Link Campus University is an Italian high education institution located in Rome. It has an international vocation both in teaching and in research activities. LCU researchers involved in GEMINI belong to Link LAB, the Social Research Centre within which a permanent research unit focused on Italian young adults – namely “Generazione Proteo” – is established. Since 2012, “Generazione Proteo” realises an annual research report which analyses young adults’ attitudes, behaviours, opinions on different topics and issues (political engagement, cultural consumptions, models and values, social relations, education, etc.). LCU serves as GEMINI project manager, leading WP1 and WP3 and participating in all other WPs.

Marica Spalletta is Associate Professor in Communication and Media Sociology and scientific manager of Link LAB (Social Research Centre). Director of several funded research projects (national and international) aimed at analysing the effects of media representations (journalism, advertising, public service communication, political communication, TV series) on the development of audiences’ opinions and behaviours.

Valentina Re is Full Professor of Film and Media Studies with extensive expertise as PI, Communication Manager and Co-Investigator in research projects funded by the EU and the Italian Ministry of University. Her main research interests include transmedia narratology, online TV in the European context, European TV dramas, and gender identities in European popular culture.

Nicola Ferrigni is Associate Professor of Sociology and scientific director of “Generazione Proteo”, the LCU permanent research unit focused on studying Italian young adults. Previously, scientific director in Eurispes (Italian Institute for political, economic and social studies) and manager of the National Report on childhood and adolescence (Eurispes/Telefono Azzurro).

Antonio Opromolla is Adjunct Professor in “Visual and Digital Media Culture” and “Digital Transformation”. He is responsible for research projects oriented to digital transformation processes in public services and city environments (e.g.: LINKS H2020 project). His research topics are oriented to the study of innovative processes for civic engagement.

Maria Elena D’Amelio is Associate Professor in Film and Media Studies at the University of San Marino, where she teaches “Media Studies” and “Gender and Media”. Beside her academic work in media and gender studies, she has developed a wide expertise in Higher Ed internationalisation practices, especially related to small states. She is the Rector’s Delegate for International Affairs.

Paola De Rosa is Research Assistant in Communication and Media Sociology and Adjunct Professor in “Sociology” and “Public Communication”. Member of the LCU research unit within the H2020 DETECt (Detecting Transcultural Identity in European Popular Crime Narratives). Her research focuses on the interplay between media narratives and their effects on publics.

Loretta Dell’Aguzzo is Assistant Professor in Political Science at Link Campus University, Rome. She received her PhD in Political Science from the Italian Institute of Human Sciences in Florence in 2013. From 2015 to 2021 she has been a Research Fellow at the University of Florence. Her research focuses on comparative authoritarianism, democratic transitions, state-society relations and ethnic conflicts. She is currently working on a project on academic gender equality in the Middle East and North Africa.

Gianluigi Rossini is Adjunct professor in “Forms and Languages of TV Series” and “Serial Universes” at the University of Teramo. His main research interests and publications are mainly in the fields of television studies, production studies, serial narration, and transmedia narratology. Besides his academic work, he is columnist for «Sole 24 ore».

Fondazione Centro Studi Villa Montesca has a longstanding experience in projects on education and training students and teachers. It has strong partnerships with schools and other educational organisations as well as a solid background in research-action activities, fostering critical thinking, diversity as a value and innovation from the pedagogical and didactic point of view. FCSVM leads work package 4 and contributes to WP1, WP2, WP5 and WP6. It hosts the final project conference in Rome in December 2024.

Fabrizio Bodrini is Scientific Director of FCSVM and holds key qualifications in education and new technologies, e-learning, coordination and management of professional training project implementation. He has profound knowledge of EU law and policies, development and technical assistance for projects in local development. He is the author of papers on education and on the experimentation of innovative teaching methods in schools.

Maria Rita Bracchini is Head of the EU Cooperation Unit at FCSVM. She is an expert in project management, coordination of transnational projects (Erasmus+, H2020, AMIF, REC, Justice and DG ECHO supported projects), monitoring and evaluation, ECVET recognition and validation. She is also a Euro project writer, a Funding Manager and an External evaluator of EU funded projects. She is the Deputy President of EAN (European Antibullying Network).

Valeria Puletti graduated with honours in International Relations. She has a decade of experience as a EU project manager in the educational field from VET to high education.

