Researchers - cluster members

Before starting : What are EU GREEN clusters? 

In EU GREEN, research is organized in 6 thematic clusters in EU GREEN (under the umbrella of Work Package 3 - Research ) :

Cluster 1 - Emerging paradigms for health and well-being
Cluster 2 - Agriculture, food, and environmental sustainability
Cluster 3 - Engineering and technology for sustainable development
Cluster 4 - Sustainable tourism for cultural and natural heritage
Cluster 5 - Education sciences for sustainable development
Cluster 6 - Challenges in ecosystem biodiversity and function. A macroregional evaluation.

The Research Week will include meetings of these clusters, as well as cross-cluster meetings in order to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and synergies across the alliance. Researchers are, by default, considered Cluster Members. Participants to the Research Week can join the cluster whose thematic scope most closely aligns with their research areas and priorities.  

Monday 1st of June

Arrival day. Additional cluster meetings, team meetings, or  visits.

If you neeed assistance in preparing a visit with colleagues from  Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg , reach out to alix.blouet @ univ-angers.fr 

Tuesday 2nd of June 

• 9:00-10:30 - Welcome session – Rector, Vice-Rector, Work Package 3 leads: Report on the past year and a view into the future of EU GREEN
• 10:30-11:00 - Coffee break and icebreaker session
• 11:00-12:30 - EU GREEN Hall of fame - 4 years of growth: discover the ideas, partnerships, and impact that have emerged over the past four years, connect with project leaders, and get inspired for your own future collaborations.
• 12:30- 14:00 - Lunch break
• 14:00-17:00 - EU GREEN Brokerage Event

Brokerage session 1 - Keywords: Cities, neighbourhood design, mobility, New European Bauhaus, living labs, Cultural innovation, arts-based research, social inclusion

Brokerage session 2 - Keywords:  Agrobiodiversity, food security, soil, plant health, rural resilience  

Brokerage session 3 - Keywords: Education systems, digital tools, AI in learning, wellbeing 

Brokerage session 4 - Keywords: Researcher training, networks, international collaboration 

Brokerage session 5 - Already advanced proposals  

• 17:00 - ...: City tour 

Wednesday 3rd of June

• 9:00-10:30 - Cross-cluster meetings or cluster meetings. Cross-cluster meetings bring together participants from different thematic clusters to exchange knowledge, identify synergies, and foster new interdisciplinary collaborations. Information will be given closer to the date of the event regarding organization. 

Workshop 1 - Evidence-based education in its possibilities and limitations

Moderated by Federico Righi, Elena Maestri and Maria Assunção Folque

The cross-cluster meeting will address current issues in bringing research into education at bachelor and master level. We will start from the ideas of an EU GREEN Joint Master SUSTAIN under development and discuss experiences from the attendees. We plan to obtain few good practices for exploration.

Attendees can bring their own expertise, or they can come with questions on how to apply research-based education. EU GREEN can be innovative on this subject in the next two years. Expertise from Erasmus/EU GREEN mobility and exchanges is welcome.

Workshop 2- Technologies for sustainable heritage

Moderated by Hartmut Zadek and Magalie Moysan

The meeting aims to bring together expertise in heritage and technology to explore the relationship between the two: how can technologies make heritage more sustainable? How do technics (AI, chemistry, etc.) support heritage preservation and outreach? What are the limitations—particularly environmental ones—to the use of these technologies? This session will enable interdisciplinary exchanges to develop joint research initiatives (conferences, responses to European calls for proposals). Participants can come with projects in mind or just bring their expertise.

 This workshop is primarily intended for members of Clusters 3 and 4, but other participants are welcome. It is an opportunity to meet colleagues from different fields and build new connections. It enables the development of projects for the following calls (non-exhaustive list) : Heritage 01 – Artistic intelligence ; Heritage 04 – Culture, heritage and creative industries for health and well-being; Heritage 06 – Future proofing sustainable cultural tourism ; Heritage 08 – Safeguarding and transmission of intangible cultural heritage.

