*Editorial* **Training, Education, and Research in COVID-19 Times: Innovative Methodological Approaches, Best Practices, and Case Studies**

**Miltiadis Lytras 1,2,3,\*, Basim Alsaywid <sup>1</sup> and Abdulrahman Housawi <sup>1</sup>**


#### **1. Editorial**

The recent pandemic of COVID-19 challenges the delivery of training and education worldwide. In parallel, research in the times of COVID-19 has become more demanding in terms of research methodologies and the delivery of sound scientific contributions. In this Special Issue, we analyze the diversified training, education, and research context in the times of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The preparedness of the educational systems for a rapid shift in the delivery mode of the training was challenged by the diverse aspects of the COVID19 pandemic. Within this multifaced context new innovative methodologies, frameworks and approaches seem to provide a bold response to the global need for timely, high-quality education, training, and research on a remote and distant basis [1–6].

The widespread nature of the phenomenon proved to initiate global actions and local strategies. Our special issue communicates not only different approaches but also communicates the key lessons learnt. We believe that the know-how and the best practices cultivated during the COVID-19 period will lead future interventions in similar circumstances. From this point of view, a continuous quest of resilience and sustainability in training and education is a great gain from the pandemic. On the other hand, the psychological aspects and the impact on the behavior of trainees and trainers, as well as academics and researchers, need to be analyzed further. The short-, medium-, and long-term impact of COVID-19 on educational practices and delivery will require more time to be fully understood.

Our intention is to promote the scientific debate for the key implications of the modified online mode of delivery as well as the components of strategies and policies that enhance the social value and the social impact of training, education, and research. Our intended contribution is multifold:


**Citation:** Lytras, M.; Alsaywid, B.; Housawi, A. Training, Education, and Research in COVID-19 Times: Innovative Methodological Approaches, Best Practices, and Case Studies. *Sustainability* **2021**, *13*, 9650. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179650

Received: 23 August 2021 Accepted: 25 August 2021 Published: 27 August 2021

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**Copyright:** © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/).

Topics covered in the twelve accepted papers of our Special Issue include but are not limited to the following:


#### **2. List of Contributions**

A more focused overview of the collection of articles published in our special issue is summarized below:


**Conflicts of Interest:** The authors declare no conflict of interest.

#### **References**