Virginia Marconi has a degree in Communication of International Institutions, including a specialization course for expert in supporting the active European citizenship. She is a researcher of the EU Projects and Training Unit at FCSVM, and has expertise in planning, management and implementation of European research projects, and communication with European partners.

University of Algarve is an R&D and innovation-committed higher education institution. It has extensive experience in coordinating several projects within Erasmus+ and other EU Programmes. In 2020, University of Algarve was awarded a prize for top quality research, technology transfer, and internationalisation. UAlg leads work package 2 and contribute to all other WP’s.

Joana Vieira dos Santos is Assistant Professor at the University of Algarve.  She has a PhD in Organisational Psychology.  She was appointed by the Rectorate to join the team developing the inclusive gender equality plans for UAlg. Her expertise centres on quantitative methodologies. As a member of the GEMINI team, she is responsible for WP2.

Alexandra Gomes is a psychologist and assistant professor. She is an external expert in school external evaluation. Her main strengths and skills are in research methodology and data analysis, both quantitative and qualitative approaches. She is an expert in intervention evaluation approaches. As a member of the GEMINI team, she is responsible for evaluating the impact of interventions in the school context.

Sérgio Vieira is a psychologist and Assistant Professor. He is a researcher in the fields of positive psychological development, education, career, work, and dwell-being. He is an external expert of the Direção-Geral da Educação and Inspeção-Geral da Educação e Ciência of the Ministry of Education. He has experience in evaluating interventions in the school context. In GEMINI, he consultant for innovative pedagogical measures in school contexts.

Gabriela Gonçalves is a psychologist and Assistant Professor. She is the former vice-director of the Faculty, chair of the Pedagogical Council, Director of the Masters in Human Resources Management, and vice-director of the Masters in Occupational Health and Safety. She is the co-author of several national and international publications.

Alexandre Condeças is a research grant holder associated with the GEMINI project. He has a master’s degree in Social Work and Organisational Psychology, with experience in psychological indicators in the study of gender issues. He is currently studying for a doctorate in psychology.

Aalborg University is a Danish high education institution with a decade-long history of internationally renowned research. AAU researchers in GEMINI all belong to the Department of Culture and Learning, which means that AAU provides excellent expertise in learning activities, including close collaboration with teachers’ associations and media institutions in Denmark and the Nordic region. AAU’s main obligations in GEMINI are communication and dissemination activities, and research activities within media production research and text analysis.

Kim Toft Hansen is Associate professor in Media Studies with broad expertise as PI, WP-leader, and co-investigator in research projects funded by the Independent Research Fund Denmark, Horizon 2020, and The North Denmark Region. His main research interests are Nordic TV production, TV crime series, spatial identity construction, young adult dramas, and European difference discourses.

Louise Brix Jacobsen is Associate professor in Media Studies with main research expertise within Scandinavian TV series and identity construction, fake news, and media hoaxing. She has extensive experience in supervising university students’ work on mediated gender identities and expertise in knowledge exchange and collaboration with practitioners such as high school students and teachers.

Camilla Møller Olesen was Research assistant with the Aalborg team until December 2023. Camilla Møller Olesen holds an MA in Danish from Aalborg University, and has recently defended her masters thesis about satire for young adults on new Danish public service platforms. She has extensive knowledge in guiding and counseling students, and has participated in GEMINI as a student assistant before joining the project as a research assistant.

University of Bucharest is a Romanian public university of advanced research and education, partner for several renowned international projects against discrimination and for equal opportunities, audience research or values research, effectively addressing its public service remit through high quality teaching and research. UB participates in work package 3 and contributes to WP1, WP2, and WP6.

Raluca Radu is a media scholar and PhD coordinator in Communication Studies. Her research and teaching areas include media ethics, media economics, comparative media studies, cultural industries, and audience research. She has a strong experience in national and international research projects, including the prestigious Digital News Report.

Mihai Coman is Professor Emeritus and founding Dean of the Faculty of Journalism and Communication Studies at UB. He has been granted with the Order of Cultural Merit, Romania’s highest civilian award, for his contribution to the development of journalism and communication education in Romania.

Anamaria Sasu is PhD student at the Doctoral School in Communication Studies at UB. Her research project Models and representations of the public enemy focuses on social representations circulated by media from an anthropological point of view.

Nicoleta Talpeș is PhD student at the Doctoral School in Communication Studies at UB. With an extensive experience in public communication and public relations, she conducts a PhD project about the effects of documentaries on changing actual perceptions and behaviours.

