Contact ChallengED

KU Leuven 

The KU Leuven team brings world-class expertise in research-driven education, innovation management, and sustainable entrepreneurship. As a leading European university and long-standing member of LERU, KU Leuven has extensive experience designing interdisciplinary learning environments and supporting large-scale academic collaborations. Its researchers and educators are particularly strong in engineering, science, and technology, with a long tradition of linking societal challenges to impactful learning.

As project coordinator, KU Leuven plays a central strategic role in ChallengED. The team leads Project Management, ensuring coordination, quality, and smooth implementation across all partners. KU Leuven also contributes significantly to defining meaningful challenges, shaping the CBL course design, and developing robust frameworks for evaluating educational impact. Drawing on its multidisciplinary strengths and commitment to innovation, KU Leuven helps secure the project’s coherence, effectiveness, and long-term sustainability.

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Prof. Dr. Ir. Yolande Berbers obtained her PhD in Computer Science from KU Leuven, Belgium, in 1987. Her academic career has been devoted to system software, with a particular emphasis on embedded systems, distributed systems, and operating systems. From 2009 to 2016, she served as Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at KU Leuven, where she introduced innovative courses on entrepreneurship and challenge-based learning.

She has played a leading role in European engineering education, serving as Vice-President and President of SEFI (European Society for Engineering Education) between 2017 and 2021. Since October 2023, she holds emeritus status but remains actively engaged in academic and educational initiatives. She continues to serve on the SEFI Board, teaches two university courses, and is Principal Investigator of the Erasmus+ project ChallengED.

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Ilse Smets Project Facilitator ilse.smets@kuleuven.be

Ilse Smets is full professor at the KU Leuven, within the Department of Chemical Engineering. The research of Ilse Smets is focused on monitoring, optimization and control of biological wastewater treatment systems. The main research lines and activities are focused on the bioflocculation dynamics of the relevant microbial players into flocs and granules and on developing high througput but simple monitoring tools.

Ilse Smets teaches wastewater treatment and bioconversion related courses within the Engineering and Bio-engineering Faculties of the KU Leuven. She also tries to convey here passion for basic chemistry in the corresponding first bachelor year course in the engineering faculty.

Given that she highly values dissemination and communication between different stake holders of the water field, she is engaged in several water organizations and was, for example, the president of B-IWA (www.biwa.be) from 2017 to 2023. She now is the secretary of that same organization. This interest and drive to connect and build bridges, is, most recently, also captured by the Vice-Deanship of External Relations in the Faculty of Engineering Science at the KU Leuven that she takes up since academic year 2024-2025.

Pascale Conard Team leader Pascale.conard@kuleuven.be

Pascale Conard is an International Policy Advisor at the KU Leuven faculty of Engineering Science. Within the faculty, she is the contact person for all types of international study experiences, staff mobility, scholarship programmes and she represents the faculty in several university wide consultative bodies, as well as international networks.

Vincent Schoofs Student Assistant vincent.schoofs@kuleuven.be

"Audaces fortuna iuvat”

Ever since I was a child, I got a kick out of pushing myself to my limits and defying given odds. It is for this reason I chose to study engineering in the field of artificial intelligence and to pursue an entrepreneurial career. I have been given the opportunity to work on this project as a student-assistant and I am very excited to be able to put my weight into something that will maverick, entrepreneurial students build the future they dream of having. I believe that if we all hold on to ourselves, our values and our dreams, we can push this world forward into its next chapter.

Politecnico di Torino

The Politecnico di Torino team brings extensive expertise in entrepreneurship education, combining rigorous research with long-standing teaching experience. Its members are actively involved in designing and delivering programs that cultivate entrepreneurial mindsets among students. They also contribute knowledge in innovation ecosystems, policy analysis, and translating research into practical impact. Building on this expertise, the group supports all phases of the project. In particular, it plays a key role in defining challenges to guide the development of an entrepreneurship course using a Challenge-Based Learning approach.

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Alessandra Colombelli (PhD) is a Full Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at Politecnico di Torino (Italy), where she also leads the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Centre (EIC). She is a Research Associate at CNRS-GREDEG, University of Nice Sophia Antipolis (France), and BRICK, Collegio Carlo Alberto (Italy). In addition, she serves as a Technical Assessor at the I3P incubator.

She has served as an elected member of the Board of the Italian Association of Management Engineering (AiIG) and held editorial roles in leading international journals, including Associate Editor of Regional Studies, The Journal of Technology Transfer, and Eurasian Business Review; Editorial Review Board member for Small Business Economics; and Editorial Board member for Climate and Economics.

Previously, she was a Marie Curie Fellow at Manchester Business School, and a research fellow at both University Lumière Lyon 2 and the University of Nice Côte d’Azur. She has contributed to numerous national and international research projects funded by institutions such as the European Commission, the Italian Ministry of Education, Universities and Research, Invitalia, the Bank of Italy, and CNRS (France).

