HÉTFA Research Institute was represented by Virág Zsár at the 1st Congress of Central and Eastern European (CEE) Research Managers, held in Brussels on 4–5 November 2025. Our colleague, Virág Zsár, Senior International Advisor, delivered the opening keynote speech.
The event, jointly organised by the CZELO, SLORD, PolSCA liaison offices, the National Research, Development and Innovation Office (NRDIO) as well as the Hungarian science attaché based in Brussels, marked an important milestone in regional cooperation. It brought together research management professionals from the CEE region and beyond for two days of presentations, workshops and discussions dedicated to enhancing excellence and strengthening the professional recognition of research management.
“Excellent Research Requires Excellent Support”
In her keynote address, Virág Zsár reflected on the progress made in recognising research management as a key enabler of research excellence in Europe over the past decade. Building on the legacy of the former BestPrac COST Action, her presentation – “Advancing Research Excellence in Central and Eastern Europe through Professional Research Management” – highlighted how bottom-up and top-down initiatives are paving the way towards the much-needed recognition of research managers across Europe.
She emphasised that this road towards recognition has been driven by strong community initiatives and recent EU-level policy support, such as the inclusion of research management in the European Research Area (ERA) Policy Agenda 2022-24 and then 2025-2027.
To further strengthen research management, her address underlined four key priorities:
- Measuring and demonstrating the added value of research managers at institutional and national levels,
- Building stronger partnerships between research managers, researchers, and institutional leadership,
- Establishing structured career pathways and ensuring professional recognition,
- Securing sustainable capacity and long-term support for the profession.
“Research managers should no longer be seen as invisible support staff, but as strategic partners who contribute directly to scientific excellence and the achievement of the EU’s research and innovation goals,” — said Virág Zsár.
Strengthening the regional community
The congress built on more than a decade of V4 training initiatives for research managers, consolidating this experience into a regional platform aimed at developing professional skills, exchanging best practices, and promoting regional cooperation. The HETFA led project V4WB RMA Network Plus was highlighted by the Director of the International Visegrad Fund as another successful and impactful initiative targeting the regional professional community.
The event covered a wide range of topics including:
- Importance of building institutional structures in research management,
- National RMA community building,
- Development of soft and transversal skills,
- The use of AI and digital tools in everyday RMA practice.
Outlook and next steps
The discussions throughout the two-day event reaffirmed the shared commitment of the CEE research management community to strengthen cooperation and recognition for the profession. Key outcomes included:
- Advancing the establishment of national RMA associations in Hungary and Slovakia,
- Deepening collaboration through the International Visegrad Fund,
- Enhancing regional networking across the full project lifecycle,
- Reinforcing the continued support of the European Association of Research Managers and Administrators (EARMA) for regional RMA initiatives.
The congress concluded with a strong message: by working together, research managers in Central and Eastern Europe can further strengthen their role in enabling research excellence and contribute to a more integrated and effective European Research Area.
The slides of the key note speech are available here.