Workshop Materials

The InSPIREurope Regional Outreach Workshop in Greece, hosted by the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), took place on Thursday, March 31st in hybrid format (online and face to face meetings) from 10.30-17.30 Greek local time (EEST).

The workshop brought together over 100 academics, HEI representatives, NGOs, national/EU representatives, representatives of professional/industry associations and researchers at risk along with the project partners to share experience and information on existing support and funding programs as well as good practices to promote cooperation across Europe in support of researchers at risk. 

Presentations from each of the sessions are available below:

11.00 - 14.30 (EEST) Morning plenary session:

Chair: Alexandros Triantafyllidis, Inspireurope local coordinator at AUTh, Associate Professor of the School of Biology

11.00 - 11.30: Welcome Remarks

•          Η.Ε. the President of the Hellenic Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou (Please click here for a short preview of the welcome address)
•          Nikos Papaioannou, Rector of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh), Professor of the School of Veterinary studies
•          Angelos Syrigos, Deputy Minister of Education, Greece, Associate Professor of International Law and Foreign Policy
•          Panagiotis Glavinis, Vice President of the State Scholarships Foundation (IKY), Professor of International Economic Law, AUTh
•          Alexandros Triantafyllidis, Inspireurope local Coordinator at AUTh, Chair of SAR Greece, Professor of the School of Biology

11:30- 12:00 Keynote Speech: Academic Freedom

Angelos Syrigos, Deputy Minister of Education, Greece, Associate Professor of International Law and Foreign Policy “European universities: five centuries of academic freedom”

12:00- 13:15 Building a culture of welcome at SE European universities

• Andreas Floros, Rector of Ionian University, Greece, Professor “A framework for Academic Freedom Protection in an Insular, Regional Environment”
• Chrysi Vitsilaki, Rector of the University of the Aegean, Greece, Professor “From the shores of the Aegean Sea to the classrooms of the University of the Aegean: Support and integration actions for refugees”
• Bernard Dosti, Deputy Rector of Tirana University, Albania, Associate Professor
• Visitación López-Miranda González, Vice-rector for Research, Senior Lecturer of Pharmacology & Andrés Martínez Fernández, Vice-rector for Planning and Strategy, Senior Lecturer of Telecommunication Engineering, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Spain”Welcome to Ukrainian researchers at the Rey Juan Carlos University and at the Conference of Rectors of the Public Universities of Madrid”
• Dr. Homayoon Ganji, Research Fellow, University of Pisa “Experience as a host researcher in an Italian university”
• Dr. Theodora Tsovili, Senior Child Protection Associate, UNHCR Athens “Aiming higher - the other 5%”

To view a recording of the session, please click the player below:

13:15- 14:30 Building National-level Actions and Support Networks in South East Europe for Researchers at Risk

In light of record numbers of applications from at-risk scholars in Afghanistan, and now given the context of the war in the Ukraine, this panel will feature interactive discussion about existing national initiatives for researchers at risk, including shared experiences and suggestions for beginning, engaging, sustaining, growing and/or challenging and changing such initiatives in new national contexts throughout the region.

Moderator: Joel Hanisek, PhD, Inspireurope Programme Manager

• Frank Albrecht, Programme Director Philipp Schwartz Initiative, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Germany
• Karolina Catoni, SAR Sweden Coordinator, International Administrative Officer, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.  Please click here to view the presentation.
• Marion Gues, Integration and Career development Officer, PAUSE Program, France
• Francesca Helm, Co-chair of SAR Italy, Researcher, Department of Political and Juridical Sciences and International Studies, University of Padova
• Beata Kowalska, Professor, Institute of Sociology, Jagiellonian University, Poland

To view a recording of the session, please click the player below:

15.00 - 17.35 (EEST) Afternoon sessions:

15:00 – 16:00 Career development & cross-national circulation of researchers in Europe:

Chair: Grigoris Zarotiadis, Dean of the Faculty of Economics & Political Sciences, AUTh

• Svetlana Dimitriova, Sofia University, EURAXESS Bulgaria network Coordinator “EURAXESS services for RRs and cooperation of programmes and projects”
• Miroslav Trajanovic, Professor, University of Nis, EURAXESS Serbia Network “BRiDGE projects activities for RRs: Internship programme, training and mentoring”
• Ioannis Katsikis, CEDEFOP Greece, “Relocation 2.0: Building a path for adult refugee legal mobility in the EU”
• Jan Peter Ganter De Otero, Human Capital Development Expert, European Training Foundation, “Introducing research activities in VET systems: new possibilities and opportunities for researchers and academic mobility”
• Previous SAR scholar “Personal experience”

16:00 – 17:00 Researchers at Risk: European Solidarity with Afghanistan and Ukraine

Moderator: Ewing Amadi Salumu, UAF - Stichting Voor Vluchteling

• Sarina Rosenthal, Senior Program Officer Scholars at Risk (SAR).  Please click here to view the presentation.
• Dr. Said Reza Kazemi, Visiting Researcher, Institute of Anthropology, Centre for Asian and Transcultural Studies, Heidelberg University “Higher education in Afghanistan: current situation”. Please click here to view the presentation.
• Julia Runte, Project Officer for the Afghan Scholars and Students at Risk Project, Global Campus of Human Rights, “Global Campus of Human Rights: Support and Scholarship for Threatened Afghan Scholars and Students”. Please click here to view the presentation.
• Dr. Sasha (Oleksandra) Ivashchenko, Leiden University Medical Center, Country Coordinator [Netherlands] Science for Ukraine “Support for Ukrainian academics and researchers at risk"

To view a recording of the session, please click the player below:

17:00 – 17:30 Closing remarks