Centralised Support for Writing, Research, Learning and Teaching: Case Studies of Existing Models across Europe

COST Action 15221 has at its core the development of conversations and research around the shared
territory of support for, and development of, writing, research, learning and teaching. Throughout
the Action, Short-term Scientific Missions (STSMs) and other networking tools provided opportunities
for dialogue and research across participating institutions, which illuminated intersections across
European institutions and contributed to institutional transformation based on shared experiences.
Informed by this dialogue and the experience of participating in the Action, the case studies herein
present an overview of the centralised supports for writing, research, learning and teaching at their
respective institutions, focusing on the purposes, processes, knowledge and scholarship, skills, and
values which drive the ethos and mission of the centralised supports. The case studies examine the
interoperability and synergies across the four key centralised supports for writing, research, learning
and teaching at each institution, commenting on the effectiveness, efficiency and complementarity
of these centralised supports and considering the opportunities and challenges associated with the
model present at each institution.
This collection of case studies provides a rich overview of the models of centralised supports in
writing, research, learning and teaching in place across the COST Action. It should be noted that,
as the case studies are an interpretation of the institutional models through an individual lens, the
case studies represent the author’s/authors’ own understanding of the model and not that of the
institution.