Her research spans entrepreneurship, the economics of innovation, and regional economics, with publications in top-tier journals.

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Francesco Serraino Postdoctoral Researcher, member of the WP3 Steering Group and the Quality Board francesco.serraino@polito.it

Francesco Serraino is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Department of Management and Production Engineering at the Politecnico di Torino, where he serves as co-referent for the research line on Entrepreneurship Education at the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center (EIC). He is also part of UNITE! – University Network for Innovation, Technology and Engineering, and serves on evaluation committees for innovative SMEs and startups.

He holds a Ph.D. in Management Engineering from Politecnico di Torino, during which he spent a visiting research period at Maastricht University – UNU-MERIT. His research interests are primarily in the field of entrepreneurship, with a particular focus on entrepreneurship education.

He has been actively involved in national research projects aimed at the evaluation of public policies supporting entrepreneurship and innovation, contributing both to theoretical advancements and to policy-oriented outcomes.

Andrea Panelli Assistant Professor, WP2 Leader, and member of the WP4 Steering Group andrea.panelli@polito.it

Andrea Panelli is an Assistant Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at the Politecnico di Torino (Italy), where he serves as co-referent for the research line on Entrepreneurship Education at the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center (EIC). He has contributed to national and international research projects funded by institutions such as the European Commission and the Italian Ministry of Education. His research interests focus on entrepreneurial decision-making processes, the impact of entrepreneurial training programs, and the dynamics of entrepreneurial team formation. 

Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands

As leader of the impact evaluation work package, TU/e develops a comprehensive methodology and framework to assess the impact of CBL and entrepreneurial education at multiple levels, students, teachers, institutions, and society. This framework integrates indicators, both quantitative and qualitative, as well as data collection methods, timelines, and analysis approaches informed by existing literature. TU/e also conducts systematic evaluations of ChallengED interventions implemented across consortium courses, generating evidence of impact. Drawing on its expertise in pedagogy, educational design, and innovation, TU/e ensures that the results support both institutional learning and broader dissemination. TU/e also contributes to the design of CBL courses, drawing on the extensive expertise it has built up in recent years.

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Sonia M. Gomez Puente (PhD) works at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) in the Nethelands since 2008, as Strategic Advisor in Innovations in Teaching & Learning and manages programs at university and curriculum level. Sonia is the Program Manager of the TU/e Academy for Learning & Teaching and manages CBL activities and innovation projects across the university. Sonia is a member of EuroTeQ Alliance since 2021. Her background is in education. She has more than fifteen years’ experience in the design of development programs for teachers’ professionalization, projects and training courses on educational innovation. Sonia counts with broad international experience in educational projects in Europe and Latin American countries supporting universities in the field of curriculum development, and changing and transforming education. She is specialized in active learning methods and has numerous publications as educational researcher in the field of engineering education. 

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Isabelle Reymen Full Professor and Member of the Quality Board i.m.m.j.reymen@tue.nl

Isabelle Reymen is Full Professor Design of Innovation Ecosystems. She is also Co-founder and Scientific Director of TU/e innovation Space, a learning hub that facilitates in curricular and extra-curricular settings the co-creation of responsible solutions to real-world challenges by interdisciplinary teams of students, with researchers, industry, and societal organizations. She combines entrepreneurial thinking with a passion for design processes and aims for system innovation. She was granted several projects on entrepreneurship and education innovation. TU/e innovation Space received national and international awards for its education innovation.

Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)

The Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya team brings strong expertise in challenge-based and sustainability-oriented education. Its members have extensive experience in designing and implementing CBL courses, fostering entrepreneurship and innovation across disciplines. They also contribute recognized leadership in sustainability research and training. Building on this expertise, UPC leads the design and piloting of the CBL course, ensuring its academic quality, real-world relevance, and replicability.

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Dr. Núria Garrido is Associate Professor at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) and Vice President of the UPC Alumni Association. She served as Vice-Rector for Teaching and Students (2017–2021), where she led major initiatives in academic policy, curriculum innovation, and student engagement. With a strong background in engineering education, she has been directing the Challenge-Based Learning course “CREATIVE Lab” since 2010, which was awarded by the UPC Social Council as the best teaching initiative in 2020. Her research and teaching expertise focus on innovative and collaborative learning methodologies, fostering entrepreneurship, creativity, and interdisciplinary teamwork among engineering students. She has extensive experience in project coordination and international collaboration, contributing to both academic excellence and institutional development. Within the ChallengED project, she brings leadership in pedagogical innovation and sustainability-oriented education, ensuring the effective design and implementation of the CBL course.

Núria Garrido is UPC leader in the design and piloting of the CBL course (WP3), member of the Steering Committee and Quality Board.

