Various kinds of information were discussed that are necessary for successful cooperation, such as the consortium structure of the project and the way and timing of the development of the planned activities. However, an equally important aspect of the meeting was the exchange of views on the difficulties and opportunities for development in rural areas. These professional discussions of the participants laid the foundations for 4 years of joint work.

Luca Koltai, Research Director at HÉTFA, presented HÉTFA’s work to the project partners at the beginning of the kick-off meeting. Kinga Tóth, Deputy Research Director at HÉTFA, presented the methodological and operational aspects of the work package coordinated by HÉTFA.

Funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway through the EEA and Norway Grants Fund for Youth Employment, the Lost Millennials project aims to enhance understanding of the impacts of employment initiatives and contribute to the successful labor market integration of NEET individuals aged 25 and above.

The primary objectives of the conference included presenting research findings, outlining EU-level policy recommendations, and engaging in discussions on the most pressing issues faced by 25+ NEETs. Our experts shared insights gained from monitoring and evaluating initiatives targeting 25+ NEETs

This conference not only marked the successful conclusion of the Lost Millennials project but also facilitated meaningful discussions that will contribute to shaping future policies and initiatives for the labor market integration of 25+ NEETs.

The project is funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway through the EEA and Norway Grants Fund for Youth Employment.

The research was conducted with the involvement of all project partners and countries; hence data was collected from Finland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania (Transylvania), Serbia, Slovakia, and Spain (Andalusia).  More than six hundred (608) respondents completed the survey, which provides valuable insights into the experiences and responses of women entrepreneurs during the COVID-19 pandemic and the recovery phase after the pandemic (an era which can be described as a poly-crisis) shedding light on their resilience and adaptability in the face of challenges. Furthermore, interviews were conducted with 24 experts and 56 women entrepreneurs.

The experts highlighted that there should be targeted policies, support programmes and initiatives dedicated to women entrepreneurs, not only during crises but consistently and that these programmes should recognize and address the specific challenges women entrepreneurs face in business.

Similarly, the focus of the respondents’ stories extended beyond just COVID-19 and its impact. It encompassed all the other challenges they had faced since the last wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our analysis presents in detail what are the challenges women entrepreneurs face in times of crisis, what are the strategies to employ and their needs for support.  

Not only challenges but learning and new opportunities characterise the post-Covid era. The women entrepreneurs gained valuable experiences, enhanced their skills to further professionalise their entrepreneurial activities, strengthened existing or started to build resilient communities, and seized new business opportunities within the constraints they faced during the crisis.

In recent months, our research findings have been disseminated across various platforms:

1. WORK2023 Conference
   • Date: 23-25 August 2023
   • Venue: Online & Turku, (FI)
   • The RE – FEM project partners shared initial cross-country research insights at the WORK 2023 conference on Digital Capitalism: Peril and Possibilities. Details
2. EmpowerHER Balaton
   • Date: 29-30 September 2023
   • Venue: Zánka (HU)
   • Our preliminary results were presented to women entrepreneurs and their professional network at the EmpowerHER Balaton event.
3. VOSZ Women Entrepreneurs Section Annual Meeting
   • Date: 11th October 2023
   • Venue: Budapest (HU)
   • Katalin Oborni presented research results as a keynote speaker and round table participant at the joint event organized by SEED Foundation and VOSZ.
4. Entrepreneurship Research Conference
   • Date: 16-17 November 2023
   • Venue: Budapest (HU)
   • Orsolya Gergely and Katalin Oborni presented the research, titled “Crises and responses – Women entrepreneurs and their businesses in the light of comprehensive international research,” at the annual conference of the Network of Economic Researchers and Analysts. Details
5. Hungarian Sociological Association Annual Conference
   • Date: 17-18 November 2023
   • Venue: Budapest (HU)
   • Our research on “The Impact of Crises on the World of Work: Challenges and Responses in the Sociology of Work” was presented in the section “From crisis to crisis” by Orsolya Gergely, Katalin Oborni, and Eszter Szőnyi. Programme
6. Danube Cup – Conference on Entrepreneurship Education
   • Date: 24-25 November 2023
   • Venue: Belgrade (SRB)
   • Sanja Popovic Pantic and Katalin Oborni presented in the section “Entrepreneurship in Practice – Effect of Covid-19 on Entrepreneurship.” Programme

Funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway through the EEA and Norway Grants Fund for Youth Employment, the Lost Millennials project is dedicated to enhancing the integration of 25+ NEETs into the labor market by increasing knowledge on the effects of employment initiatives.

