. This mission aimed to foster collaboration between civil society and the industry sector under the COST Action on Intergovernmental Coordination from Local to European Governance CA 20123. Mr. Sokoli and SME Prodigy Proper Consulting representatives visited the municipalities of Vila Nova de Gaia and Santa Maria da Feira, meeting with key officials.

The mission’s primary goals included forming specialized collaboration teams, creating a joint task force, engaging contributors like Knowledge Transfer Offices, and facilitating personnel exchanges. These efforts aimed to build trust, enhance governance structures, and promote sustainable partnerships and development.

CCIS’s participation in research networks like COST Action is crucial for accessing expertise, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, influencing policy, and enhancing capacity building. This involvement ensures civil society voices are represented in decision-making processes, contributing to societal development and innovation.

We at CCIS are proud of our involvement in many COST Actions and our ongoing contributions to these initiatives.

The CCIS project team is highly proactive in promoting and disseminating the impactful work done as a one of the partners in implementing Erasmus+ projects. Recently, thanks to the invitation of prof Valentina D. Ndou the team participated in the International Workshop “Promoting and Facilitating Collaborative Virtual International Learning in the Western Balkans’ Higher Education Institutions,” organized by Università del Salento, Lecce, Italy, from July 3-5, 2025 Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell’Innovazione – UniSalento.

This workshop, part of the COWEB Erasmus+ CBHE EU-funded project coordinated from EPOKA University, aims to build capacities in Western Balkan Higher Education Institutions by implementing strategies that promote digital transformation in education. Similarly, the Digitcreshe project, another Erasmus+ initiative coordinated from Porto University, Portugal involving CCIS as one of the partner, focuses on improving the quality of Higher Education programs for the Creative and Cultural Industries in the Western Balkan countries through digital transformation.

The #digitcreshe project aims to create physical facilities, such as Creative Labs, in Western Balkan HEIs to support various educational activities. CCIS had the opportunity to visit the #unisalento #creativehub as the Università del Salento is one of the leaders in establishing Creative Hubs.

#digitcreshe project will develop a virtual learning and collaborative platform to foster a common educational approach in the Western Balkans, similar to COWEB’s goal of designing course content that enhances 21st-century skills and competencies.

Participating in this workshop provided a valuable opportunity for CCIS to share and disseminate the successes and challenges of the DIGITCRESHE project with colleagues from the COWEB – Virtual Collaborative Learning in the WB HEIs

This dissemination activity aligns with one of DIGITCRESHE’s objectives to promote a shared online learning platform, serving as a foundation for establishing a network of academic institutions in the creative industries.