BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//wp-events-plugin.com//7.3.5//EN BEGIN:VEVENT UID:5@charm-eu.eu DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20261014 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20261015 DTSTAMP:20261014T084801Z URL:https://charm-eu.eu/news-events/events/charm-eu-annual-conference-2026 / SUMMARY:CHARM-EU Annual Conference 2026 DESCRIPTION: \n In an era of accelerating geopolitical\, tec hnological\, and environmental crisis\, what is the anchor that prevents o ur societies from drifting apart? This question lies at the heart of the C HARM-EU Annual Conference 2026. As we face disruptions that test our socia l fabric\, we recognize that true resilience depends on foundational value s—democracy\, trust\, and inclusion. These values underpin resilient soc ieties and enable constructive dialogue and collective action in times of crisis.European University Alliances are uniquely positioned to protect th ese values by serving as long-term\, systemic spaces for democratic learni ng and practice. By integrating innovative governance\, transdisciplinary research\, and deep engagement with our cities and regions\, we are moving beyond traditional education to build sustainable welfare societies. At t he conference\, we will gather to explore how our transnational cooperatio n can act as a platform for co-creation\, ensuring a resilient future for Europe and beyond.Sessions will cover topics such as: Social Entrepreneur shipTransdisciplinarityThe role of alliances in times of crisesDemocratic values in the classroomOpen ScienceDemocracy labsVenue: Astra\, Porthanin katu 3\, Turku\, FinlandHow to arrive: https://share.google/Gm1ISsiOAo11s9 cMO Format: On-site with partial live streaming. The morning panel sessio n will be live streamed on the CHARM-EU YouTube Channel. The rest of the c onference is designed to be attended onsite only.Host of the CHARM-EU Annu al Conference 2026: Åbo Akademi University \n \n Registratio ns are closed (deadline was 30 September)\n \n CALL for posters \n The Open Call for Posters for the CHARM-EU Annual Conference 2026 is officially live. Whether you are an academic\, a student\, support staff\, or an external stakeholder\, we want to hear your voice on topics like in clusive university cultures\, educational innovation\, and transnational c ooperation.If accepted\, you'll get to pitch your work in person this Octo ber 14th at Åbo Akademi University in Turku\, Finland. There you will eng age with higher education change-makers\, and have your work featured in t he CHARM-EU resource centre.Don’t miss your chance to contribute to sust ainable welfare societies—review the submission guidelines and submit yo ur abstract before September 15th. \n \n View the Call (close d)\n \n PROGRAMME \n \n \n Morning Sessions \n \ n \n \n 8:00 –\; 9:00 Registration &\; Coffee9:00 & #8211\; 9:15 Opening by Rector Professor Gunilla WidénRector of host uni versity ÅAU\, Professor Gunilla Widén\, welcomes the conference particip ants. 9:15 –\; 9:45 Universities as democratic actors Keynote Speech by ÅAU Professor Kimmo Grönlund9:45 –\; 10:45 From Mobility to Dem ocratic resilience: The Role of European University alliances –\; Pan el Session –\; You can follow this sesssion online.European Universit y alliances are often framed as vehicles for mobility and institutional co operation\, yet their potential role in supporting democratic values remai ns underdeveloped. In a context of growing political fragmentation across Europe\, this panel examines how alliances can move beyond exchange format s such as Erasmus+ and contribute to democratic resilience. Moderator: Do ris Alexander\, Associate Director of European Engagement and Director of CHARM-EU\, Trinity College Dublin\; Chair\, Research &\; Innovation Top ical Group\, FOREU4ALLPanelists: Anders Adlercreutz\, Finland’\;s Mi nister of EducationMaria Kelo\, European University Association (EUA)Karl Stoeckel\, CIVIS Executive DirectorRapporteur: Lena Wassermann\, Advisor t o the Vice President for Internationalisation at the University of Würzbu rg and supports the university’s strategic engagement within the CHARM-E U Alliance10:45 –\; 11:15 Coffee Break and posters gallery walk11:15 –\; 12:00 Design processes and initiatives for promoting sustaina bility leadership\, civic engagement and inclusive mindset: the REDINEST Impact Labs –\; Interactive LectureGet inspired by the story of a jo urney that transformed the entrepreneurship education for computer science students into an international level interdisciplinary and impactful in itiative: educational methods\, goals\, achievements\, and activities for a student-powered and challenge-based impact lab network for the developm ent of transformative competencies and inclusive mindset. Share your tho ughts and ideas on creating cross-subject\, cross-faculty and cross-instit utional learning opportunities that form sustainability leadership and civ ic engagement skills of future changemakers. Lecturer: Dr. Barbara Hegyi\ , Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education Coordinator at Eötvös Lorán d University Budapest (ELTE)Rapporteurs: Anikó Gál Bélteki and Ferenc T akó from Eötvös Loránd University Budapest (ELTE)12:00 –\; 12:15 Group Picture12:15 –\; 13:15 Lunch \n \n \n \n Afternoon Sessions \n \n \n \n 13:30 –\; 15:00 Wo rkshops –\; parallel sessions \n \n Workshop 1 \n \n \n Workshop 2 \n \n \n Workshop 3 \n \n \n Worksh op 4 \n \n \n Workshop 5 \n \n \n Workshop 6 \n \n SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP: BUILDING SOLUTIONS FOR RESILIENT COMMUNITIE S How can we turn academic ideas into tools for societal welfare? This wo rkshop explores the link between innovation and social impact. Participant s will work in small groups to “\;pitch”\; a solution to a local community challenge\, focusing on how entrepreneurship can support democr atic values like equity and inclusion. Speakers and Facilitators: Sonia Cantel\, Professor at the University of MontpellierMaria Hämäläinen\, C HARM-EU AlumniPhoebe Sacares\, CHARM-EU AlumniRoland Thaler\, Professor at the University of MontpellierRaporteur: Roland Thaler\, Professor at the University of Montpellier \n How to make your research or t eaching methodologies more transdisciplinar?Moving from theory to practice \, this session explores how researchers and teachers can adapt their proj ects/work on a more transdisciplinar way of doing things.Speakers and Fa cilitators: Dr. Jake Rowan Byrne\,  Co-Director of CHARM-EU and Assista nt Professor in Contemporary Teaching and Learning at the School of  Education\, Trinity College DublinOriol Uviedo Palomas\, Laboratory an d project technician\, specialized in microplastics and citizen science\, University of BarcelonaRoger Strand\, full professor at the Centre for th e Study of the Sciences and the Humanities and researcher in the Theory of Science research group at the University of BergenThe winning team of the pitch competition at the CHARM-EU Doctoral Summer School 2026 on transdis ciplinarity: Ellen Lund\, Study of religions\, Åbo Akademi UniversityOly mpe Mahé Behavioral Green Finance\, University of Montpellier\, FranceNik las Reich\, Applied Mathematics\, Ruhr West University of Applied Sciences \, GermanyLinda Ruppert\, Literary Studies\, University of Würzburg\, Ger many The team consists of four doctoral candidates\, working in four diff erent fields\, at four different universities\, in three different countri es. The team worked on the question of how the Energy Vision 2040 – the switching of energy systems in the Turku region – can become a success. The team presented their winning pitch “Co-Creating the Energy Vision 20 40” first at Åbo Akademi University in June 2026\, combining the input of extensive research with economical methods and citizen participation.Ra porteur: Mireia Via\, University of Barcelona \n \n From Inclusion to Resilience: European University Al liances in times of crises In recent years\, universities and allianc es have had to respond to different types of crises: social inequ alities\, mental health issues\, migration\, political tensions\, cli mate-related challenges and increasing mistrust towards institutions. At the same time\, European University Alliances are becoming long-term c ooperation structures with the capacity to connect universities\, lo cal stakeholders and communities across borders. This workshop would like to explote a simple questions: beyong academic cooperation\, how can alli ances connect and support people and communities in crisis?  The worksho p would also be an opportunity to exchange experiences between allian ces  and reflect collectively on what could realistically be developed t ogether in the future. Speakers:Karl Stoeckel\, CIVIS\, Executive Direct orAnnisa Triyanti\, Utrecht University Rapporteur: Marvin Mendy\, Univers ity of Montpellier \n CHARM-EU Values in the Classroom: Pr actical Methods   How do we teach democracy? More importantly\, how do we create learning environments that allow students to experience democrat ic values in practice? This interactive session invites educators and stud ents to explore how CHARM-EU values can be meaningfully embedded into teac hing through Challenge-Based Learning (CBL).Together\, we will examine dif ferent dimensions of democracy in education: teaching about democracy\, te aching democratic values\, and democratising the classroom itself. Through discussion and a hands-on CBL mini-workshop\, participants will explore p ractical approaches for facilitating respectful dialogue\, navigating cont roversial topics\, engaging diverse stakeholders\, and fostering participa tion in classrooms shaped by political\, cultural\, and societal tensions. Speakers &\; Facilitators:Nelli Piehl\, CHARM-EU alumna and Teaching an d Project Assistant at Åbo AkademiMartin Meggele Sjøen\, Professor of Ed ucational Studies at the Institute of Education\, University of BergenChri stoph Mohamad-Klotzbach\, Political Scientist at the Institute of Politica l Science and Sociology at the JMU WürzburgNina Shiel\, Responsible Resea rch &\; Innovation Specialist for CHARM-EU at Trinity College DublinÁd ám Tóth\, Researcher and Lecturer on Sustainability and Transdisciplinar y education at Utrecht UniversityRapporteur:Nina Shiel \n O pen Science Made Simple: Sharing Knowledge for a Stronger Society Open Sc ience is often seen as a technical hurdle\, but it is a democratic tool. T his workshop provides a “\;starter kit”\; for researchers to mak e their work open and transparent. We will discuss the benefits of sharing data and how it builds public trust in science and democratic institution s. Speakers &\; Facilitators: Balázs Aczél\, Vice Dean for Science at the Faculty of Education and Psychology of Eötvös Loránd UniversityM alin FredrikssonRapporteurs:Anikó Gál BéltekiFerenc Takó \n  In the democratic lab: live deliberative experimentThe results of t his experiment (including an analysis based on the questionnaires) will be presented with the closing remarks in 10-15 minutes.Facilitators:Isak VentoVilppu Kuusipalo \n 15:00 –\; 15:20 Poster Sessio n –\; One-minute Pitches\nThe poster session will be a space where me mbers of European University Alliances\, university staff\, students and e xternal stakeholders can exchange ideas and discuss the posters. Poster presenters will give a minute pitch and then engage in discussions. \n15: 20 –\; 16:00 Poster Session &\; Coffee Break \n16:00 –\; 16: 15 Interactive Quiz\nCultural interactive quiz with questions from Åbo A cademy University and Finland: traditions\, music\, food\, culture\, histo ry\, and possibly Moomins\n16:15 –\; 17:00 Closing session\n\n Rappo rteurs will present the main conclusions of the workshops.