94291 - Innovation Attitude

Learning outcomes

At the end of the activity, the student will be aware of the role of research, as the motor of innovation and of innovation as the main goal for fostering sustainable development and well-being improvement. Since collaborative work is the major tool for scientific research, the student will be aware of the good practice for building working teams. To these aims, the basic knowledge of the national language (Italian, Portuguese, Spanish or Catalan) will be improved.

Course contents

The CU will be made of three modules with the following contents:
(1) Intensive “survival” language course
Students will be trained to understand and use a few simple words related to the most common activities of living, accessing public transportation, orientation in urban environment, food and dink in one of the languages of the ChIR consortium (Portuguese, Spanish, Catalan, Italian) either written or spoken. The will become familiar with the most fundamental grammatic rules of the language.

(2) Team building
Characterisation and Benefits of Teamwork: What is a team? Why are teams important in research and industry?
Team Building Strategies and Activities: Implementation of team-building through teamwork, problem-solving, leadership, goal-setting, decision-making, creative thinking, negotiation, and communication skills.
Function of Leadership and Strategies for developing leadership abilities.
Communication: different communication styles. Examples of effective communication.
Presentation skills and public speaking.
Networking: how to build and maintain a social and professional network.

(3) Innovation skills
Each workshop will focus on a case study. Students will present examples of chemical substances, their use, risks and alternatives. Creative thinking will be encouraged for the discussion of each case study.

Readings/Bibliography

Lecture notes will be available for students.

Teaching methods

In-class exercises and activities. Group working. Discussion of case-study examples. Practical laboratory work

Assessment methods

Each module is assessed independently through homework assignments, written assignment or practical assignment.

The Curricular Unit grade will be the arithmetic mean of grades from the three modules

Office hours

See the website of Isabel Maria Palma Antunes Cavaco

See the website of Teresa Quarta

See the website of Marco De Angelis