Workshop 3 - Advancing and Upscaling EU GREEN seed activities

Moderated by Tomina Saveanu and Mariana Muresan

This workshop will explore how collaborative research-based activities within EUGREEN can be strengthened and scaled up, building on the experience of seed projects and EU GREEN clusters. It will examine both enabling factors and existing challenges in cross-institutional collaboration, with a focus on sustainability and continuity beyond initial project funding. The discussion will also address mechanisms that support inter-cluster collaboration and enhance the visibility of research-based activities across the alliance. Participants will be invited to reflect on how current practices can evolve to support a more integrated and impactful EU GREEN 2 research, education and innovation nexus.

This workshop offers participants an opportunity to critically reflect on their experience with joint research and seed projects within EUGREEN, while engaging with colleagues across different EU GREEN clusters. It will provide a space to identify effective collaboration models, as well as gaps and barriers that may limit impact or continuity. Participants will gain insights into how joint research activities can be better supported, scaled, and connected across the alliance. The session will also contribute to shaping future EU GREEN 2 actions by identifying practical mechanisms for sustaining collaboration, increasing visibility, and fostering new interdisciplinary research opportunities.

• 10:30-11:00 - Coffee break and poster session
• 11:00-12:30 - EU GREEN Hall of fame - 4 years of growth: discover the ideas, partnerships, and impact that have emerged over the past four years, connect with project leaders, and get inspired for your own future collaborations.
• 12:30- 14:00 - Lunch break
• 14:00 - 15:30: Workshops

Workshop on closing the gender gap in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine (STEMM)

Women face a host of challenges at different stages of professional development as researchers, leading to their underrepresentation in the scientific research workforce, particularly in certain fields (including mathematics, physics, chemistry, computer science, engineering, and certain areas of medicine), as well as in more senior and leadership positions. In recent years, it has been increasingly recognised that this gender imbalance negatively impacts scientific, economic and social progress and innovation, but international statistics show that advancement towards closing the STEMM gender gap has been slow. This workshop will discuss both obstacles to achieving gender parity in STEMM and possible solutions via sharing personal experiences and lessons from researchers across different disciplines, as well as best practices from several mentoring, coaching and networking initiatives for females in STEMM. It will also contribute to networking and building a community of female researchers and their male allies in making the educational and work environment in EU GREEN and beyond gender-inclusive and safe, such that it enables women to fully develop their potential as researchers and leaders in the STEMM domain.

Speakers:

• Anne Albrecht, University Professor of Neuroanatomy, Institute of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, OVGU, Magdeburg
• Manisha Chowdhury, Research Associate, Institute of Analysis und Numerics, Faculty of Mathematics, OVGU, Magdeburg
• Saskia Salmen, Diversity Consultant, Gender Equality Office, OVGU, Magdeburg
• Anne Teller, Coordinator for the COMETiN coaching, mentoring, training and networking programme at the Graduate Academy, OVGU, Magdeburg
• Nicole Vorhauer-Huget, Research Group Leader for Transport in Porous Media, Faculty of Process- and Systems Engineering, OVGU, Magdeburg
• Katalin Varga, Project Coordinator of the MeCoSa MINT Career coaching and mentoring programme for women in STEM, Coordination Office for Gender Research & Equity Saxony-Anhalt, OVGU, Magdeburg
• Lys Ziebell, Gender Consultant, Gender Equality Office and Department for Research Funding Advice, OVGU, Magdeburg

Workshop on planning the impact section in Horizon Europe project proposals

Under the European Union’s research and innovation funding programme Horizon Europe, collaborative project proposals are evaluated based on three main criteria: 1. excellence, 2. quality of implementation and 3. impact. While impact is as important as the other two criteria, its meaning is often poorly understood by researchers and it is typically not planned as carefully as the other parts of the proposals, thus contributing to failure to obtain funding. This workshop aims to increase the understanding of what is meant by impact in scientific project proposals, what a competitive Horizon Europe project proposal needs to address in the section on impact, and how the impact is evaluated. In addition to providing a theoretical background, the workshop will give participants an opportunity to put this knowledge into practice by supervised developing of a concept that could serve as the basis of the impact section in a proposal addressing a topic of their choosing.

