Where Research Meets Practice 🔬 | Aarhus University | DIAMOND Short Reel 1

EA Editor October 14, 2026 DIAMOND
Where Research Meets Practice 🔬 | Aarhus University | DIAMOND Short Reel 1
14 Oct 2026
DIAMOND
October 14, 2026 EA Editor

Where Research Meets Practice: How DIAMOND Bridges Academic Study and Grassroots Upskilling

Labour market research often faces a persistent challenge: rigorous academic findings can take years to influence everyday training, while frontline educators frequently design programmes without access to empirical evidence.

The DIAMOND project tackles this divide directly by bringing university researchers and civil society organisations together within a single consortium.

Insights from Aarhus University

In the first instalment of our short reel series, Mirja Hubert, Associate Professor at Aarhus Universitet in Denmark, outlines what makes the DIAMOND partnership distinctive:

“Hello. My name is Mirja Hubert, and I am an Associate Professor at Aarhus University in Denmark. What I really think is very interesting about DIAMOND is that we have both a research perspective where we are working together with different universities. But on the other hand, we also have the practical perspective, because we are working together with the Grassroots Organisations who are doing re- and upskilling activities with a lot of different groups.”

Connecting Evidence with Grassroots Impact

Higher education institutions bring methodological depth, data analysis, and structural insight into emerging labour market transformations. At the same time, grassroots organisations work directly with job seekers, youth, and under-represented communities, possessing immediate knowledge of the practical obstacles learners face.

Within DIAMOND, these two perspectives complement one another: 

  • Academic research provides a verified evidence base on career progression, digital competence, and labour market barriers. 
  • Grassroots organisations deliver hands-on re-skilling and upskilling activities directly to diverse learner groups. 
  • Direct collaboration ensures training initiatives reflect authentic community needs rather than theoretical assumptions alone.

Moving Towards Scalable Training Solutions

By linking empirical investigation with practical community delivery from the outset, DIAMOND supports the development of career-readiness initiatives that are both scientifically grounded and actionable in the classroom.

Watch the full video message and follow our ongoing updates as consortium partners share further perspectives from across the project.

Watch the Reel: https://youtube.com/shorts/aWNZd0VQkxE?si=Jb8fUdwkd6HghxZz 

 

Official Website of the EU-Horizon Project DIAMOND: https://diamond-empower.eu/ 

Funding Agency: European Research Executive Agency (REA)

Project: 101178081 — DIAMOND — HORIZON-CL2-2024-TRANSFORMATIONS-01

Disclaimer: Funded by the European Union.

Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency (REA).

Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.