POLIBIENESTAR (http://www.Polibienestar.org) is a Public Research Institute belonging to the University of Valencia (Spain) and leaded by Jordi Garcés, Prince of Asturias Distinguished Visiting Professor at Georgetown University, with more than thirty years of experience in training and research. It is specialized in research, innovation and social technology, technical advice and training in the field of public policies and assessment in issues regarding: social inclusion; social and health systems; youth; employment and labour market; vulnerable groups; social welfare; lifelong learning; friendly ICTs; entrepreneurship; and accessibility.
Polibienestar is composed by an interdisciplinary team with almost 100 researchers with national and European experience from nine different departments from the University of Valencia and eight associated units from the Spanish Universities: Castellón, Murcia, Castilla la Mancha, Castilla León, Extremadura, Bilbao, Politécnica de Madrid and Politécnica de Valencia. Polibienestar also has two international associated units, Chile and Paraguay. The staff of Polibienestar is composed by researchers from different backgrounds working together to study social and health phenomena, including experts on sociology, social work and education, political science, medicine, engineering, informatics, architecture, communication economy and law.
Additionally, Polibienestar has a large network of European contacts due to its active role in European research and policy design. Among others, Polibienestar works together with CORAL– Community Of Regions for Assisted Living, ENSA – European Network of Social Authorities, and two COST Actions – Cooperation in Science and Technology: ISCH COST Action IS1102 “Social Services, Welfare State and Places. The restructuring of social services in Europe and its impacts on social and territorial cohesion and governance” and ISCH COST Action IS1204 “Tourism, Wellbeing and Ecosystem Services”.
In summary, Polibienestar has participated and coordinated more than 40 R&D projects funded by Spanish Ministries, as the Ministry of Science and Education under different plans and programmes (CENIT programme, Innfluye programme) and the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade; and European programmes like the 6th and 7th Framework Programme (FP6-2005-SSP-5º-044359, FP7-2008-HEALTH-223037, FP7-2012-SSH.2012.1.3-2-320121), the AAL Programme (AAL-2010-3-041), the Daphne III Programme (JLS/2012/DAP/AG/3086; JUST/2010/DAP3/AG/1059-30; JLS/2008/DAP3/AG/1275), the Progress Programme (VP/2010/007/0129), the ENPI CBCMED (Nº3/156), the Youth in Action Programme (2010-51016/00/-001 YT7 PDPA7), the LifeLong Learning Programme (540139-LLP-1-2013-1-IT-GRUNTVIG-GMP; 2013-1-RO1-GRU06-29490), the Erasmus + Programme (2015-1-IT02-KA201-015417, 2015-1-UK01-KA202-013710, 2015-1-BE02-KA202-012268), and the Health Programme (529881; 533157). Additionally, Polibienestar has published more than 100 publications in the past 5 years. Concretely, Polibienestar’s team has produced 68 ISI articles; 37 indexed to different networks; 23 book chapters and 13 books.
Whithin the DESCI project the team of Polibienestar, led by Jordi Garcés Ferrer, is in charge of evaluating the implementation of the pilots in the different sites and to organise three Open Campus and World Café involving educational community in the methodology development.
Contact: jordi.garces@uv.es
DESCI in the partner website: http://www.polibienestar.org/proyectos/proyectos-europeos/#desci