Maynooth University is an Irish higher education institution located in the historic town of Maynooth in County Kildare, 25km outside of Dublin and is one of four universities constituting the National University of Ireland (NUI). MU is both Ireland’s youngest university as well as being the site of St. Patrick’s College, which boasts over 200 years of education and scholarship. MU today is a rapidly growing, innovative and dynamic university with over 15,000 students. The GEMINI partners, Dr. Sarah Arnold and Dr. Izzy Fox, are both based in the Department of Media Studies, which offers a mix of creative and critical programmes at undergraduate and postgraduate level, providing students with both the practical skills and theoretical knowledge necessary to embark on careers in industry and scholarship. MU will participate in work package 3 and contribute to WP2 through WP6.

Sarah Arnold is Assistant Professor and Head of the Department of Media Studies at Maynooth University. Her research interests include women’s roles and their participation in film, television and media; emergent screen entertainment experiences; as well as technologies and production cultures. She has published on subjects including horror film and motherhood, as well as the framing of women and women’s interests on television platforms. Dr. Arnold has extensive experience working on large national and international research projects, including as Principal Investigator.

Izzy Fox is currently working as a postdoctoral researcher at Maynooth University on two projects, GEMINI and the IRC and AHRC- funded Full Stack Feminism in Digital Humanities. She submitted her PhD research in 2020 on feminist digital activism. Her research interests include: screen cultures; digital activism; fourth wave feminism; youth cultures; gender representation; technological bias; serial drama; and community engagement.

Capacity Ireland is an Irish training provider focusing on delivering activities for community groups thus supporting capacity building within the Irish educational system. CI is strongly linked with the EU institute of Communication, UK
Awarding Body – Learning Resource Network, and other awarding bodies (e.g., City and Guilds, Ofqual). CI will participate in
work packages 4 and 5, and contribute to WP1, WP2, and WP6. CI will also host the second project meeting in January 2024.

Georgina Heffernan has had a 25-year career in the publishing sector. She is a former journalist and magazine editor, having worked in a variety of roles including features editor for The Irish Daily Mail, acting editor of Irish Tatler and staff writer for RTE.ie – the website for Ireland’s national broadcaster. She was awarded the Gladys McNevin Trophy for PR excellence by the Public Relations Institute of Ireland; she was also made a fellow of the European Institute of Education.

Daniel Smith is Director of CI and Tutor for Level 5 Award in European Community Development. He holds BA Hons in Politics and the Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector (DTLLS) qualification. He is also Level 4 qualified in Information Advice and Guidance (IAG) and has almost 20 years’ experience working in community settings. He has a strong background in social enterprise.

Rachael Spray is a senior project manager working with Capacity Ireland. She has extensive experience managing successful EU funded educational initiatives. Her focus lies in managing international projects that are tailored to empower young minds, fostering learning and employment opportunities within the digital media and creative industries sectors.

Center for Educational Initiatives (Sdruzhenie Tcentar za obrazovatelni iniciativi) is a non-profit Bulgarian organisation with expertise in e-learning education, innovative pedagogical approaches as well as training of teachers. It aims at enhancing innovative educational initiatives and facilitating educational reforms in the educational national system. CEI will participate in work package 4 and contribute to WP2 and WP6.

Tzvetan Tzvetanski is Chairman of CEI and the author of different educational resources and curricula approved by the Bulgarian Ministry of Education. He has long experience in training of teachers and especially in new teaching methods and use of ICT. He has 15 years of experience in educational project management, based on approbation of different educational approaches at local and international levels. He is a member of a Commission for the innovative schools in MES.

Elka Zlateva has expertise in research-based analyses in the areas of education, policy development, civic participation, lifelong learning, adult education, school education etc. She is an experienced lecturer and trainer, discussion moderator and workshop facilitator. She is the author of educational resources, toolkits, analyses, online courses. She is also working as educational expert within the centre for excellence at the Bulgarian Academy of Science.

Gabriela Nik Ilieva has experience in exploring the ways language encodes certain sociocultural meanings. She works with the formulation of gender (self/)identity as a dynamic process through which the social contexts are actively constructed by applying the so-called ‘doing/performing gender’ approach.

Petar Tsvetkov has experience in training teachers and especially in new teaching methods and use of ICT. As part of CEI team (Member of the Board, Expert and Administrative and Financial Director), he has 18 years of experience in project management, based on approbation of different educational approaches on local and international level.