\n Closing spee ch from Meritxell Chaves\, CHARM-EU Secretary General\n\n\n17:15 –\; 19:00 Cocktail Reception\n\n City of Turku Welcome Words by Dr. Kaija Har tiala\, Chairperson of the City Council\n Musical elements by members of the student choirs Florakören and Brahe Djäknar\n A selection of cockta il bites and refreshments\n \n \n \n \n Evening Pr ogramme \n \n \n \n After the conference you are welcome to the Archipelago bar (Skärgårdsbaren) in the centre of the city\, to c ontinue the evening with food and drinks (at your own expense)\, karaoke\, dancing or just socializing. \n \n 8:00 - 9:00 Registration & amp\; Coffee9:00 - 9:15 Opening by Rector Professor Gunilla WidénRector of host university ÅAU\, Professor Gunilla Widén\, welcomes the conferen ce participants. 9:15 - 9:45 Universities as democratic actors Keynote Sp eech by ÅAU Professor Kimmo Grönlund9:45 - 10:45 From Mobility to Democr atic resilience: The Role of European University alliances - Panel Session - You can follow this sesssion online.European University alliances are o ften framed as vehicles for mobility and institutional cooperation\, yet t heir potential role in supporting democratic values remains underdeveloped . In a context of growing political fragmentation across Europe\, this pan el examines how alliances can move beyond exchange formats such as Erasmus + and contribute to democratic resilience. Moderator: Doris Alexander\, A ssociate Director of European Engagement and Director of CHARM-EU\, Trinit y College Dublin\; Chair\, Research &\; Innovation Topical Group\, FORE U4ALLPanelists: Anders Adlercreutz\, Finland's Minister of EducationMaria Kelo\, European University Association (EUA)Karl Stoeckel\, CIVIS Executi ve DirectorRapporteur: Lena Wassermann\, Advisor to the Vice President for Internationalisation at the University of Würzburg and supports the univ ersity’s strategic engagement within the CHARM-EU Alliance10:45 - 11:15 Coffee Break and posters gallery walk11:15 - 12:00 Design processes and initiatives for promoting sustainability leadership\, civic engagement  and inclusive mindset: the REDINEST Impact Labs - Interactive LectureGet inspired by the story of a journey that transformed the entrepreneurship education for computer science students into an international level inte rdisciplinary and impactful initiative: educational methods\, goals\, ach ievements\, and activities for a student-powered and challenge-based impac t lab network for the development of transformative competencies and incl usive mindset. Share your thoughts and ideas on creating cross-subject\, cross-faculty and cross-institutional learning opportunities that form sus tainability leadership and civic engagement skills of future changemakers.  Lecturer: Dr. Barbara Hegyi\, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education Coordinator at Eötvös Loránd University Budapest (ELTE)Rapporteurs: Ani kó Gál Bélteki and Ferenc Takó from Eötvös Loránd University Budap est (ELTE)12:00 - 12:15 Group Picture12:15 - 13:15 Lunch13:30 - 15:00 Work shops - parallel sessions \n \n Workshop 1 \n \n \n Works hop 2 \n \n \n Workshop 3 \n \n \n Workshop 4 \n \n \n Workshop 5 \n \n \n Workshop 6 \n \n SOCIAL EN TREPRENEURSHIP: BUILDING SOLUTIONS FOR RESILIENT COMMUNITIES How can we t urn academic ideas into tools for societal welfare? This workshop explores the link between innovation and social impact. Participants will work in small groups to “\;pitch”\; a solution to a local community chal lenge\, focusing on how entrepreneurship can support democratic values lik e equity and inclusion. Speakers and Facilitators: Sonia Cantel\, Profes sor at the University of MontpellierMaria Hämäläinen\, CHARM-EU AlumniP hoebe Sacares\, CHARM-EU AlumniRoland Thaler\, Professor at the University of MontpellierRaporteur: Roland Thaler\, Professor at the University of M ontpellier \n How to make your research or teaching methodo logies more transdisciplinar?Moving from theory to practice\, this session explores how researchers and teachers can adapt their projects/work on a more transdisciplinar way of doing things.Speakers and Facilitators: Dr . Jake Rowan Byrne\,  Co-Director of CHARM-EU and Assistant Professor in Contemporary Teaching and Learning at the School of Education\,  Trinity College DublinOriol Uviedo Palomas\, Laboratory and project techn ician\, specialized in microplastics and citizen science\, University of B arcelonaRoger Strand\, full professor at the Centre for the Study of the Sciences and the Humanities and researcher in the Theory of Science resear ch group at the University of BergenThe winning team of the pitch competit ion at the CHARM-EU Doctoral Summer School 2026 on transdisciplinarity: E llen Lund\, Study of religions\, Åbo Akademi UniversityOlympe Mahé Behav ioral Green Finance\, University of Montpellier\, FranceNiklas Reich\, App lied Mathematics\, Ruhr West University of Applied Sciences\, GermanyLinda Ruppert\, Literary Studies\, University of Würzburg\, Germany The team consists of four doctoral candidates\, working in four different fields\, at four different universities\, in three different countries. The team wo rked on the question of how the Energy Vision 2040 – the switching of en ergy systems in the Turku region – can become a success. The team presen ted their winning pitch “Co-Creating the Energy Vision 2040” first at Åbo Akademi University in June 2026\, combining the input of extensive re search with economical methods and citizen participation.Raporteur: Mireia Via\, University of Barcelona \n \n From Inclusion to Resilience: European University Alliances in time s of crises In recent years\, universities and alliances have had t o respond to different types of crises: social inequalities\, menta l health issues\, migration\, political tensions\, climate-related ch allenges and increasing mistrust towards institutions. At the same time \, European University Alliances are becoming long-term cooperation stru ctures with the capacity to connect universities\, local stakeholder s and communities across borders. This workshop would like to explote a s imple questions: beyong academic cooperation\, how can alliances connect a nd support people and communities in crisis?  The workshop would also  be an opportunity to exchange experiences between alliances  and refl ect collectively on what could realistically be developed together in th e future. Speakers:Karl Stoeckel\, CIVIS\, Executive DirectorAnnisa Triya nti\, Utrecht University Rapporteur: Marvin Mendy\, University of Montpel lier \n CHARM-EU Values in the Classroom: Practical Method s   How do we teach democracy? More importantly\, how do we create lear ning environments that allow students to experience democratic values in p ractice? This interactive session invites educators and students to explor e how CHARM-EU values can be meaningfully embedded into teaching through C hallenge-Based Learning (CBL).Together\, we will examine different dimensi ons of democracy in education: teaching about democracy\, teaching democra tic values\, and democratising the classroom itself. Through discussion an d a hands-on CBL mini-workshop\, participants will explore practical appro aches for facilitating respectful dialogue\, navigating controversial topi cs\, engaging diverse stakeholders\, and fostering participation in classr ooms shaped by political\, cultural\, and societal tensions.Speakers &\ ; Facilitators:Nelli Piehl\, CHARM-EU alumna and Teaching and Project Assi stant at Åbo AkademiMartin Meggele Sjøen\, Professor of Educational Stud ies at the Institute of Education\, University of BergenChristoph Mohamad- Klotzbach\, Political Scientist at the Institute of Political Science and Sociology at the JMU WürzburgNina Shiel\, Responsible Research &\; Inn ovation Specialist for CHARM-EU at Trinity College DublinÁdám Tóth\, Re searcher and Lecturer on Sustainability and Transdisciplinary education at Utrecht UniversityRapporteur:Nina Shiel \n Open Science Ma de Simple: Sharing Knowledge for a Stronger Society Open Science is often seen as a technical hurdle\, but it is a democratic tool. This workshop p rovides a “\;starter kit”\; for researchers to make their work o pen and transparent. We will discuss the benefits of sharing data and how it builds public trust in science and democratic institutions. Speakers & amp\; Facilitators: Balázs Aczél\, Vice Dean for Science at the Faculty of Education and Psychology of Eötvös Loránd UniversityMalin Fredrikss onRapporteurs:Anikó Gál BéltekiFerenc Takó \n  In the democratic lab: live deliberative experimentThe results of this experiment  (including an analysis based on the questionnaires) will be presented with the closing remarks in 10-15 minutes.Facilitators:Isak VentoVilppu Ku usipalo \n SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP: BUILDING SOLUTIONS FOR RESILIE NT COMMUNITIES How can we turn academic ideas into tools for societal wel fare? This workshop explores the link