Relaunch of the WFCP Applied Research Affinity Group

Are VET providers doing research? And if so, what type of research? Many of us claim that we are doing “applied research” but what is it? How is it different from academic research? How do we define applied research in VET? What types of activities are included under this term? Is it a worldwide phenomenon or not? How is it funded?

Unquestionably, there are quite lot activities that currently are being carried out in many VET centres that could be classified under the term “applied research”.  However, we are missing a definition of the field of research in VET and its main features.

We are very excited to announce that the WFCP Applied Research Affinity Group will celebrate a relaunching meeting on September 22, 2020 at 15.00 CET.

An interdisciplinary group of people from 7 countries around the world will be working together under the leadership of Tknika.

The goal of the WFCP Affinity Group in Applied Research is to start working in a common understanding of Applied Research in VET from an international perspective.

We are planning to have five meetings in the 2020-2021 Academic Year at a rate of one meeting every two months.

The main goals for the period will be to create a common understanding of the concept of Applied Research in VET and to carry out a mapping of VET institutions who are doing Applied Research.

Our main outputs will be two:

• A glossary of Applied Research in VET.
• A mapping report showing how VET institutions are doing Applied Research, what they understand as Applied Research, the terminology used by each institution, activities, fields, funding, methodologies, objectives, results, collaborations, programmes, transference activities, difficulties, etc.

Around June, we will organise a webinar to share with the wider VET community the results of our work.