Image: (JKU)
Nursing and care, inclusion of people with disabilities, social cohesion or climate protection – there is no shortage of social challenges. In order to find solutions for these, the Johannes Kepler University organized the idea workshop of the “UpdateSocial” project from April 21 to 23, which is intended to network science, business and society for cooperation on socio-economic issues.
Five projects were awarded recognition prizes of 1000 euros by a jury. The jury was particularly enthusiastic about the “high quality of the ideas and concepts”, says Jasmine Chansri, Volkshilfe-OÖ managing director and spokeswoman for the jury. Here is an overview of the winners:
- Nougat: A chatbot supported by artificial intelligence that asks about the exact situation of people seeking help (age, income, etc.) and provides information about possible financial support in Upper Austria.
- Indima: The automatic evaluation of qualifications acquired abroad and information on further training opportunities are intended to combat the shortage of skilled workers in Upper Austria. Indima is also intended to facilitate the process of recognizing titles so that highly qualified migrants can gain a foothold in the domestic labor market more quickly and easily.
- Choose2Reuse: New life is to be breathed into old clothes here. Choose2Reuse is an initiative that aims to process clothing donations into new products at its own workplace. Cooperation with regional institutions, such as fashion schools, should also be sought.
- Intergenerational community: With the help of digital solutions, municipalities should get an overview of their demographic challenges. The municipality is analyzed with regard to its social area and the corresponding need for action with regard to social challenges is defined.
- Social advancement through education: Parents in families with a migration background often lack the time, language or financial resources to support their children in the best possible way on their educational path. At locations in Linz and Wels, the Upper Austrian Family Association is trying to close this gap by providing school and learning support. The five prizes are “representative of the impressive result of the ideas workshop,” says Thomas Gegenhuber, a professor at the Linz Institute of Technology. In an implementation program from May to September, all participants are now to be supported by experts.
Source: Nachrichten
