Knowledge Innovation Centre
Who are we?
The Knowledge Innovation Centre is a dynamic consultancy focusing on knowledge brokerage and innovation of knowledge transfer processes. The Centre brings together a variety of local and European experts from diverse fields and has worked extensively within Quality Assurance of Higher Education, Technology Enhanced Learning, Student Services and knowledge economy (as it relates to the Lisbon Agenda and Barcelona Process). The Centre has forged close relationships with a number of stakeholders in the regional innovation and Higher Education fields and is active in leveraging such relationships to build multi-disciplinary, multi-country networks for knowledge transfer and capitalisation.
The Centre also offers a variety of online solutions geared at maximising quality assurance mechanisms, public relations and services. KIC has been involved in over 20 research projects in the last decade and specialises in knowledge transfer of educational policy projects. As such, it serves as a technical-support partner for all matters linked to web-development and design, as a community coordinator for social activities, and as a communications consultant for all dissemination and exploitation-linked activities. In each case, it translates project results into digestible outputs and getting them into the hands of the appropriate target groups be they students, educational researchers, institutional leaders or policymakers.
Why we are Participating in the Project
InclusiVET’s focus on inclusive education and student engagement combines two key areas of expertise and interest of KIC and its staff team for this project.
KIC has been putting great effort in projects that focus on increasing the attractiveness, accessibility and quality of higher and vocational education, by connecting the worlds of policy making, education and work, by stimulating the market offer of placements in SMEs, by empowering Mentors, and by improving apprenticeships management.
In the field of Education for Social Cohesion we have contributed extensively to the areas around inclusion in the last few years, through projects such as: EQUNet, #Multinclude, Moonlite, NEXUS and #IBelong.
Our Role in the Project
Building on its extensive expertise in the areas of student engagement and inclusion, KIC collaborates with the partners in the development of all intellectual outputs and in particular co-leads the research into challenges and obstacles to inclusive student engagement in VET and the development of a inclusive student engagement benchmark/scorecards and self-assessement tool for VET institutions (Work Package 2). KIC will furthermore act as knowledge transfer specialist and supports the coordination and management of InclusiVET, in particular in areas such as internal and external communications, dissemination, design of the project website and other project branding materials.
Our Team
Nik Heerens
Nik Heerens has been working in the fields of higher education and development for the last 20 years, mostly related to the Bologna Process, Quality Assurance, students’ engagement and regional and international development, taking in a wide range of roles, countries and responsibilities.
After studying Rural Development Studies at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, including several years as a student representative on the local, national and European level, Nik’s professional career has been focused on higher education and on international development, including senior management positions in both areas.
Nik has undertaken PhD research at the University of Exeter in the UK, in which he studied the European, national and regional policies and practices around universities as an instrument for regional development, with a focus on peripheral regions in Europe.
Anthony Camilleri
Anthony F. Camilleri has 15+ years of experience in Higher Education, digital innovation, learning innovation and quality assurance. He is an expert in micro-credentials with 10 years of work and research, including coordinating multiple E+ projects and presenting 25+ keynote presentations on micro-credential guidelines and best practices.
He serves as secretary for the International Standard Organisation PC288/WG1 responsible for drafting a standard for Quality Management in Educational Organizations. Previously, he held the position of Quality Services Manager at EFQUEL and managed a range of e-learning quality certifications. He has proposed a learning passport model for recognition of open learning credits. With experience as a QA Reviewer and trainer for QA institutions across Europe, Anthony is well-versed in quality assurance in higher education.
He is a native English speaker with fluency in Maltese and good knowledge of Italian, with basic knowledge of Slovenian and German.
Jasmina Poličnik
Jasmina Policnik has 15 years’ experience in coordinating international research and development projects in the field of education and training, focusing on VET and HE policy and innovation, apprenticeships, Erasmus mobility and HE Quality Assurance, taking in a wide range of roles, countries and responsibilities.Under Slovenian EU Presidency, she coordinated file on adult learning and micro-credentials.
After studying Pedagogy and Philosophy at Ljubljana University in Slovenia, she professionally focused on the field of education, especially interested in connection between labor market and higher education, digitalization of education and quality assurance.
Jasmina worked for Savinja-Šalek Regional Development Agency, Slovenian Association of Higher Vocational Colleges and Slovenian Ministry for Education, Science and Sport. She is also a member of Slovenian National Council for Higher Education and is an expert for Centre of the Republic of Slovenia for Mobility and European Educational and Training Programmes. She was also a member of EURASHE Quality Assurance Working Group.
As General Secretary for Slovenian Association of Higher Vocational Colleges and Operations Manager at Knowledge Innovation Centre she has experiences in leading remote international team of experts, having financial, legislative, and administrative expertise.
