Metacog and ALFA Labs kick off in Haaga-Helia
Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences hosted the official kickoff meeting for the METACOG project in early March, bringing together European partners to launch a collaborative initiative aimed at strengthening AI literacy and combating disinformation.
The two-day event marked the beginning of METACOG, an innovative satellite project under the Ulysseus European University alliance. In addition to the Ulysseus partner universities—Led by Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences (Finland), the Technical University of Košice (Slovakia), and the University of Montenegro (Montenegro)—the METACOG project also includes The Hague University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands) as a valued external partner.
METACOG is an AI literacy programme designed to equip European citizens—particularly higher education students and educators—with the skills to identify and counter disinformation and fake news. The project will develop a comprehensive educational framework that includes classroom-based activities, a MOOC, webinars, a teacher’s guide, a handbook, and a digital toolkit. These resources will be piloted across partner institutions and made openly accessible to support broader civic engagement and media literacy.
During the kickoff, participants heard from key stakeholders including Outi Tomperi from the Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI) and Salla Huttunen, Vice President of Haaga-Helia. The agenda included collaborative workshops focused on each work package, where partners defined objectives and responsibilities for the first coming year of the project.
The event also highlighted synergies with the Alfa Labs project—another Haaga-Helia-led initiative—through a joint kickoff format. This created valuable networking opportunities and fostered cross-project collaboration. Both projects align with the EU’s digital education priorities and the European Skills Agenda, and their outcomes will be disseminated through Ulysseus Innovation Hubs and the shared Ulysseus learning management system.
Joint kickoff
By promoting AI literacy and critical thinking, METACOG aims to empower individuals to navigate today’s complex information landscape. The successful kickoff laid a strong foundation for the project’s three-year journey, which will run until August 2027 under the Erasmus+ Programme.
About Ulysseus
Ulysseus is one of the 65 European Universities selected by the European Commission to become the universities of the future. Led by the University of Seville, the Alliance encompasses other seven universities in Europe: the University of Genoa, Italy; Université Côte d’Azur, France; the Technical University of Košice, Slovakia; MCI | The Entrepreneurial School®, Austria; Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences, Finland, the University of Münster, Germany, and the University of Montenegro, Montenegro.