This conference will bring together policymakers, researchers, and practitioners to address crucial employment policy issues in Europe. It marks a pivotal moment for our project, providing a platform to showcase research findings and present EU-level policy recommendations. The conference will delve into various critical topics, including the effectiveness of policy strategies and the challenges of 25+ NEETs, such as gender perspectives, migration, and the rural-urban divide. A dedicated panel will also explore the insights gained from monitoring and evaluating initiatives targeting 25+ NEETs.

Key Conference Details:

• Date: November 28, 2023 – 09:30-15:30
• Location: Brussels, Belgium – The Hotel (Belgium, Brussels, Bd de Waterloo 38, 1000)
•      Title: Lost and Found: Reimagining Europe’s Employment Policies – Evaluation of policy initiatives tackling 25+ NEETs unemployment

Reserve your spot and register today!

The project is funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, through the EEA and Norway Grants Fund for Youth Employment.

In the Youth Policy Challenges Parallel session, Luca Koltai, Research Director at HETFA presented the results of the synthesis report entitled “Evaluation of Initiatives Affecting 25+ NEETs in Nine Countries” prepared in the framework of the Lost Millennials project. The Lost Millennials project led by HETFA Research Insitute is funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, through the EEA and Norway Grants, Fund for Youth Employment. The objective of the project is to contribute to the successful integration of 25+ NEETs to the labour market through increasing knowledge on the effects of employment initiatives on 25+ NEETs.

The conference booklet is available here.

To learn more about HÉTFA’s Lost Millennials project, please visit the project website.

The Lost Millennials project is funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA and Norway Grants Fund for Youth Employment.

We invite you to participate in and disseminate the vital survey that aims to support the recognition and professionalisation of research managers. Your input is crucial for us to provide valuable recommendations for the professionalisation of research management.

To access the survey, please click on the following link.

This survey builds on previous surveys, primarily on the RAAAP (Research Administration As A Profession) series, and focuses on your job profile, career path, skills and competencies, as well as your training, mobility, and networking needs.

By participating, you contribute to:

• Building an inclusive definition and terminology including RM professional categories;
• Developing career development frameworks for RMs;
• Creating skills and competence matrixes specific to our profession;
• Establishing a comprehensive training scheme for future research managers.

Your responses are anonymous and will it take approximately 25 minutes to complete.

The deadline to complete the survey is December 22, 2023.

Your and your community’s participation represents a significant contribution to the professionalisation of research management in Europe. Should you have questions or need further information, please contact us at rm-roadmap@hetfa.hu.

The conference provided a platform for in-depth discussions, knowledge sharing, and networking opportunities that are set to shape the future of research management. The first day of the conference started with the welcoming speeches of Alzbeta Lapsanska (Slovak University of Technology) and Virág Zsár (HETFA Research Institute) and followed by Blanka Csite (HETFA Research Institute) introducing the project’s objectives and planned activities.

Th keynote speech by Henning Rickelt, Managing Director of Zentrum für Wissenschaftsmanagement e.V., representing Germany, a co-sponsor of ERA Action 17 focused on “The Importance of Research Management and Related Policy Initiatives.” Nik Claesen, Director of EARMA introduced the RM ROADMAP project, its main objectives and highlighted the methods used by the consortium to co-create the future of research management in Europe. More information about the co-creation on the Knowledge and Community Platform is available here.

A glimpse into the landscape of research management in the V4+WB region was provided offering attendees a sneak peek into the main chapters of the Emerald Handbook of RMA around the world which will be launched in November 2023. After a short video message by Simon Kerridge and Susi Poli, two of the three main editors of the book, and an overview of the book presented by Virág Zsár (HETFA), the specific chapters were introduced by Andjela Pepic (Western Balkans), Jaroslav Sip (Czech Republic) and Virág Zsár (Hungary).

