ALLEA Presidency Meets Key European Partners During Brussels Tour
3. December 2024 /
On 21-22 November 2024, the ALLEA President Paweł Rowiński was pleased to visit Brussels together with the ALLEA Vice-Presidents Annette Grüters-Kieslich and Marie-Louise Nosch to engage with key European partners.
The primary objectives of their visit were to emphasise ALLEA’s commitment to and share insights on academic freedom and research integrity, discuss where ALLEA’s involvement could support enhanced integration and alignment of research across the ERA, especially to contribute to reducing disparities in research funding, resources, and opportunities across the ERA, and potential initiatives to increase research capacity and identify opportunities for collaboration.
Last but not least, the visit addressed perspectives for responsible internationalisation, i.e. open research collaboration within the constraints of research security in a shifting geopolitical landscape, or what science diplomacy can offer in this respect.
The enriching encounters with representatives of European institutions and academies, among them Prof Maria Leptin, President of the European Research Council (ERC), Dr Christian Ehler, Member of the European Parliament, Christian Mangold, Director-General for Internal Policies of the Union at the European Parliament, and incoming KVAB President Prof Godelieve Laureys highlighted a number of specific topics, including:
- The importance of sustainable research careers and the need for policies that support early- and mid-career researchers across Europe, encouraging cross-border mobility and enhancing Europe’s attractiveness to researchers worldwide.
- Future directions for Framework Programme 10 (FP10).
- ALLEA’s ongoing support for Ukraine amidst geopolitical challenges.
- Exploring Belgium’s scientific landscape and strengthening the synergy between young academies and senior academies.
- The role of European academies in Science Advice for Policy and evidence-based policymaking, exploring how the academies’ expertise is being leveraged to address pressing EU and global challenges.
Following the successful, and cordial exchanges, ALLEA remains confident that these engagements mark a promising beginning for potential new collaborations and for strengthening existing ones that enhance the connection between research, policy, and society.
The encounters also provided an opportunity to amplify ALLEA’s voice and visibility, which is particularly significant on the celebration of its 30th anniversary and the European academies’ contributions to the European stage.
