TransportNET

About TransportNET

TransportNET is a network of leading university groups involved in transport research and high-level education, from several European countries, created in March 2003.

These groups are located in schools of economics and of engineering, and their activities cover all modes and geographical ranges of transport.

Its purpose is to reinforce and stimulate the quality and efficiency of the research activities carried out by its members, and then to integrate some of those activities in research programs of higher complexity carried out at the network level.

Some of the initiatives of TransportNET foreseen for the near future are these.

  • Advanced courses in transport related topics, especially targeted for Ph. D. students of several schools, through exchange of professors and of students.

  • Extended visits of PhD. students of one schools to other schools in the network.

  • Organization of summer courses and workshops, with active engagement of senior and junior members of the participating schools.

  • Systematic integration of doctoral committees of each school by senior professors of other schools in the network.

  • Joint participation of several groups research projects, possibly through bids in international programs.

  • Mutual support in bibliography search and access.

This group presently consists of eight universities. Only after consolidation of its working principles and rules will the question of expansion to other members be opened. In the meantime, a structured approach towards participation in the Marie Curie program of the European Commission is being prepared.

Structure

The governing bodies of TransportNET are:

  • Scientific and Management Committee
  • Accreditation Committee
  • General Assembly

The Scientific and Management Committee is responsible for:

  • General co-ordination of the network;
  • Preparing and presenting the yearly plans and activity reports to the GA;
  • Proposing Quality Standards to the GA and controlling their respect in all TransportNET Programmes, Courses, and Publications;
  • Proposing priority Research Streams to the GA and stimulating common Research Activities along those Streams;
  • Preparing and presenting the yearly plans and Activity Reports to the GA;
  • Approving the proposals of all Education, Training and Research Projects to be executed within the framework of TransportNET;
  • Giving advice on the performance assessment method to evaluate TransportNET members;
  • External relations and representation including funding;
  • Network communications;
  • Economic and financial management of TransportNET activities.

The Accreditation Committee is responsible for:

  • Develop and propose performance Assessment Methods for Members and Evaluation Criteria for new;
  • Candidates according to international standards.
  • Undertaking yearly performance assessment of all members.
  • Evaluating applications from new members

The General Assembly is responsible for:

  • Approving yearly plans and activity reports presented by the SMC;
  • Approving Quality Standards developed by the SMC for each of the activities undertaken within the TransportNET framework;
  • Approving priority research streams for subsequent work by TransportNET;
  • Approving the performance assessment method to evaluate TransportNET members;
  • Deciding on the admission or exclusion of TransportNET members;
  • Deciding on any matters relevant for TransportNET not specifically allocated to the other governing bodies.

Each governing body is composed of three members, with a mandate of three years. These three members will select a director among them. 
All positions are filled on rotational basis. Every year one member of each governing body changes, enabling this way the automatic renewal of the complete body every three years. Thus in initial phases some individual mandates   will be shorter than three years to ensure the rotation.
The starting date for the mandate terms of the different governing bodies, and for the respective rotation of its members is the 3rd April 2004.
All governing bodies should have at least one ordinary meeting per year and whenever necessary additional meetings will be called.

Mission

  • To achieve international recognition within and outside Europe by promoting and providing excellence in transport education and research.
  • To preserve and support development of knowledge potential in transportation science through greater support for training of researchers and students and by enhancing access to research infrastructures and knowledge developed by the individual members.

Other objectives of TransportNET

  • To assure cohesion of the network in the development of its mission so that long term sustainability can be guaranteed;
  • To achieve high international quality standards in all network activities;
  • To consolidate an international position as a network of excellence by promoting the quality of all activities and the satisfaction of individual objectives of students, researchers, professors and administrative staff involved, through the following main activities:

    • Exchange of professors in Master, Ph.D. and Doctoral Programmes enabling students of the participating universities to have the opportunity to follow guest lectures and seminars of visiting professors, specialists in their field;

      • Different types of exchange programmes for students, enabling them to benefit from an enlarged coverage of research and education subjects related to transportation, offered through the different fields of interest represented by the members;
      • Setting up of summer courses and master classes;
      • Setting up training programmes for teaching in postgraduates programmes;
      • Finally, co-operation in research programmes - an international network creates the ideal environment for setting up common and interdisciplinary research programmes
      • Extend advice and training on transport education and research
      • Providing on demand tailormade inhouse training for companies
    • The external visibility of the network.

What training do we offer?

What conferences and symposia do we host?

TransportNET hosts symposia in the wide field of transportation:

  • One-day symposia on a specific topic in a specific field, with combined academic and business attendance.
  • Project-related symposia, expert meetings and conferences.
  • Scientific conferences, either self-generated or as special sessions in external conferences.