between innovation and social impact . Participants will work in small groups to "pitch" a solution to a local community challenge\, focusing on how entrepreneurship can support democra tic values like equity and inclusion. Speakers and Facilitators: Sonia C antel\, Professor at the University of MontpellierMaria Hämäläinen\, CH ARM-EU AlumniPhoebe Sacares\, CHARM-EU AlumniRoland Thaler\, Professor at the University of MontpellierRaporteur: Roland Thaler\, Professor at the U niversity of MontpellierHow to make your research or teaching methodologie s more transdisciplinar?Moving from theory to practice\, this session expl ores how researchers and teachers can adapt their projects/work on a more  transdisciplinar way of doing things.Speakers and Facilitators: Dr. Ja ke Rowan Byrne\,  Co-Director of CHARM-EU and Assistant Professor in Con temporary Teaching and Learning at the School of Education\, Trin ity College DublinOriol Uviedo Palomas\, Laboratory and project technicia n\, specialized in microplastics and citizen science\, University of Barce lonaRoger Strand\, full professor at the Centre for the Study of the Scie nces and the Humanities and researcher in the Theory of Science research g roup at the University of BergenThe winning team of the pitch competition at the CHARM-EU Doctoral Summer School 2026 on transdisciplinarity: Ellen Lund\, Study of religions\, Åbo Akademi UniversityOlympe Mahé Behaviora l Green Finance\, University of Montpellier\, FranceNiklas Reich\, Applied Mathematics\, Ruhr West University of Applied Sciences\, GermanyLinda Rup pert\, Literary Studies\, University of Würzburg\, Germany The team cons ists of four doctoral candidates\, working in four different fields\, at f our different universities\, in three different countries. The team worked on the question of how the Energy Vision 2040 – the switching of energy systems in the Turku region – can become a success. The team presented their winning pitch “Co-Creating the Energy Vision 2040” first at Åbo Akademi University in June 2026\, combining the input of extensive resear ch with economical methods and citizen participation.Raporteur: Mireia Via \, University of Barcelona \n \n From Inclu sion to Resilience: European University Alliances in times of crises In  recent years\, universities and alliances have had to respond to d ifferent types of crises: social inequalities\, mental health issues \, migration\, political tensions\, climate-related challenges and incr easing mistrust towards institutions. At the same time\, European Uni versity Alliances are becoming long-term cooperation structures with the  capacity to connect universities\, local stakeholders and communities across borders. This workshop would like to explote a simple questions: beyong academic cooperation\, how can alliances connect and support people and communities in crisis?  The workshop would also be an opportun ity to exchange experiences between alliances  and reflect collectively o n what could realistically be developed together in the future. Speaker s:Karl Stoeckel\, CIVIS\, Executive DirectorAnnisa Triyanti\, Utrecht Univ ersity Rapporteur: Marvin Mendy\, University of MontpellierCHARM-EU Valu es in the Classroom: Practical Methods   How do we teach democracy? Mor e importantly\, how do we create learning environments that allow students to experience democratic values in practice? This interactive session inv ites educators and students to explore how CHARM-EU values can be meaningf ully embedded into teaching through Challenge-Based Learning (CBL).Togethe r\, we will examine different dimensions of democracy in education: teachi ng about democracy\, teaching democratic values\, and democratising the cl assroom itself. Through discussion and a hands-on CBL mini-workshop\, part icipants will explore practical approaches for facilitating respectful dia logue\, navigating controversial topics\, engaging diverse stakeholders\, and fostering participation in classrooms shaped by political\, cultural\, and societal tensions.Speakers &\; Facilitators:Nelli Piehl\, CHARM-EU alumna and Teaching and Project Assistant at Åbo AkademiMartin Meggele S jøen\, Professor of Educational Studies at the Institute of Education\, U niversity of BergenChristoph Mohamad-Klotzbach\, Political Scientist at th e Institute of Political Science and Sociology at the JMU WürzburgNina Sh iel\, Responsible Research &\; Innovation Specialist for CHARM-EU at Tr inity College DublinÁdám Tóth\, Researcher and Lecturer on Sustainabili ty and Transdisciplinary education at Utrecht UniversityRapporteur:Nina Sh ielOpen Science Made Simple: Sharing Knowledge for a Stronger Society Ope n Science is often seen as a technical hurdle\, but it is a democratic too l. This workshop provides a "starter kit" for researchers to make their wo rk open and transparent. We will discuss the benefits of sharing data and how it builds public trust in science and democratic institutions. Speake rs &\; Facilitators: Balázs Aczél\, Vice Dean for Science at the Fac ulty of Education and Psychology of Eötvös Loránd UniversityMalin Fredr ikssonRapporteurs:Anikó Gál BéltekiFerenc Takó In the democratic lab: live deliberative experimentThe results of this experiment (including an analysis based on the questionnaires) will be presented with the closin g remarks in 10-15 minutes.Facilitators:Isak VentoVilppu Kuusipalo15:00 - 15:20 Poster Session - One-minute Pitches\nThe poster session will be a sp ace where members of European University Alliances\, university staff\, st udents and external stakeholders can exchange ideas and discuss the post ers. Poster presenters will give a minute pitch and then engage in discuss ions. \n15:20 - 16:00 Poster Session &\; Coffee Break \n16:00 - 16:15 Interactive Quiz\nCultural interactive quiz with questions from Åbo Aca demy University and Finland: traditions\, music\, food\, culture\, history \, and possibly Moomins\n16:15 - 17:00 Closing session\n\n Rapporteurs wi ll present the main conclusions of the workshops.\n Closing speech from M eritxell Chaves\, CHARM-EU Secretary General\n\n\n17:15 - 19:00 Cocktail R eception\n\n City of Turku Welcome Words by Dr. Kaija Hartiala\, Chairper son of the City Council\n Musical elements by members of the student choi rs Florakören and Brahe Djäknar\n A selection of cocktail bites and ref reshments\nAfter the conference you are welcome to the Archipelago bar (Sk ärgårdsbaren) in the centre of the city\, to continue the evening with f ood and drinks (at your own expense)\, karaoke\, dancing or just socializi ng. \n Posters \n \n Posters are live here\n \n SPEAKERS AND PANELISTS \n \n Balázs Aczél \n \n \n Anders Adlercreutz \n \n \n Doris Alexander \n \n \n Jak e Byrne \n \n \n Sonia Cantel \n \n \n Meritxell Chaves \n \n \n Malin Fredriksson \n \n \n Anikó Gál Bélteki \n \n \n Kimmo Grönlund \n \n \n Maria Hämäläinen \n \n \n Barbara Hegyi \n \n \n Maria Kelo \n \n \n Vilppu Kuusipalo \n \n \n Marvin Mendy \n \n \n Chri stoph Mohamad-Klotzbach \n \n \n Nelli Piehl \n \n \n Ph oebe Sacares \n \n \n Nina Shiel \n \n \n Martin Sjøen \n \n \n Karl Stoeckel \n \n \n Roger Strand \n \n \n Ferenc Tacó \n \n \n Roland Thaler \n \n \n Ád ám Tóth \n \n \n Annisa Triyanti \n \n \n Oriol Uvied o \n \n \n Isak Vento \n \n \n Mireia Via \n \n \n Lena Wassermann \n \n \n Gunilla Widén \n \n Balázs Aczél\nVice Dean for Science at the Faculty of Education and Psychology o f Eötvös Loránd University \n Balázs Aczél is Vice Dean fo r Science at the Faculty of Education and Psychology of Eötvös Loránd U niversity\, Budapest\, where he is also Professor of Psychology. He has be en actively involved in the CHARM-EU alliance through the TORCH project\, leading its Open Science activities\, and continues to contribute to the a lliance’\;s research and innovation initiatives within the CHARM-EIGH T project. His research focuses on metascience\, with particular emphasis on research methodology\, open science\, and improving the robustness and credibility of scientific research. Through his research\, teaching\, and international collaborations\, he promotes the adoption of transparent and reproducible research practices and supports the development of research capacity across the CHARM-EU partner institutions. \n \n Anders Adlercreutz\, Finland's Minister of Educatio n \n Anders Adlercreutz (b. 1970) is Chair of the Swedish Peop le’s Party of Finland since June 2024 and the current Minister of Educat ion. He graduated as an architect from Helsinki University of Technology i n 1999. Adlercreutz’\;s political career began when he was elected to Kirkkonummi Municipal Council in 2013\, he served as Chair of the Council from 2017 to 2023. He has been a Member of Parliament since 2015 and serv ed as Chair of SFP’s Parliamentary Group from 2019 to 2023. During the y ears in Parliament\, Adlercreutz was a member of several Committees\, eg. the Finance Committee\, the Defence Committee\, the Administration Committ ee\, and the Environmental Committee. Before becoming Minister of Educatio n he served as Minister of European Affairs and Ownership Steering for the first year of the Orpo Government\, from June 2023 to June 2024. Minister Adlercreutz is married\, has 5 children\, is fluent in 7 languages and is an avid cello player in his free time. \n \n Doris Alexander\, Associate Director of European Engagement\, Trinity College Dublin \n Doris Alexander has worked in Resear ch Management Administration since 1994\, taking up her current post as As sociate Director of European Engagement in 2019 and is responsible for the development of strategies of engagement\, working to get early insight on new EU policy/initiatives so as to maximise the opportunity space for Tri nity. She is currently engaged in the implementation of aspects of the ERA policy agenda. She has been involved in several EC stakeholder groups in cluding the co-creation of the European Universities initiative\, is the c o-director of CHARM-EU alliance in Trinity College and a member of the Exe cutive Board. She was Chair of the R&\;I subgroup of the FOREU1 network (the network of the 17 European Universities alliances funded through the first Erasmus+ pilot call) and is currently chair of the R&\;I Topical Group (part of FOREU4ALL) for all alliances.Doris holds a BA in Mathemati cal Science and an MSc in Computer Science (Health Informatics) from