Yonka Koleva Alexandrova is an economist by education with a master’s degree in “Accounting”. She graduated from the School of Economics “DA Tsenov” Svishtov. She has 37 years of experience as an economist-accountant. Since 2018, she has been the chief accountant in the “Administrative Assurance” Directorate of the National Inspectorate of Education. The main activity and responsibility is the provision of financial and accounting services and preparation of all accounting documents.

National Inspectorate of Education is the Bulgarian Inspectorate of Education, established as a budget supported legal entity at the Council of Ministers with its seat in Sofia. Among its other institutional duties, NIE is responsible for the implementation of the State Education Standards for Inclusive Education in the Country. In GEMINI, NIE will lead work package 5 and contribute to WP1, WP2, and WP6.

Aneliya Andreeva is Director of National Inspectorate of Education (NIE). She has more than 20 years of experience as a principal of primary and secondary schools, deputy principal and teacher. She is creator and first director of the National Institute for Training and Qualification of Directors, and National representative in Council of Europe Educational Advisers Network. She is also the member of the Association of European Inspectorates.

Ivan Ivanov is Director of the “Administrative Service” Directorate, National Inspectorate of Education (NIE). He organizes, implements and directs the activities to ensure the necessary human resources and clerical, information services, financial-accounting and economic services of the Inspectorate. He leads, coordinates and controls the overall work of the directorate.

Tsvetelina Rashkova is the Chief expert at the National Inspectorate of Education (NIE). She is a former Chief expert at the Ministry of Education and Science. She deals with information provision in the NIЕ, communication with external inspectors, and the provision of school inspections.

Malina Edreva is Chief Inspector of the “Inspection ” Directorate at National Inspectorate of Education (NIE). Her professional responsibilities are related to measuring the quality of the educational process in secondary education.

Ministry of Education, Research, Innovation, Youth and Sport (MEYR) is the Maltese Ministry in charge of Education. Through its Directorate for Digital Literacy and Transversal Skills (DDLTS), it promotes gender equality to the general public, and learning courses in TV and media studies. MEDS participates in work package 5 and contributes to WP1, WP2, and WP6.

Elaine Bonello (currently on maternity leave) graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Education and a Master of Science in Digital Education, specialising in Course Development and Blended Learning. For six years, Elaine has taught computing skills such as coding, robotics, and microcontrollers in secondary school. She has seven years of experience training educators in enhancing digital skills, creating digital resources, digital assessment, and digital voting systems. In 2018, Elaine won the Digital Secondary Educator of the Year, after which she represented the country at the Microsoft Educator Exchange in Paris. Elaine placed second runner-up in the Collaboration category in a competition held at the conference. Elaine is Project Coordinator for the GEMINI Project on behalf of the DDLTS.

Joyce Grech studied at the University of Malta and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre Studies and Communications, a Post Graduate diploma in Education and a Masters degree in Communications, specializing in Journalism.  Ms Grech served as Acting Head of Education 22 (Educational television channel), Head of the Malta Drama Centre and Executive Director of the National Book Council. She worked as a media presenter and producer for over 20 years for radio, television and the print medium.

Neil Attard embarked on his professional journey in marketing and brand building within the private sector. As his career progressed, he discovered a profound interest in people management, which fueled his growing involvement in this field. Presently, Neil Attard holds a leadership position as the Director of the Directorate of Digital Literacy and Transversal Skills within MEYR. With a keen focus on emerging technologies like AI and upcoming digital learning tools, he remains at the forefront of innovative educational advancements.

Rosanne Camilleri holds a Bachelor of Education (Hons), an MSc from the University of Ulster in Ireland – Interactive Teaching Technologies, and a doctorate from the University of Lancaster (UK) in eResearch & Technology Enhanced Learning. She is Education Officer and eTwinning coordinator within the Directorate for Digital Literacy and Transversal Skills (DDLTS) within the Ministry for Education and Sport (MEDS).

Omar Seguna is Education Officer (Digital Literacy). Amongst his main duties, he is responsible for the integration of technologies in teaching and learning, the prestigious “Embed” Digital Literacy Awards, the directorate’s website, and digital citizenship. During Elaine Bonello’s maternity leave, Seguna will coordinate the GEMINI activities in Malta.

Partners

GEMINI consists of 10 partner institutions. Unfold each partner to read information about the institutions and associated participants.