The document provides an overview of the PARENIS project, which aims to advance research capabilities in partner countries. It outlines the project objectives, consortium, priorities, and two phases. The first phase involves research methodology courses for students, while the second establishes mechanisms for university-industry collaboration, including workshops, innovation labs, and research exploitation offices. Key dates and contact details are also included.

1. PARENIS Presentation
Research and Methodology courses
for Master and PhD students

2. Agenda
 About the project
 Objectives
 Project Consortium
 Priorities and Educational targets
 The role of scientific research
 The two phases of the project
 Important dates
 Contacts
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3. About the project
PARENIS
(Program Advancing Research Education and Exploitation for the Support
of National Innovation Systems)
is a European Union funded 3-years TEMPUS project aiming at supporting
national innovation systems by advancing the capabilities of partner
countries universities in doing research and getting value from it.
Regina Grussenmeyer
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4. Objectives
This overall aim leads to the following specific objectives:
To increase the quality and quantity of research output of
partner universities.
To initiate a continuous process of collaboration on
research and innovation between partner universities
and local enterprises.
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5. PARENIS – Project Consortium (1/3)
Partner Countries
EU-Countries
(PC)
• Germany • Tunisia
• France • 4 Universities
• Great Britain • 1 Ministry
• Italy • Morocco
• Spain • 2 University
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6. PARENIS – Project Consortium (2/3)
Tempus EU countries
Tempus partner countries
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7. PARENIS – Project Consortium (3/3)
No. Role Organization Name City Country
P1 Applicant Hamburg University of Technology Hamburg Germany
P2 EU Partner Politecnico di Milano Milano Italy
P3 EU Partner Zaragoza Logistics Center Zaragoza Spain
P4 EU Partner Durham University Durham England
P5 EU Partner Polytechnique de Nantes Nantes France
Agence Nationale de Promotion de la Recherche et de
P6 Partner Tunis Tunisia
l’Innovation
Université El Manar; Ecole Nationale d’Ingénieurs de
P7 Partner Tunis Tunisia
Tunis
Université de Tunis; Ecole Supérieure des Sciences
P8 Partner Tunis Tunisia
Economiques et Commerciales
Université de Sousse; Ecole Nationale d’Ingénieurs de
P9 Partner Sousse Tunisia
Sousse
P10 Partner Université de Sfax; Ecole Nationale d’Ingénieurs de Sfax Sfax Tunisia
P11 Partner Ecole Mohammedia d’Ingénieurs Mohammedia Morocco
P12 Partner Ecole Nationale des Sciences Appliquées Marrakech Morocco
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8. Priorities & Targets
 Priorities:
– higher education and society, in particular on the knowledge triangle:
 education-innovation-research 
– partnerships with enterprises
 Education targets:
– introduce research methodology courses, which are a necessary
condition to produce high quality research
– focus on the valorization of research results
– aims to equip universities with appropriate tools to strengthen
collaboration with local industry in the domains of research exploitation
and innovation
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9. The scientific research
The goal of scientific research:
 to create knowledge
(structured, accessible and durable information).
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10. The research cycle
Concepts and Theories Logical
propositions
deduction
formation
Empirical Decision to
generalization
accept or reject Hypothesis
hypothesis
Test of Hypothesis
Measurement, Interpretation,
summarization, scaling and sampling
parameter estimation Observations
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11. The research phases
 Observations
– Create awareness of a research problem, discover new area for the
development of new theories
 Empirical generalizations (“research questions”)
– Identify and describe relevant variables, draw models, categories and
critical aspect of a phenomenon
 Theories
– Identify relationship between relevant variables and understand the
reasons for relationship
 Hypothesis
– Translate theory into empirically testable form and validate theory
 Theory extension or refinement
– Correct or re-define not-completely proven theories, extend or refine
proven theories
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12. The two phases of the project
PARENIS develops a two phases program.
 In the first phase, PARENIS implements five research methodology courses for
Master and PhD programs, focused on enhancing master and PhD students’
capabilities of doing and writing good research. After this, students will be
involved in European research teams to put the methodologies into practice.
 In the second phase, PARENIS creates mechanisms and procedures that intensify
research collaborations between academia and industry. To this aim, the project
will:
– promote spaces in which industries can outline research needs to discuss
with universities in order to define agendas for collaborative work;
– launches a research transfer office in every partner university to ensure a
permanent university-enterprise linkage.
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13. Phase 1: Research Methodology Courses (1/2)
Five courses of 20 hours (5 days per 4 hours/day) held by EU lecturers:
 L1 - General Research Methodologies (methodology types, design of
objectives, how to do research), held at Université El Manar - Ecole Nationale
d’Ingénieurs de Tunis;
 L2 - Basics and Methods of Quantitative Research (simulation, survey, data
analysis), held at Université El Manar - Ecole Nationale d’Ingénieurs de Tunis;
 L3 - Basics and Methods of Qualitative Research (qualitative data
analysis, single/multiple case studies), held Université de Tunis - Ecole Supérieure
des Sciences Economiques et Commerciales;
 L4 - Management of Research for Publication (writing for
publication, presentation and communication skills), held at Université de Sousse -
Ecole Nationale d’Ingénieurs de Sousse.
 L5 - Application of research methodologies in information systems
research, held at Université de Sfax - Ecole Nationale d’Ingénieurs de Sfax.
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14. Phase 1: Mobility phase (2/2)
After courses, students will be involved in the subsequent mobility phase.
In the mobility phase, PhD students will integrate European research teams
to put the learned methods into practice and to work on quality papers to
be submitted to conferences or international journals.
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15. PARENIS – Research Results
I
D
F
G Courses
B for
Professors
E in PC Courses
for TN
Students in
PC M
K
TN M TN
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K

16. Phase 2: Workshops and Innovation Labs (1/2)
Workshops to discuss the requirements on successful collaboration
between science and industry in Tunisia and Morocco will be organized.
They will involve experts from academia and industry, decision makers from
different institutions such as ministry, chamber of commerce, etc.
Innovation labs represent a research platform, in which innovation
managers and academics meet to share relevant experiences and
scientific approaches.
They will be at the origin of networks between institutions such as
universities, enterprises, and research centers, to boost collaborative
research and to transfer inventions to marketable products.
Innovation labs will be organized on a regular basis during the project life
time.
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17. Phase 2: Offices for Research Exploitation and
Marketing and Online Platform (2/2)
 Offices for the Exploitation and Marketing of Research will be
founded in Tunisian and Moroccan university, to ensure a permanent
university-enterprise linkage.
 An Online Virtual Platform will finally be implemented to guarantee a
long-term impact of the project. The research methodology courses will
be recorded and posted on this platform. This platform will also create a
virtual space to boost collaboration among partner universities, EU
universities, and local industry.
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18. PARENIS –Industry Cooperation
EU
Cooperation Innovation
Offices Labs
M M
TN Internet TN
K K
Platform
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19. Important dates
Course Course Training Proposed
Lecture Courses
Provider Receiver Deadline Deliver Date
General Research
L1 TUHH UTM-ENIT 29 April 2011 3-7 May 2011
Methodologies
Basics and Methods
L2 of Quantitative POLIMI UTM-ENIT 31 May 2011 1-5 August 2011
Research
Basics and Methods
27 June – 1 July
L3 of Qualitative ZLC UT-ESSEC 30 June 2011
2011
Research
Management of
L4 Research for DU US-ENISO 1 August 2011 To be decided
Publication
Application of
Research
31 August 7-9 September
L5 Methodologies in EPUN US-ENIS
2011 2011
Information Systems
Research
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20. Contacts
For any information, please check:
www.parenis.eu
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