Speakers:

• Dr Julian Lopez-Meza, Research Funding Advisor, Department for Research Funding Advice, OVGU, Magdeburg
• Fani Niki Mitaki, Research Funding Advisor, Department for Research Funding Advice, OVGU, Magdeburg
• Angela Kipf, Quality and Impact Manager for the EU GREEN Alliance, OVGU, Magdeburg

Workshop on effective communication for researchers

Effective Communication for Researchers aims to equip participants with practical, evidence-based strategies to convey their work clearly and persuasively to diverse audiences, including fellow scientists, students, funding bodies, policymakers, and the broader public. Clear and compelling communication is foundational for open science, successful collaboration, rigorous peer review, and the societal impact of research. The workshop adopts a skills-based, reflective approach to help researchers adapt their messaging to different purposes, channels, and audiences. By the end of the workshop, attendees will have developed practical tools and deliverables they can apply immediately, such as refined slide decks, clearer abstracts, and a plan for communicating their work across formats. The sessions also foster a network of practice and collaboration that supports ongoing improvement in research communication across disciplines.

Speakers: more information coming soon.

Workshop on Open Science: What We Expect vs. What the Data Say

This session presents a snapshot of Open Science practices across the EU GREEN Alliance, based on data collected by university libraries and complemented by research support offices and doctoral feedback. The surveys serve as a preparatory step toward the development of a shared, Alliance‑wide Open Access policy.

Speakers:

• Alessandro Corradini & Susanna Del Carlo 

• 16:00 - 18:00 : A pint of Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg : an informal networking event  where students, researchers, and staff meet over a drink. It aims to encourage intercultural exchange and academic discussions in a relaxed setting

Thursday 4th of June 

• 9:00-10:30 - Cross-cluster meetings. Cross-cluster meetings bring together participants from different thematic clusters to exchange knowledge, identify synergies, and foster new interdisciplinary collaborations. Information will be given closer to the date of the event regarding organization. 

Workshop 1 -“Horizon call BIODIV06 – September is nearer than you think”

Moderated by Federico Righi, Elena Maestri

This cross-cluster meeting will build upon the brokerage sessions discussing in particular participation to the call BIODIV06 – Boosting agrobiodiversity. The EU GREEN participants want to enlarge the consortium, but they also want to discuss the main issues of the project under development. Ideally, the case studies to be considered will be discussed.

 Attendees should be aware of the call text and come ready to discuss the possible contributions from their group and university. The proposed case studies on which the project will focus will be analysed to find common determinants and significant differences.

Workshop 2 - Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and EUGREEN 2. How to move forward and build on (preliminary) findings from two surveys.

Moderated by Tomina Saveanu and John Scahill

This interactive workshop brings together emerging insights from two EUGREEN-wide surveys exploring how both staff and students understand and engage with Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). By examining perspectives on sustainability, teaching practices, and student learning needs, participants will gain a clearer picture of the current landscape and its gaps. The session will also open a collaborative space to reflect on shared challenges and opportunities, from pedagogical approaches to professional development. Together, we will explore how these findings can inform future research-based activities and strengthen collective action across the EUGREEN community.

 This workshop offers researchers a valuable opportunity to engage with fresh, cross-institutional empirical data generated through the BASE and CRESD projects within the EUGREEN alliance. Participants will gain insight into how sustainability is currently understood, researched, and operationalised by both staff and students, helping to identify key gaps, patterns, and emerging research directions. Importantly, these findings will directly contribute to shaping future actions, priorities, and interventions across EUGREEN2 partner universities. The session also provides a platform for interdisciplinary exchange, supporting the development of collaborative research initiatives and evidence-informed strategies for advancing sustainability in higher education.

Workshop 3 - Research on STEAM education for girls & inclusion

Moderated by Hartmut Zadek + TBD

STEAM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) is especially important for girls because it helps close persistent gender gaps in these fields and empowers them with critical skills for the future workforce. Encouraging girls to engage in STEAM from an early age builds confidence, challenges stereotypes, and expands career opportunities in high-demand sectors. When combined with inclusive approaches, STEAM education ensures that girls from diverse backgrounds, including those with disabilities or from underrepresented communities, have equal access and support. This inclusive focus fosters creativity, innovation, and diverse perspectives, which are essential for solving complex global challenges. Ultimately, inclusive STEAM education not only benefits individual girls but also strengthens society as a whole.

• 10:30-11:00 - Coffee break and poster session
• 11:00-12:30:  Cluster meetings
• 12:30- 14:00 - Lunch break
• 14:00 - 16:00 : Synthesis of the Research Week. Overview of the next steps for Research in the alliance.