EU Project SHERLOCK Sets the Stage for Innovation in Survey Methodology at First Consortium Meeting in Annecy

The university partners of the EU-funded SHERLOCK (Survey Higher Education Research – Learning through Online Collaboration & Knowledge) project convened for their first in-person meeting on 14–15 November at the IAE (Institut d’Administration des Entreprises) of the University of Savoie Mont--Blanc in Annecy. 

Funded for three years under the EU ERASMUS+ Cooperation Partnerships programme, SHERLOCK aims to redefine the future of survey methodology education in Europe. Coordinated by IAE Savoie Mont-Blanc, the European project consortium brings together a strong international partnership: Aschaffenburg University of Applied Sciences (UAS), HOWEST University of Applied Sciences, HEG Geneva (HES-SO), CEU Cardenal Herrera University, and the Bratislava University of Economics and Business (EUBA). The French company SPHINX participates as an associated partner.

The project targets higher education students, educators, and young professionals, introducing an innovative approach to teaching survey methodology through digital, gamified learning and enhanced international and interdisciplinary collaboration. SHERLOCK promotes data literacy, AI-supported learning, and evidence-based decision-making, aligning with key European priorities and strengthening the connection between academic theory and real-world professional practice.

The two-day workshop in Annecy marked an important moment in shaping the project’s initial milestones and advancing its core work packages, including the needs analysis study, a benchmarking exercise on marketing simulation games, the development of the project’s methodological framework and game specifications, as well as the launch of the newly established project website (sherlockgame.eu) along with dedicated social media channels under #sherlockgame4U.

An ERASMUS BIP BrandY in Annecy brings together more than 70 particpants from seven European consortium to engage in a cross-cultural gamified grand management simulation

The meeting was held back-to-back with the ERASMUS Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) BrandY, hosted by IAE Annecy this week, bringing together more than 70 students and lecturers from seven universities to engage in a marketing simulation game called BrandY. From Aschaffenburg UAS, nine MA students of International Management, funded by Erasmus grants, took part in the game, together with Prof. Dr. Alexandra Angress. BrandY was originally developed under an ERASMUS+ Strategic Partnership to create an immersive, interactive course in European brand management and enhances students’ understanding of international brand strategy while strengthening their cross-cultural and gamified learning skills. BrandY has also to some extent paved the way for the development of the new SHERLOCK project initiative. 

Looking ahead, the next SHERLOCK project meeting will take place in Paris in early 2026 and will focus on reviewing the upcoming milestones and preparing the first Learning, Teaching and Training Activity (LTTA), scheduled to be piloted in Annecy in autumn 2026. Each partner institution will then be sending a group of students and lecturers to test and evaluate the initial outputs, including a dedicated European case study developed by the consortium with corresponding marketing research methodology.

For UAS Aschaffenburg Prof. Dr. Alexandra Angress and Prof. Dr. Victoria Bertels are working on the project.

Contact/Project Coordination at UAS Aschaffenburg: Prof. Dr. Alexandra Angress.

Lead Image: First face-to-face SHERLOCK Project meeting at IAE University of Savoie Mont Blanc with representatives from the European consortium: (Lower row from left to right: Prof. Dr. habil.Justyna Ganassali/Prof. Dr. habil.Slawomir Smyczeck, University of Economics in Kattowice, Poland; Prof. Dr. habil. Stephane Ganassali, IAE USMB, France (project coordinator), Prof. Dr. Francisco Suay, CEU Cardenal Herrera University Valencia, Spain: Upper row from left to right: Frédéric Vlummens/ Brian Baert, Howest, University of Applied Sciences, Belgium,  PaedDr. Eva Stradiotová PhD., University of Economics in Bratislava, Slovakia, Prof Dr. Alexandra Angress, UAS, Germany, Prof. Dr. Maria Garcia Alcober, CEU Cardenal University, Valencia, Spain, Prof. Dr. Sabine Ehmad, HEG Geneva, Switzerland, Dr. habil.PhDr. Ildikó Némethová, University of Economics in Bratislava and Prof. Dr. Gabriel Ravello, CEU Cardenal Herrera University, Valencia, Spain.)