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Gemma Tejedor-Papell Dr. and Lecturer Gemma.tejedor@upc.edu

Gemma Tejedor is Lecturer at UPC. Her teaching and research focus on education for sustainability and
transdisciplinarity. She has more than 15 years of experience in the development and implementation of research initiatives and projects across various sustainability-related areas for the EU, supporting research on the topic at ISST-UPC. She has
been involved in Challenge-Based Learning for Sustainability courses at national and international level and has developed capacity building training for faculty at various European universities, also in education for sustainability. She has coordinated the Academy Summer School twice and contributed to integrating sustainability into UPC degree programs through national projects. 

Jasmina Berbegal-Mirabent Associate professor Jasmina.berbegal@upc.edu

Jasmina Berbegal-Mirabent is involved in WP3 – CBL Course Design. Responsible for deliverable D3.2  

Jordi Segalàs Associate professor Jordi.segalas@upc.edu

Dr. Jordi Segalàs, Associate Professor at the Research Institute of Sustainability Science and Technology at UPC (ISSTUPC), he serves as the leader of the Research Team on Sustainability Education and Technology in Higher Education. He has held the position of chairing the Sustainability working group of the European Society for Engineering Education, contributing significantly to the discourse on sustainability within engineering education at the European level. He has been involved in Challenge-Based Learning for Sustainability courses at national and international level and has developed capacity building training for faculty at various European universities.

Jordi Segalàs is involved in WP2 – Defining challenges / WP3 – Course design. Leads integration of sustainability into challenge topics and CBL course content.

Marta Nolís Innovation & Entrepreneurship Program Manager Marta.nolis@upc.edu

Marta Nolis is the Manager of the Innovation and Entrepreneuship in the Terrassa Campus of UPC. She is in charge of entrepreneurial activities and manages specific initiatives such as ‘Emprèn UPC’ (pre-incubation program).

Ramon Bragós Full professor Ramon.bragos@upc.edu

 Dr. Ramon Bragos, Associate professor and Vice-Director of Innovation and Research at ICE, has played a pivotal role in leading CBL projects and subjects at UPC. His expertise in engineering education and experience in implementing the CDIO model for engineering education have been instrumental in designing and implementing challenge-based subjects. He has been coordinator of the project and challenge-based subjects at Telecom-BCN since 2009.

Ramon Bragos is involved in WP3 – CBL Course Design- Responsible for deliverables D3.1 (CBL Course Package) and D3.3 (Open-Source Toolbox & Guidelines).

KTH Royal Institute of Technology 

KTH brings strong expertise in sustainability-oriented innovation, entrepreneurship education, and modern pedagogical design. As Sweden’s largest technical university, KTH has extensive experience connecting engineering excellence with societal needs, particularly in areas such as digitalised production, circular business models, and sustainable development.

Within ChallengED, KTH contributes to the design of the Challenge-Based Learning course, drawing on long-standing experience with blended learning, interdisciplinary project work, and collaborative education. The team also leverages its strong regional networks to ensure that challenges are meaningful, locally grounded, and linked to real societal transitions.

Through its combination of research expertise and educational innovation, KTH helps ensure that the ChallengED course is academically rigorous, sustainability-driven, and easily adaptable for future use across different contexts.

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 Antonio Maffei is an Associate Professor in Production Engineering at KTH and head of the Digital Smart Production research unit. His work focuses on advanced manufacturing, automation and digitalisation, and sustainable business models, with a strong track record of international research collaborations. He is also an experienced educator and expert in university pedagogy, actively contributing to teaching innovation through methods such as blended learning, constructive alignment, and challenge-based education.

Antonio has coordinated and contributed to multiple Erasmus+ and European educational projects, where he has developed new teaching formats, supported curriculum development, and promoted international collaboration in engineering education. His combination of technical expertise and pedagogical leadership makes him a key contributor to the ChallengED project.

Within ChallengED, Antonio strengthens the design of the CBL course by integrating real-world sustainability challenges, industry-relevant engineering knowledge, and evidence-based educational practices, ensuring a robust, engaging, and adaptable learning experience for students

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Fabio Marco Monetti Researcher and Quality Board member

monetti@kth.se , 0734618925

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Fabio Marco Monetti is a junior researcher at KTH’s Department of Production Engineering, working in the areas of product design, design for assembly, and modular product architecture. His research is closely connected to modern, sustainable manufacturing practices and digitalised engineering environments.

Fabio has participated in several European and KTH-wide educational initiatives and contributes actively to pedagogical development within his department. He brings hands-on experience with engineering design and manufacturing tools, as well as a strong commitment to high-quality teaching, student support, and innovative learning formats.

In ChallengED, Fabio plays an essential role in shaping and refining the CBL learning activities. His contributions help ensure that the course is well structured, aligned with learning outcomes, and clearly linked to real engineering and sustainability challenges, offering students a meaningful and practice-oriented educational experience.