In recent years, a powerful movement has emerged to rethink how we assess and support academic careers. At the heart of this shift is the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA), an initiative committed to recognising the full diversity of academic contributions—beyond traditional metrics and publication counts.
At MapEEC, a small but ambitious Erasmus+ cooperation partnership, we are proud to be part of this broader transformation. While CoARA sets the overarching agenda for systemic change in research assessment, our project focuses on a specific yet vital piece of the puzzle: how engaged educators in higher education are recognised and supported in their career development.
Through MapEEC, we aim to explore and prototype new strategies that institutions can use to promote and reward educator engagement—from cross-sector collaboration and community involvement to innovative teaching practices and leadership. Our outputs, including the Engaged Educator Recognition and Promotion Matrix and institutional Strategic Roadmaps, offer practical tools to help higher education institutions reflect CoARA’s principles in their own contexts.
We see our work as a complementary contribution to the CoARA vision. While CoARA builds a framework for reforming research assessment globally, MapEEC brings attention to the often-overlooked dimension of teaching-focused academic careers—and the need to make engagement a more visible and valued part of academic life.
Both initiatives share core values:
- Recognising the diversity of academic roles and contributions
- Promoting qualitative, inclusive and context-sensitive assessment
- Supporting cultural change towards more flexible, meaningful academic pathways
We believe that change happens at many levels—from coalitions shaping global policy to local projects piloting new ideas. With MapEEC, we aim to support institutions and educators who are ready to lead by example, and to contribute to the broader dialogue that CoARA is facilitating.
By aligning with CoARA’s principles, we hope to amplify our impact, exchange knowledge with like-minded institutions, and strengthen the collective momentum toward a more inclusive, engaged, and forward-looking academic system.
Author: Rimante Rusaite