Barcelona Hosts Another Working Week of the ELA4ATTRACT Project
Last January, from the 20th to the 23rd, the ELA4ATTRACT project team met once more, in Barcelona at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), for an intensive working week focused on facilitating co-creation and accelerating the project’s progress.
The first day was dedicated to the Project Committee Meeting, where members assessed progress, reflected on the objectives for 2025, and mapped the next steps. Over the following three days, hands-on sessions focused on refining and testing key project outputs, particularly the Catalogue of Tools and Best Practices for Attracting, Admitting, Retaining and Empowering STEM Students in Higher Education, which will soon be accessible to professionals in the field, and anyone interested in STEM education and engagement.
The team also had the opportunity to exchange insights with experts tackling diverse topics directly impacting STEM student attraction and retention. Discussions included an in-depth look at the Prometeus program, which supports students from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds in Barcelona accessing and completing higher education. Additionally, marketing and communication specialists from UPC shared their expertise emerging from the comprehensive outreach strategies implemented by the institution.
The week culminated in a Roundtable on STEM Outreach Challenges, where professionals from academia, industry, and the public sector explored diverse perspectives on fostering STEM interest across different educational levels.
Beyond advancing project goals, this week provided a valuable space for collaboration, inspiration, and knowledge exchange, ensuring that ELA4ATTRACT continues to evolve towards a greater impact in the STEM ecosystem.
Coordinated by Técnico Lisboa and co-funded by the European Union, ELA4ATTRACT is a Capacity Building in Higher Education Project with 12 partners from Europe and Latin America. The project seeks to share knowledge and best practices to attract more students into STEM fields, with an emphasis on addressing the gender imbalance typically observed in these areas.
For more information, visit the project’s official webpage at ela4attract.com.