The JMCoE for “Visualizing, Analyzing and Learning about EU Studies (Visu.A.L.EU)” builds on the University of the Peloponnese’s long-standing tradition of achieving and promoting excellence in EU studies in Greece and abroad.
The JMCoE aims to renovate regular academic undertakings in EU Studies, like teaching, researching, documenting, publishing and networking, by “visualizing, analyzing and learning about EU Studies”; each renovation activity blending with an academic one.
Visualising
“Visualizing” is a key, ICT-based accent in this JMCoE; an endeavor to facilitate a visual, single-point of access to EU studies’ stock of knowledge, incl. this JMCoE’s knowledge outputs.
Its main output, “VisuALEU Knowledge maps” refers to a set of web-based visual interfaces to access EU-studies works (e.g. academic papers, websites, etc.) For example, finding EU literature by pointing-and-clicking on a world-map, treemap or network graph (e.g. by EU country, topic, or author, respectively; multiple contexts and visuals are applicable.)
The underlying academic function is “documenting”. In this case, assembling, annotating and cataloguing EU-related works, including scientific publications, EU-funded intellectual outputs (including JM actions), expert opinions, etc.
This academic-renovation pairing is well placed to make EU-related knowledge visible in an unprecedented way to a much wider audience than conventional ‘academic’ practice (e.g. bibliographies, reading lists, etc.) It will appeal to academics, knowledge workers and anyone interested in EU affairs.
Analysing
“Analysing” actually refers to a number of research activities, namely:
- The “VisuALEU–Knowledge Networks” is a cross-sectional analysis of the aforementioned EU-studies literature, to detail and depict its underlying structure using big-data and data-science techniques, like text mining and network analysis. Foremost, to unveil trending and outmoded topics, author and institutional networks, highly-cited works, etc. with assorted metrics and visualizations.
- The “VisuALEU–Policy analytics” builds on the team’s experience, to quantitatively analyze EU current affairs and policies, leading to novel knowledge outputs.
- The “VisuALEU–Fellow” is a brief secondment opportunity for a PhD student, postdoc or sabbatical from abroad to collaborate with the JMCoE in line with its research agenda.
The underlying academic functions are “researching” and “publishing”. This academic-renovation pairing targets the EU-studies community. Conventionally, the fellows’ and analytics activities stimulate synergies and instigate original research outputs. Unconventionally, exposing the underlying structure of the EU studies stock of knowledge will unveil ‘commonplace’ EU research and nurture breakthrough research in EU-studies at large.
Learning
“Learning” refers to the JMCoE’s education instruments, namely:
- The “VisuALEU–Encounters” will capitalize on the “EP to Campus” program to host annual deliberation sessions with former MEPs to promote the JMCoE, EU studies and EU current affairs.
- The “VisuALEU–Insights” are expert opinions of EU affairs. Using big-data & text-mining techniques to monitor trending EU topics in the news and social media, the JMCoE will methodically ask an expert to succinctly share their ‘insight’ on a selected topic.
- The “VisuALEU–Academy” builds on the JMCoE’s teaching experience on how to apply state-of-the-art analytics to EU topics & data, in semester and summer school forms.
- The “VisuALEU–Interns” are summer internships for avid EU-studies students to experience and contribute to the JMCoE activities first hand.
Effectively serving the underlying academic functions of “teaching” and “networking”, this academic-renovation pairing targets aspiring EU scholars and practitioners, furthers EU-studies visibility, and conveys the JMCoE’s priorities via unsophisticated and time-honored ways.
Thus, the JMCoE VisuALEU steadfastly embarks to render the University of the Peloponnese as a leader in EU studies while rejuvenating the field in an innovative, multidisciplinary and cross-functional way.