This section was followed by parallel sessions. In one session, participants have explored open science and research management and in the other session, the added value of RM communities and support services were presented. Daniel Spichtinger held an interactive session on open science, Natasa Jakominic Marot introduced the OPUS project (Horizon Europe) and Erika Kurucz’s presentation focused on research data and management practices at the Corvinus University of Budapest. These sessions provided a comprehensive view of recent developments and practices in the field. The other parallel sessions delved into the added value of Research Management Communities and Support Services, featuring presentations that showcased different national experiences from Czechia (Ida Souckova Olsova and Stanislava Gráf), Hungary, (Veronika Tamás; Center for Social Sciences, Judit Fekete; Corvinus University of Budapest) and Albania (Brikene Dionizi; University of Shkoder).

After the parallel sessions, the event continued with two presentations, the first one focused on the challenges in innovation and knowledge management presented by Katarina Pavlovic. The other presentation’s main goal was to showcase some deep tech projects in higher education, Suzana Gotovac Atlagic and Marija Stojakovic talked about the importance of the research support offices for material science and technology projects, featuring a success story from the University of Banja Luka.

The first day ended with a networking dinner.

On the second day, the morning featured a plenary session led by Sean McCarthy, providing valuable insights into the analysis of Horizon Europe’s Pillar II Work Programme.

The parallel sessions covered financial aspects, offering insights into project-based remuneration in Horizon Europe (Renata Downar-Zapolska), project budgeting (Milica Kaplarevic), and the financial and formal aspects of clinical trials in EU co-funded projects (Anna Tilszer). The other section focused on the realisation and valorisation of research and innovation projects. In her presentation, Katarzyna Walczyk-Matuszyk shared some insights on how to valorise research results in Widening countries. Fjoralba Begeja showcased the experiences of how valorisation and realisation of research results works at an Albanian NGO. The third presentation focused on strategic networking where Serena Mancini shared some of her research results on strategic networking and technology transfer between HEis and SMEs in Digital Healthcare.

The event concluded with a wrap-up and discussions on the next steps, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and ongoing dialogue among the network’s members. The conference served as a vibrant platform for stakeholders to share experiences, gain insights and explore the evolving landscape of research management.

For more information and updates on the V4+WB Network of Research Managers and Administrators (RMAs) Plus, please visit our website. The presentations are available on the Learning Material Platform that you can access after registering to the Online Expert Pool.

]]> https://hetfa.eu/2023/09/v4wb-rma-network-plus-launching-conference-the-call-for-applications-is-already-open/ Thu, 07 Sep 2023 17:58:33 +0000 https://hetfa.eu/?p=10759 As we announced earlier, we are continuing our initiative to reinforce the network of Research Managers and Administrators (RMAs) in the V4+WB region with our new project, V4+WB RMA Network Plus which is also funded by the International Visegrad Fund and led by HETFA Research Institute.

The launching event of the project entitled “Research Managers and Administration: the state-of-the art and future of Research Managers in the V4+WB region” will take place in person in Bratislava, Slovakia on 17-18 October 2023, targeting RMAs from the V4+WB region and beyond. The event is hosted by the Slovak University of Technology, Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology.

The call for applications is already open, we are looking for your application. Deadline for submission of application: 17 September 2023

Attendance is free of charge, but subject to selection procedure. More information is available here.

We are actively seeking new opportunities to collaborate as a Hungarian partner. If you are interested in forming a consortium with us or exploring potential joint projects, we invite you to contact us at internationaloffice@hetfa.hu.

Learn more about our main activities and references.

*Annex 1 of Act IX of 2021 on public interest trust funds performing public functions lists those entities that had been granted the status of “public trust funds performing a public function”, which are affected by the Council Implementing Decision (https://njt.hu/jogszabaly/2021-9-00-00 – in Hungarian).

The aim of the foRMAtion project is to support students in higher education as potential research managers and administrators by reinforcing their high-level and transversal skills needed for developing and managing excellent European research, innovation and educational projects.

 The final conference of foRMAtion entitled The Future of Research Management and Training in Higher Education: Insights from foRMAtion’s teaching and mentoring experience to professionalise research management will take place on 30 November, in Brussels, and will be hosted by the Liaison Office of APRE – the Italian Agency for the Promotion of European Research.

The main objective of the event is to promote foRMAtion’s innovative Educational Module, the Mentorship Programme, and to disseminate the Guide & impact assessment for educating and training RMAs in higher education, backed by policy recommendations.

Check out the agenda and register today!

For in-person participation, please register here.

Join us online! Registration for online participation is possible via the following .

The event streaming will be accessible via this .