• CITIC is part of a European project aimed at improving the digital training of healthcare professionals and university students, with the goal of training over 150 individuals.
• The initiative seeks to enhance the quality of care for people with dementia, promote the use of digital tools in vocational training, and strengthen European cooperation in the social and healthcare fields.
• This week, the ICT research center at the University of A Coruña hosted the first transnational meeting of the DEDUC project, funded by Erasmus+, with partners from five European countries.

A Coruña, May 14, 2025. – The Center for Research in Information and Communication Technologies (CITIC) at the University of A Coruña, in collaboration with the Universidade da Coruña Foundation, hosted the first transnational meeting of the European project DEDUC – Distance Education and Vocational Training on Dementia for University Students and Healthcare Professionals this past Monday and Tuesday. The meeting brought together in A Coruña representatives from the seven institutions that make up the transnational consortium, marking the official launch of this initiative funded by the Erasmus+ program.

The project has been approved under the KA220-VET 2024 call of Erasmus+, focused on cooperation partnerships in vocational education and training, and has a total budget of €250,000. Through this initiative, more than 150 participants are expected to be trained, including healthcare professionals in fields such as nursing, psychology, occupational therapy, and social work, as well as university students in related disciplines. The medium-term impact includes improved quality of care for people with dementia, increased use of digital tools in vocational training, and strengthened European cooperation in the social and healthcare sector.

According to CITIC’s Deputy Director, Javier Pereira, “this project is an opportunity to apply ICT to health and active aging, aligning with our strategic lines of research and socially impactful innovation”.

Project Objective

The main goal of DEDUC is to enhance the competencies of university students and healthcare professionals in dementia care by developing a distance vocational training program based on digital technologies, innovative content, and inclusive approaches. The proposal responds to the growing need for qualified personnel to care for an increasingly aging European population.

Participating Institutions

The project is coordinated by the Polytechnic Institute of Porto, in Portugal, and includes a transnational consortium formed by various institutions from different countries: from Spain, the Universidade da Coruña Foundation (FUAC) and CITIC, and the Fundació ACE, Barcelona Alzheimer Treatment & Research Center; from Portugal, the Irmandade da Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Riba D’Ave; from Greece, the ELLINIKI ETAIRIA NOSOY ALZHEIMER KAI SYGGENON DIATARACHON SOMATEIO; and from Slovenia, the SPOMINCICA – Slovenian Alzheimer’s Association.

Key Activities

The DEDUC work plan includes the following main actions:

• • Development of an accessible and interactive digital training platform, featuring video materials, live presentations, specialized bibliography, and discussion forums.
• • Design and implementation of a vocational training program in dementia care, targeting both caregivers and healthcare staff.
• Creation of a digital simulation game as a complementary tool to reinforce practical learning in real-world contexts.
• • Drafting of a transfer guide and policy recommendations to facilitate the replication of the model in other countries and educational contexts.
• • Multilingual translation of the platform and its content (Spanish, Portuguese, English, Greek, and Slovenian) to ensure maximum accessibility.

The project will last for 28 months, starting on September 1, 2024, and ending on December 31, 2026.

About CITIC

CITIC is a research center that promotes progress and excellence in applied ICT R&D, created in 2008 by the University of A Coruña. Its scientific activity is structured around four main research areas: Artificial Intelligence; Data Science and Engineering; High-Performance Computing; and Smart Services and Networks, as well as a transversal area: Cybersecurity.

CITIC is accredited as a Center of Excellence and a member of the CIGUS Network for the 2024–2027 period. The accreditation, structuring, and enhancement of CITIC are co-funded by the Xunta de Galicia and 60% by the European Union under the ERDF Galicia 2021–2027 Operational Programme, with the thematic objective of promoting “a smarter Europe: innovative and smart economic transformation” (ED431G 2023/01).