Trini ty College Dublin. \n \n Jake Rowa n ByrneCo-Director of CHARM-EU and Assistant Professor in Contemporary Tea ching and Learning at the School of Education\, Trinity College Dublin \n Dr. Jake Rowan Byrne is Co-Director of CHARM-EU and Assistant P rofessor in Contemporary Teaching and Learning at the School of Education\ , Trinity College Dublin. His research and practice focus on transdiscipli nary education\, challenge-based learning\, innovative curriculum design\, and the development of learner agency through collaborative educational a pproaches. As a member of CHARM-EU’\;s Knowledge Creating Teams (KCTs )\, he has helped design and deliver transnational educational experiences \, including leading the development and initial delivery of the Transdisc iplinary Research Module within the CHARM-EU Master’\;s in Global Cha llenges for Sustainability. He also serves as a lead facilitator within th e KCT delivering the CHARM Doctoral Summer School\, supporting doctoral re searchers as they work in transdisciplinary teams to address complex socie tal challenges. Jake’\;s work is grounded in the belief that educati on has long been a naturally transdisciplinary endeavour. Designing meanin gful learning requires collaboration not only across academic disciplines but also with policymakers\, school leaders\, teachers\, learners\, famili es\, communities\, industry and civil society. His experience contributing to the development of Ireland’\;s national Leaving Certificate Compu ter Science curriculum exemplifies this approach\, bringing together diver se stakeholders to co-create educational innovation. Through his research and leadership\, Jake explores how distributed leadership\, participatory design and collaborative knowledge creation can strengthen educational eco systems and build the capacity needed to address the complex challenges fa cing society. \n \n Sonia CantelAs sociate Professor at the Institute of Biomolecules Max Mousseron (IBMM)\, University of Montpellier (UM) \n Sonia Cantel is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Biomolecules Max Mousseron (IBMM)\, Universi ty of Montpellier (UM)\, where her research lies at the interface of Chemi stry\, Biology and Analytical Sciences. Strongly committed to bridging tea ching and research\, she promotes transdisciplinary and challenge-based le arning approaches. Within CHARM-EU\, jointly with Utrecht University\, she has developped and coordinates the interdisciplinary Master’s module “Tackling Health Challenges in Internationally Linked Research Hubs ”\ , bringing together students from diverse disciplines\, universities and c ountries around authentic health challenges. She is actively involved in W P “External Stakeholders &\; Sustainability ”\, contributing to the development of approaches fostering sustainable collaboration between edu cation\, research\, innovation and external stakeholders across the CHARM- EU Alliance.  \n \n Meritxell Cha vesSecretary General of European University of CHARM-EU \n Meri txell Chaves has more than thirty years of experience in the higher educa tion sector\, in four universities of the Catalan university system\, in d ifferent functional areas of the University such as academic management\, strategic planning\, quality and accreditation\, and international relatio ns in different organisational cultures. As Secretary General of European University of CHARM-EU since the start of the initiative in 2019 she has been leading CHARM-EU team. \n \n Malin FredrikssonLeading Coordinator for Open Science at Åbo Akademi Univ ersity \n Malin Fredriksson (MSocSc\, MA) works as the Leading Coordinator for Open Science at Åbo Akademi University. She has several y ears of experience in the library and university sector\, with a strong fo cus on advancing open science and responsible research practices. Her work centers on supporting researchers through open science policies\, service s\, training\, and the development of inclusive approaches to openness in research. Her academic background is in information studies\, with a parti cular interest in open access publishing and the implementation of open sc ience practices. She also has a background in the humanities\, particularl y the study of religions and cultures. \n \n Anikó Gál BéltekiCHARM-EU Manager at ELTE \n Anik ó Gál Bélteki is acting as CHARM-EU project manager at the Eötvös Lor ánd University\, Budapest. She has already been involved in the alliance ’s R&\;I dimension project TORCH and now focuses her efforts on the s mooth running of the CHARM-EIGHT project. Holding a degree in agricultural and environmental sciences and being a qualified translator\, she has gai ned work experience in an international environment from multinational com panies through projects of universities and conservation NGOs affiliated t o global networks. Due to her diverse administrative and coordinator roles she regularly participates in the meetings of various governing boards an d offices of CHARM European University and provides assistance for some wo rk packages\, which means being in daily work contact with the representat ives of partner institutions. \n \n Kimmo GrönlundProfessor of Political Science and Director of the Social Science Research Institute at Åbo Akademi University \n Kimmo Grönlund is Professor of Political Science and Director of the Social Sc ience Research Institute at Åbo Akademi University. Currently\, he is als o member of the Board of Åbo Akademi University. His research interests i nclude democratic innovations\, public opinion\, and electoral behavior. H e has published widely\, especially on controlled experiments with deliber ative mini-publics in journals such as Political Behavior\, International Political Science Review and Scandinavian Political Studies. He is the Dir ector of the Finnish Research Infrastructure for Public Opinion FIRIPO and the research consortium STRONG – Implementing democratic innovations\, funded by the Strategic Research Council at the Research Council of Finlan d (2024–2030). Moreover\, he is a widely used expert commentator on poli tics in Finland\, and he has been the electoral commentator of the largest Finnish commercial TV channel MTV3 since 2006. \n \n Maria HämäläinenCHARM-EU MSc in Global Challenges f or Sustainability alumna \n Maria Hämäläinen is a recent gra duate of the CHARM-EU MSc in Global Challenges for Sustainability. Over tw o years\, her studies took her from Utrecht to Barcelona and Montpellier\, where she specialised in the Food track. Her work focused on agrifood tra nsitions\, Mediterranean food systems\, and the social dimensions of susta inability\, culminating in a Capstone thesis on the social acceptance of s eaweed cultivation in the Thau Lagoon. Prior to joining CHARM-EU\, Maria completed a BSc in Sustainable Urban Planning at Tampere University\, Finl and\, where her research explored gender mainstreaming through participato ry urban planning processes. This experience sparked her long-standing int erest in the governance and community dimensions of sustainability. Beyond academia\, she has been actively involved in climate justice initiatives and is currently volunteering with a Ghana-based non-profit organisation w orking at the intersection of gender equity and climate action. She is als o contributing to a research project on inclusive energy governance throug h the YES-Europe Africa-Europe collaboration programme. \n \n Barbara Hegyi economist with a PhD in Regional Sciences \n Barbara Hegyi is an economist\, with a PhD in Regi onal Sciences. She coordinates the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Educati on at ELTE Faculty of Informatics. Designer and implementer of several cou rses that embrace sustainability and social responsibility. Coordinates th e REDINEST Impact Labs programme at an international level. \n \n Maria KeloDirector of Institutional Develo pment at European University Association (EUA) \n Maria Kelo is Director of Institutional Development at European University Association (EUA). The unit’s work focuses on recognition\, quality assurance\, rank ings\, and learning and teaching\, including the European Degree. She is a member of the Swiss Accreditation Council\, vice-president of the Europea n Quality Assurance Register\, and co-represents EUA in the Bologna Proces s.Before joining EUA in 2022\, Maria was the Director of the European Asso ciation for Quality Assurance in Higher Education\, and previously worked in different European organisations in higher education. \n \n Vilppu Kuusipalo\, project coordinator at the Finnish Research Infrastructure for Public Opinion (FIRIPO) \n Vilppu Kuusipalo works as a project coordinator at the Finnish Research I nfrastructure for Public Opinion (FIRIPO)\, which operates the two deliber ation laboratories at Åbo Akademi University. Vilppu is responsible for t he day-to-day activities at FIRIPO\, such as making sure that the laborato ries function efficiently\, coordinating research-related activities\, sup porting visiting researchers\, and maintaining the infrastructure needed f or high-quality public opinion and deliberation studies.In his role\, Vilp pu works closely with researchers and other project partners to facilitate the planning and implementation of experiments\, surveys\, and events. He also contributes to the development and promotion of FIRIPO’s services\ , helping researchers make use of innovative methods and facilities for st udying public opinion\, citizen participation\, and democratic processes.V ilppu’s background is in humanities\, and he is interested in various as pects of societies\, cultures and human interaction. \n \n Marvin MendyStrategic Partnerships Officer at the University of Montpellier \n Marvin Mendy is Strategic Partner ships Officer at the University of Montpellier and leads Work Package 14 ( Worldwide Academic Partnership Network). Over the past eight years\, he ha s worked at the intersection of international relations\, diplomacy and pr oject management across the higher education\, public and private sectors. His expertise includes the design and implementation of international coo peration strategies\, institutional partnerships and multi-stakeholder ini tiatives.Within CHARM-EU\, Marvin is responsible for developing long-term partnerships beyond Europe and advancing the Alliance’\;s global enga gement strategy\, particularly with Africa and other strategic regions. Hi s work focuses on building sustainable international cooperation framework s that connect higher education\, research and societal stakeholders. \n \n Christoph Mohamad-KlotzbachPolit ical Scientist at the Institute of Political Science and Sociology at the JMU Würzburg\n \n Dr. Christoph Mohamad-Klotzbach is a Politic al Scientist at the Institute of Political Science and Sociology at the JM U Würzburg. His research focuses on democracy and democratization\, scien tific concepts\, political culture\, statehood\, political parties\, envir onmental health and sustainability. He is currently part of the EU-funded interdisciplinary research project MARKOPOLO\, which is attached to the Pr ofessorship of Social Science Sustainability Studies\, and studies knowled ge transfer in environmental health. \n \n Nelli PiehlCHARM-EU alumna and Teaching &\; Project Assistant at Åbo Akademi \n Nelli Piehl is a CHARM-EU alumna and Teachi ng and Project Assistant at Åbo Akademi\, where she also supports CHARM-E U’\;s Diversity\, Equity and Inclusion work. She is an early-career s ocio-ecological researcher with a particular interest in participatory app roaches and equity and inclusion across international contexts.  \ n \n Phoebe SacaresCHARM-EU MSc in Global Challenges for Sustainability alumna \n Phoebe Sacares is a gr aduate of the CHARM-EU MSc in Global Challenges for Sustainability\,  hav ing studied in Barcelona and Montpellier over two years of transdisciplina ry learning and research. Specialising in the Water track\, her work focus ed on a range of water-related sustainability challenges\, including suppo rting livelihoods amid aquatic ecosystem disruption in East Africa\, devel oping water-efficient infrastructure in Dublin\, and addressing drought re silience in Catalonia. These experiences sparked a strong interest in tack ling water-related sustainability issues.Prior to joining CHARM-EU\, she c ompleted a BSc in Physics and Astrophysics at the University of York (UK). With a keen interest in applying science\, data analysis\, and mapping to environmental challenges\, she is pursuing a career at the intersection o f sustainability and evidence-based decision-making. She is currently volu nteering with the London Wildlife Trust\, contributing to practical conser vation projects and gaining first-hand insight into the importance of comm unity engagement in translating global climate goals into local action. \n \n Nina ShielResponsible Research &\; Innovation Specialist for CHARM-EU at Trinity College Dublin \n Dr Nina Shiel (she/they) is Responsible Research &\; Innovatio n Specialist for CHARM-EU\, based at Trinity College Dublin. With a PhD in Comparative Literature focusing on immersive virtual spaces\, and over a decade of experience in research development and European R&\;I strateg y across leading Irish and UK universities\, her professional interests in clude inter/transdisciplinary research\, research culture\, and intersecti onal equality\, diversity and inclusion. Her work as the leader of two wor k packages in the Horizon 2020 Science with and for Society (SwafS)-funded TORCH project\, developing CHARM-EU’\;s shared research and innovati on agenda\, was recognised with the Trinity Research Excellence Award in 2 023. She is committed to fostering inclusive\, challenge-driven research a nd international collaboration.   \n \n Martin Meggele SjøenProfessor of Educational Studies at the Insti tute of Education at the University of Bergen \n Dr. Martin Meg gele Sjøen is a Professor of Educational Studies at the Institute of Educ ation at the University of Bergen. He holds a Ph.D. in Security Studies fr om the University of Stavanger. Dr. Sjøen’s research explores democracy \, education\, political violence and peacebuilding\, with a specific focu s on the intersection of education and security. \n \n Karl StoeckelExecutive Director of the CIVIS European University Alliance \n Karl Stoeckel is Executive Director of the CIVIS European University Alliance\, coordinated by Aix-Marseille Univ ersity\, where he leads the alliance’s coordination team and supports it s governance\, strategic development and long-term sustainability. CIVIS b rings together 17 universities across Europe and Africa\, representing mor e than 500\,000 students and 80\,000 academic and professional staff. Wit h over 15 years of experience in European research\, innovation and higher education policy\, Karl has worked extensively on European strategy\, ins titutional relations\, science diplomacy\, international partnerships and the development and management of EU-funded projects. He previously repres ented Aix-Marseille University in Brussels\, working with the European Com mission\, the European Parliament\, Member States’ Permanent Representat ions and European research and innovation stakeholders. His experience al so includes senior responsibilities at the French National Research Instit ute for Development (IRD)\, where he contributed to European strategy and Horizon Europe programming\, and teaching European research and innovation policy at Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne. He is particularly interested in bu ilding sustainable\, place-based partnerships and in strengthening coopera tion between universities\, research organisations and European and intern ational stakeholders.  \n \n Roge r StrandProfessor at the University of Bergen\, Norway \n Roger Strand is Professor at the University of Bergen\, Norway. His research fo cuses on the governance of science\, technology\, and innovation\, with pa rticular attention to complexity\, uncertainty\, and sustainability. He wo rks at the intersection of philosophy\, science and technology studies\, a nd policy-oriented research\, contributing to the development of framework s for responsible research and innovation (RRI). A record of his scholarly publications is found at https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6159-1586.Strand has been involved in a range of European and international projects addressin g the role of expertise\, interdisciplinary collaboration\, and societal e ngagement in research and innovation. His work includes contributions to e nvironmental governance\, sustainability transitions\, and science-policy interfaces. He is the Co-Director of the non-profit NGO called the Europea n Centre for Governance in Complexity (www.ecgc.eu). \n \n Ferenc TakóMember of the CHARM-EU Executive Boar d\, CHARM-EU Director and Head of the Rector’s Cabinet CHARM-EU Office\, Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) \n Ferenc Takó studied Ph ilosophy and Japanese Studies at Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE)\, Buda pest\, Hungary\, where he currently lectures at the Department of Japanese Studies. He used to be head of the Rector’s Cabinet International Strat egy Office at ELTE between 2018 and 2021. Since 2021\, he is head of the R ector’s Cabinet CHARM-EU Office and ELTE Executive Director of CHARM-EU. \n \n Roland ThalerLecturer in en vironmental &\; spatial planning at University of montpellier \n Roland Thaler is a Lecturer in Environmental and Spatial Planning at the University of Montpellier. He began his career in environmental educat ion in the 1990s before moving into consultancy and founding the survey co mpany Ecovia in 2005 (www.ecovia.fr). Throughout his career\, he has taug ht both university students and professionals\, developing expertise in in novative learning methodologies\, as the Challenge-Based Learning approach .  Coming from continuing education\, he is a strong advocate of lifelon g learning. This commitment led him to join the Continuing Education Depar tment of the University of Montpellier as a Project Officer\, where he des igns training programs\, including initiatives implemented in collaboratio n with CHARM-EU.  \n \n Ádám T óthResearcher at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development at Utrecht University. \n Ádám Tóth is a researcher in (ground) water\, sustainability and education innovation at the Copernicus Institut e of Sustainable Development at Utrecht University. Ádám is the co-lead of the educational practice work package of the CHARM-EIGHT project. He is involved in updating the existing master’\;s programme in Global Cha llenges for Sustainability\, exploring educational opportunities for a bro ader audience to develop knowledge\, including a strategy for micro-creden tials\, badges\, and continuing education\, as well as a team-based\, tran sdisciplinary joint CHARM-EU Doctoral programme. \n \n Dr. Annisa TriyantiAssistant Professor\, Disaster and Climate Risk Governance for Sustainability\, at Utrecht University \n Dr. Annisa Triyanti is an Assistant Professor of Disaster and Clim ate Risk Governance for Sustainability at Utrecht University. Born in Indo nesia\, she earned her PhD from the University of Amsterdam. Her research connects grassroots practices with global policy\, focusing on community s elf-governance and mangrove ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction in Asi a. In her teaching\, she emphasizes public engagement and promotes the rol e of European University Alliances in addressing societal challenges. Serv ing as Academic Director of CHARM-EU for Utrecht University\, she supports collaborative\, cross-boundary education. For three consecutive years\, s he has also coordinated the Capstone module for the CHARM-EU Master’s in Global Challenges for Sustainability\, a transdisciplinary program where students conduct research alongside external stakeholders to tackle real-w orld issues. Beyond her academic roles\, Dr. Triyanti has engaged in inter governmental policy dialogues on climate change and sustainable developmen t since 2014. As part of this work\, she represented young scientists in t he Global Science and Technology Advisory Group for the UN Office for Disa ster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) from 2017 to 2019. \n \n Oriol UviedoLaboratory and project technician\, special ized in microplastics and citizen science \n Ever since my chil dhood\, I have known that I wanted to pursue a career related to the ocean \, and that has indeed been the case. In 2020\, I graduated with a degree in Marine Sciences from the University of Barcelona (UB)\, and I currently serve as a laboratory and project technician\, specialized in microplasti cs and citizen science. One of the principal initiatives I lead is the  216\;Surfing For Science’\; project\, which has a well-defined object ive: to quantify and characterize microplastics in the coastal areas of th e western Mediterranean through citizen science. In this manner\, we gener ate scientific knowledge while simultaneously raising awareness about the critical issue of plastic pollution in our seas and oceans.Utilizing the m ethodology developed in ‘\;Surfing For Science’\;\, we initiated the TRAP project. While sharing the same core objectives\, this initiativ e expands the scope of research to rivers\, combined sewer overflows (CSOs )\, and the open sea in order to analyse the transport and exchange of par ticles across these diverse systems. Furthermore\, I have participated in the OSES project (Ocean Sustainability Through Education and Sport)\, wher e we developed best-practice manuals and fieldwork kits designed to enable marine recreational users\, as sailors\, divers or surfers\, to collect r eliable scientific data. Through these efforts\, our ultimate goal is to f oster public awareness regarding the anthropogenic threats and impacts cur rently facing our marine ecosystems. \n \n Isak VentoSenior University Lecturer \n PhD Isak Vent o is Senior University Lecturer in political science and methods at Åbo A kademi University. His research focuses on political attitudes and behavio r. \n \n Mireia Via\nResearch Supp ort Technician at CHARM-EU \n Mireia Via obtained her PhD in Th eoretical Chemistry and Computational Modelling from the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU). After that\, she left academia aside but not th e world of research entirely. Since then\, she has dedicated her career to supporting research\, working as a support technician in a chemistry rese arch group at the University of Barcelona (UB)\, and at the UB’\;s In ternational Research Projects Office. She has also been an adjunct lecture r at the UB\, teaching practical classes on the Biology and Chemistry bach elor’\;s degree programmes. She currently supports the research and i nnovation dimension of the CHARM-EU alliance. \n \n Lena WassermannAdvisor to the Vice President for Interna tionalisation at the University of Würzburg and supports the university ’s strategic engagement within the CHARM-EU Alliance \n Dr. L ena Wassermann is Advisor to the Vice President for Internationalisation a t the University of Würzburg and supports the university’s strategic en gagement within the CHARM-EU Alliance. Her work focuses on European univer sity cooperation\, internationalisation strategies\, and cross-institution al collaboration. Drawing on experience in academia\, policy\, and interna tional partnerships\, she is particularly interested in how universities c an work together to address shared societal challenges and foster innovati on in higher education. \n \n Guni lla Widén\nProfessor of Information Studies at Åbo Akademi University ( ÅAU) since 2008 \n Gunilla Widén is Professor of Information Studies at Åbo Akademi University (ÅAU) since 2008. Her research focuses on information behaviour\, knowledge management\, and trust in informatio n. She has led several large research projects\, e.g. on organizational ke y skills in information society\, the role of social media in libraries\, the importance of information literacy in various contexts such as workpla ces and in migration.Widén has been involved in European projects on yout h information\, and in Nordic library research\, e.g. on cultural policy d ecision-making\, the case of Helsinki Central Libary Oodi. She has been in volved in several collaborative networks both nationally and international ly\, appointed as external expert in different evaluation committees\, and published widely in her areas of expertise.She has long organizational ex perience at ÅAU\, recently she has been Vice-Rector for Education 2022-25 \, and served as Acting Rector from April 2025 until she was appointed as Rector in January 2026. \n \n Bal ázs Aczél\nVice Dean for Science at the Faculty of Education and Psychol ogy of Eötvös Loránd University \n Balázs Aczél is Vice Dean for Science at the Faculty of Education and Psychology of Eötvös Loránd Uni versity\, Budapest\, where he is also Professor of Psychology. He has been actively involved in the CHARM-EU alliance through the TORCH project\, le ading its Open Science activities\, and continues to contribute to the all iance's research and innovation initiatives within the CHARM-EIGHT project . His research focuses on metascience\, with particular emphasis on resear ch methodology\, open science\, and improving the robustness and credibili ty of scientific research. Through his research\, teaching\, and internati onal collaborations\, he promotes the adoption of transparent and reproduc ible research practices and supports the development of research capacity across the CHARM-EU partner institutions. \n \n Anders Adlercreutz\, Finland's Minister of Education \n Anders Adlercreutz (b. 1970) is Chair of the Swedish People’s Party of Finlan d since June 2024 and the current Minister of Education. He graduated as a n architect from Helsinki University of Technology in 1999. Adlercreutz's political career began when he was elected to Kirkkonummi Municipal Counci l in 2013\, he served as Chair of the Council from 2017 to 2023. He has be en a Member of Parliament since 2015 and served as Chair of SFP’s Parlia mentary Group from 2019 to 2023. During the years in Parliament\, Adlercre utz was a member of several Committees\, eg. the Finance Committee\, the D efence Committee\, the Administration Committee\, and the Environmental Co mmittee. Before becoming Minister of Education he served as Minister of Eu ropean Affairs and Ownership Steering for the first year of the Orpo Gover nment\, from June 2023 to June 2024. Minister Adlercreutz is married\, has 5 children\, is fluent in 7 languages and is an avid cello player in his free time. \n \n Doris Alexander\, Assoc iate Director of European Engagement\, Trinity College Dublin \n Doris Alexander has worked in Research Management Administration since 1994\, taking up her current post as Associate Director of European Engagement in 2019 and is responsible for the development of strategies of engagement\, working to get early insight on new EU policy/initiatives so as to maximi se the opportunity space for Trinity. She is currently engaged in the impl ementation of aspects of the ERA policy agenda. She has been involved in several EC stakeholder groups including the co-creation of the European Un iversities initiative\, is the co-director of CHARM-EU alliance in Trinity College and a member of the Executive Board. She was Chair of the R&\; I subgroup of the FOREU1 network (the network of the 17 European Universit ies alliances funded through the first Erasmus+ pilot call) and is current ly chair of the R&\;I Topical Group (part of FOREU4ALL) for all allianc es.Doris holds a BA in Mathematical Science and an MSc in Computer Science (Health Informatics) from Trinity College Dublin. \n \n Jake Rowan ByrneCo-Director of CHARM-EU and Assistant Pro fessor in Contemporary Teaching and Learning at the School of Education\, Trinity College Dublin \n Dr. Jake Rowan Byrne is Co-Director of CHARM -EU and Assistant Professor in Contemporary Teaching and Learning at the S chool of Education\, Trinity College Dublin. His research and practice foc us on transdisciplinary education\, challenge-based learning\, innovative curriculum design\, and the development of learner agency through collabor ative educational approaches. As a member of CHARM-EU's Knowledge Creating Teams (KCTs)\, he has helped design and deliver transnational educational experiences\, including leading the development and initial delivery of t he Transdisciplinary Research Module within the CHARM-EU Master's in Globa l Challenges for Sustainability. He also serves as a lead facilitator with in the KCT delivering the CHARM Doctoral Summer School\, supporting doctor al researchers as they work in transdisciplinary teams to address complex societal challenges. Jake's work is grounded in the belief that education has long been a naturally transdisciplinary endeavour. Designing meaningf ul learning requires collaboration not only across academic disciplines bu t also with policymakers\, school leaders\, teachers\, learners\, families \, communities\, industry and civil society. His experience contributing t o the development of Ireland's national Leaving Certificate Computer Scien ce curriculum exemplifies this approach\, bringing together diverse stakeh olders to co-create educational innovation. Through his research and leade rship\, Jake explores how distributed leadership\, participatory design an d collaborative knowledge creation can strengthen educational ecosystems a nd build the capacity needed to address the complex challenges facing soci ety. \n \n Sonia CantelAssociate Profess or at the Institute of Biomolecules Max Mousseron (IBMM)\, University of M ontpellier (UM) \n Sonia Cantel is an Associate Professor at the Insti tute of Biomolecules Max Mousseron (IBMM)\, University of Montpellier (UM) \, where her research lies at the interface of Chemistry\, Biology and Ana lytical Sciences. Strongly committed to bridging teaching and research\, s he promotes transdisciplinary and challenge-based learning approaches. Wit hin CHARM-EU\, jointly with Utrecht University\, she has developped and co ordinates the interdisciplinary Master’s module “Tackling Health Chall enges in Internationally Linked Research Hubs ”\, bringing together stud ents from diverse disciplines\, universities and countries around authenti c health challenges. She is actively involved in WP “External Stakeholde rs &\; Sustainability ”\, contributing to the development of approach es fostering sustainable collaboration between education\, research\, inno vation and external stakeholders across the CHARM-EU Alliance.  \n \n Meritxell ChavesSecretary General of Europe an University of CHARM-EU \n Meritxell Chaves has more than thirty ye ars of experience in the higher education sector\, in four universities of the Catalan university system\, in different functional areas of the Univ ersity such as academic management\, strategic planning\, quality and accr editation\, and international relations in different organisational cultur es. As Secretary General of European University of CHARM-EU since the sta rt of the initiative in 2019 she has been leading CHARM-EU team. \n \n Malin FredrikssonLeading Coordinator for Op en Science at Åbo Akademi University \n Malin Fredriksson (MSocSc\, M A) works as the Leading Coordinator for Open Science at Åbo Akademi Unive rsity. She has several years of experience in the library and university s ector\, with a strong focus on advancing open science and responsible rese arch practices. Her work centers on supporting researchers through open sc ience policies\, services\, training\, and the development of inclusive ap proaches to openness in research. Her academic background is in informatio n studies\, with a particular interest in open access publishing and the i mplementation of open science practices. She also has a background in the humanities\, particularly the study of religions and cultures. \n \n Anikó Gál BéltekiCHARM-EU Manager at ELTE \n Anikó Gál Bélteki is acting as CHARM-EU project manager at the E ötvös Loránd University\, Budapest. She has already been involved in th e alliance’s R&\;I dimension project TORCH and now focuses her effort s on the smooth running of the CHARM-EIGHT project. Holding a degree in ag ricultural and environmental sciences and being a qualified translator\, s he has gained work experience in an international environment from multina tional companies through projects of universities and conservation NGOs af filiated to global networks. Due to her diverse administrative and coordin ator roles she regularly participates in the meetings of various governing boards and offices of CHARM European University and provides assistance f or some work packages\, which means being in daily work contact with the r epresentatives of partner institutions. \n \ n Kimmo GrönlundProfessor of Political Science and Director of the So cial Science Research Institute at Åbo Akademi University \n Kimmo Gr önlund is Professor of Political Science and Director of the Social Scien ce Research Institute at Åbo Akademi University. Currently\, he is also m ember of the Board of Åbo Akademi University. His research interests incl ude democratic innovations\, public opinion\, and electoral behavior. He h as published widely\, especially on controlled experiments with deliberati ve mini-publics in journals such as Political Behavior\, International Pol itical Science Review and Scandinavian Political Studies. He is the Direct or of the Finnish Research Infrastructure for Public Opinion FIRIPO and th e research consortium STRONG – Implementing democratic innovations\, fun ded by the Strategic Research Council at the Research Council of Finland ( 2024–2030). Moreover\, he is a widely used expert commentator on politic s in Finland\, and he has been the electoral commentator of the largest Fi nnish commercial TV channel MTV3 since 2006. \n \n Maria HämäläinenCHARM-EU MSc in Global Challenges for Sustai nability alumna \n Maria Hämäläinen is a recent graduate of the CHA RM-EU MSc in Global Challenges for Sustainability. Over two years\, her st udies took her from Utrecht to Barcelona and Montpellier\, where she speci alised in the Food track. Her work focused on agrifood transitions\, Medit erranean food systems\, and the social dimensions of sustainability\, culm inating in a Capstone thesis on the social acceptance of seaweed cultivati on in the Thau Lagoon. Prior to joining CHARM-EU\, Maria completed a BSc in Sustainable Urban Planning at Tampere University\, Finland\, where her research explored gender mainstreaming through participatory urban plannin g processes. This experience sparked her long-standing interest in the gov ernance and community dimensions of sustainability. Beyond academia\, she has been actively involved in climate justice initiatives and is currently volunteering with a Ghana-based non-profit organisation working at the in tersection of gender equity and climate action. She is also contributing t o a research project on inclusive energy governance through the YES-Europe Africa-Europe collaboration programme. \n \ n Barbara Hegyi economist with a PhD in Regional Sciences \n Barba ra Hegyi is an economist\, with a PhD in Regional Sciences. She coordinate s the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education at ELTE Faculty of Informa tics. Designer and implementer of several courses that embrace sustainabil ity and social responsibility. Coordinates the REDINEST Impact Labs progra mme at an international level. \n \n Mar ia KeloDirector of Institutional Development at European University Associ ation (EUA) \n Maria Kelo is Director of Institutional Development at European University Association (EUA). The unit’s work focuses on recogn ition\, quality assurance\, rankings\, and learning and teaching\, includi ng the European Degree. She is a member of the Swiss Accreditation Council \, vice-president of the European Quality Assurance Register\, and co-repr esents EUA in the Bologna Process.Before joining EUA in 2022\, Maria was t he Director of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Ed ucation\, and previously worked in different European organisations in hig her education. \n \n Vilppu Kuusipalo\, project coordinator at the Finnish Research Infrastructure for Public Opin ion (FIRIPO) \n Vilppu Kuusipalo works as a project coordinator at the Finnish Research Infrastructure for Public Opinion (FIRIPO)\, which opera tes the two deliberation laboratories at Åbo Akademi University. Vilppu i s responsible for the day-to-day activities at FIRIPO\, such as making sur e that the laboratories function efficiently\, coordinating research-relat ed activities\, supporting visiting researchers\, and maintaining the infr astructure needed for high-quality public opinion and deliberation studies .In his role\, Vilppu works closely with researchers and other project par tners to facilitate the planning and implementation of experiments\, surve ys\, and events. He also contributes to the development and promotion of F IRIPO’s services\, helping researchers make use of innovative methods an d facilities for studying public opinion\, citizen participation\, and dem ocratic processes.Vilppu’s background is in humanities\, and he is inter ested in various aspects of societies\, cultures and human interaction. \ n \n Marvin MendyStrategic Partnerships O fficer at the University of Montpellier \n Marvin Mendy is Strategic P artnerships Officer at the University of Montpellier and leads Work Packag e 14 (Worldwide Academic Partnership Network). Over the past eight years\, he has worked at the intersection of international relations\, diplomacy and project management across the higher education\, public and private se ctors. His expertise includes the design and implementation of internation al cooperation strategies\, institutional partnerships and multi-stakehold er initiatives.Within CHARM-EU\, Marvin is responsible for developing long -term partnerships beyond Europe and advancing the Alliance's global engag ement strategy\, particularly with Africa and other strategic regions. His work focuses on building sustainable international cooperation frameworks that connect higher education\, research and societal stakeholders. \n \n Christoph Mohamad-KlotzbachPolitical Sc ientist at the Institute of Political Science and Sociology at the JMU Wü rzburg\n \n Dr. Christoph Mohamad-Klotzbach is a Political Scientist a t the Institute of Political Science and Sociology at the JMU Würzburg. H is research focuses on democracy and democratization\, scientific concepts \, political culture\, statehood\, political parties\, environmental healt h and sustainability. He is currently part of the EU-funded interdisciplin ary research project MARKOPOLO\, which is attached to the Professorship of Social Science Sustainability Studies\, and studies knowledge transfer in environmental health. \n \n Nelli Piehl CHARM-EU alumna and Teaching &\; Project Assistant at Åbo Akademi \ n Nelli Piehl is a CHARM-EU alumna and Teaching and Project Assistant at Åbo Akademi\, where she also supports CHARM-EU's Diversity\, Equity and Inclusion work. She is an early-career socio-ecological researcher with a particular interest in participatory approaches and equity and inclusion a cross international contexts.  \n \n Ph oebe SacaresCHARM-EU MSc in Global Challenges for Sustainability alumna \n Phoebe Sacares is a graduate of the CHARM-EU MSc in Global Challenges for Sustainability\,  having studied in Barcelona and Montpellier over t wo years of transdisciplinary learning and research. Specialising in the W ater track\, her work focused on a range of water-related sustainability c hallenges\, including supporting livelihoods amid aquatic ecosystem disrup tion in East Africa\, developing water-efficient infrastructure in Dublin\ , and addressing drought resilience in Catalonia. These experiences sparke d a strong interest in tackling water-related sustainability issues.Prior to joining CHARM-EU\, she completed a BSc in Physics and Astrophysics at t he University of York (UK). With a keen interest in applying science\, dat a analysis\, and mapping to environmental challenges\, she is pursuing a c areer at the intersection of sustainability and evidence-based decision-ma king. She is currently volunteering with the London Wildlife Trust\, contr ibuting to practical conservation projects and gaining first-hand insight into the importance of community engagement in translating global climate goals into local action. \n \n Nina Shie lResponsible Research &\; Innovation Specialist for CHARM-EU at Trinity College Dublin \n Dr Nina Shiel (she/they) is Responsible Research &a mp\; Innovation Specialist for CHARM-EU\, based at Trinity College Dublin. With a PhD in Comparative Literature focusing on immersive virtual spaces \, and over a decade of experience in research development and European R& amp\;I strategy across leading Irish and UK universities\, her professiona l interests include inter/transdisciplinary research\, research culture\, and intersectional equality\, diversity and inclusion. Her work as the lea der of two work packages in the Horizon 2020 Science with and for Society (SwafS)-funded TORCH project\, developing CHARM-EU's shared research and i nnovation agenda\, was recognised with the Trinity Research Excellence Awa rd in 2023. She is committed to fostering inclusive\, challenge-driven res earch and international collaboration.   \n \n Martin Meggele SjøenProfessor of Educational Studies at the Inst itute of Education at the University of Bergen \n Dr. Martin Meggele S jøen is a Professor of Educational Studies at the Institute of Education at the University of Bergen. He holds a Ph.D. in Security Studies from the University of Stavanger. Dr. Sjøen’s research explores democracy\, edu cation\, political violence and peacebuilding\, with a specific focus on t he intersection of education and security. \n \n Karl StoeckelExecutive Director of the CIVIS European University Alliance \n Karl Stoeckel is Executive Director of the CIVIS European University Alliance\, coordinated by Aix-Marseille University\, where he l eads the alliance’s coordination team and supports its governance\, stra tegic development and long-term sustainability. CIVIS brings together 17 u niversities across Europe and Africa\, representing more than 500\,000 stu dents and 80\,000 academic and professional staff. With over 15 years of experience in European research\, innovation and higher education policy\, Karl has worked extensively on European strategy\, institutional relation s\, science diplomacy\, international partnerships and the development and management of EU-funded projects. He previously represented Aix-Marseille University in Brussels\, working with the European Commission\, the Europ ean Parliament\, Member States’ Permanent Representations and European r esearch and innovation stakeholders. His experience also includes senior responsibilities at the French National Research Institute for Development (IRD)\, where he contributed to European strategy and Horizon Europe prog ramming\, and teaching European research and innovation policy at Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne. He is particularly interested in building sustainable\ , place-based partnerships and in strengthening cooperation between univer sities\, research organisations and European and international stakeholder s.  \n \n Roger StrandProfessor at the University of Bergen\, Norway \n Roger Strand is Professor at the Univ ersity of Bergen\, Norway. His research focuses on the governance of scien ce\, technology\, and innovation\, with particular attention to complexity \, uncertainty\, and sustainability. He works at the intersection of philo sophy\, science and technology studies\, and policy-oriented research\, co ntributing to the development of frameworks for responsible research and i nnovation (RRI). A record of his scholarly publications is found at https: //orcid.org/0000-0001-6159-1586.Strand has been involved in a range of Eur opean and international projects addressing the role of expertise\, interd isciplinary collaboration\, and societal engagement in research and innova tion. His work includes contributions to environmental governance\, sustai nability transitions\, and science-policy interfaces. He is the Co-Directo r of the non-profit NGO called the European Centre for Governance in Compl exity (www.ecgc.eu). \n \n Ferenc TakóM ember of the CHARM-EU Executive Board\, CHARM-EU Director and Head of the Rector’s Cabinet CHARM-EU Office\, Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) \n Ferenc Takó studied Philosophy and Japanese Studies at Eötvös Lor ánd University (ELTE)\, Budapest\, Hungary\, where he currently lectures at the Department of Japanese Studies. He used to be head of the Rector’ s Cabinet International Strategy Office at ELTE between 2018 and 2021. Sin ce 2021\, he is head of the Rector’s Cabinet CHARM-EU Office and ELTE Ex ecutive Director of CHARM-EU. \n \n Rola nd ThalerLecturer in environmental &\; spatial planning at University o f montpellier \n Roland Thaler is a Lecturer in Environmental and Spat ial Planning at the University of Montpellier. He began his career in envi ronmental education in the 1990s before moving into consultancy and foundi ng the survey company Ecovia in 2005 (www.ecovia.fr). Throughout his care er\, he has taught both university students and professionals\, developing expertise in innovative learning methodologies\, as the Challenge-Based L earning approach.  Coming from continuing education\, he is a strong adv ocate of lifelong learning. This commitment led him to join the Continuing Education Department of the University of Montpellier as a Project Office r\, where he designs training programs\, including initiatives implemented in collaboration with CHARM-EU.  \n \n Ádám TóthResearcher at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Develo pment at Utrecht University. \n Ádám Tóth is a researcher in (groun d)water\, sustainability and education innovation at the Copernicus Instit ute of Sustainable Development at Utrecht University. Ádám is the co-lea d of the educational practice work package of the CHARM-EIGHT project. He is involved in updating the existing master's programme in Global Challeng es for Sustainability\, exploring educational opportunities for a broader audience to develop knowledge\, including a strategy for micro-credentials \, badges\, and continuing education\, as well as a team-based\, transdisc iplinary joint CHARM-EU Doctoral programme. \n \n Dr. Annisa TriyantiAssistant Professor\, Disaster and Climate Ri sk Governance for Sustainability\, at Utrecht University \n Dr. Annisa Triyanti is an Assistant Professor of Disaster and Climate Risk Governanc e for Sustainability at Utrecht University. Born in Indonesia\, she earned her PhD from the University of Amsterdam. Her research connects grassroot s practices with global policy\, focusing on community self-governance and mangrove ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction in Asia. In her teaching \, she emphasizes public engagement and promotes the role of European Univ ersity Alliances in addressing societal challenges. Serving as Academic Di rector of CHARM-EU for Utrecht University\, she supports collaborative\, c ross-boundary education. For three consecutive years\, she has also coordi nated the Capstone module for the CHARM-EU Master’s in Global Challenges for Sustainability\, a transdisciplinary program where students conduct r esearch alongside external stakeholders to tackle real-world issues. Beyon d her academic roles\, Dr. Triyanti has engaged in intergovernmental polic y dialogues on climate change and sustainable development since 2014. As p art of this work\, she represented young scientists in the Global Science and Technology Advisory Group for the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reductio n (UNDRR) from 2017 to 2019. \n \n Oriol UviedoLaboratory and project technician\, specialized in microplastics an d citizen science \n Ever since my childhood\, I have known that I wan ted to pursue a career related to the ocean\, and that has indeed been the case. In 2020\, I graduated with a degree in Marine Sciences from the Uni versity of Barcelona (UB)\, and I currently serve as a laboratory and proj ect technician\, specialized in microplastics and citizen science. One of the principal initiatives I lead is the 'Surfing For Science' project\, wh ich has a well-defined objective: to quantify and characterize microplasti cs in the coastal areas of the western Mediterranean through citizen scien ce. In this manner\, we generate scientific knowledge while simultaneously raising awareness about the critical issue of plastic pollution in our se as and oceans.Utilizing the methodology developed in 'Surfing For Science' \, we initiated the TRAP project. While sharing the same core objectives\, this initiative expands the scope of research to rivers\, combined sewer overflows (CSOs)\, and the open sea in order to analyse the transport and exchange of particles across these diverse systems. Furthermore\, I have p articipated in the OSES project (Ocean Sustainability Through Education an d Sport)\, where we developed best-practice manuals and fieldwork kits des igned to enable marine recreational users\, as sailors\, divers or surfers \, to collect reliable scientific data. Through these efforts\, our ultima te goal is to foster public awareness regarding the anthropogenic threats and impacts currently facing our marine ecosystems. \n \n Isak VentoSenior University Lecturer \n PhD Isak Ve nto is Senior University Lecturer in political science and methods at Åbo Akademi University. His research focuses on political attitudes and behav ior. \n \n Mireia Via\nResearch Support Technician at CHARM-EU \n Mireia Via obtained her PhD in Theoretical C hemistry and Computational Modelling from the University of the Basque Cou ntry (UPV/EHU). After that\, she left academia aside but not the world of research entirely. Since then\, she has dedicated her career to supporting research\, working as a support technician in a chemistry research group at the University of Barcelona (UB)\, and at the UB's International Resear ch Projects Office. She has also been an adjunct lecturer at the UB\, teac hing practical classes on the Biology and Chemistry bachelor's degree prog rammes. She currently supports the research and innovation dimension of th e CHARM-EU alliance. \n \n Lena Wasserma nnAdvisor to the Vice President for Internationalisation at the University of Würzburg and supports the university’s strategic engagement within the CHARM-EU Alliance \n Dr. Lena Wassermann is Advisor to the Vice Pr esident for Internationalisation at the University of Würzburg and suppor ts the university’s strategic engagement within the CHARM-EU Alliance. H er work focuses on European university cooperation\, internationalisation strategies\, and cross-institutional collaboration. Drawing on experience in academia\, policy\, and international partnerships\, she is particularl y interested in how universities can work together to address shared socie tal challenges and foster innovation in higher education. \n \n Gunilla Widén\nProfessor of Information Studies a t Åbo Akademi University (ÅAU) since 2008 \n Gunilla Widén is Profe ssor of Information Studies at Åbo Akademi University (ÅAU) since 2008. Her research focuses on information behaviour\, knowledge management\, and trust in information. She has led several large research projects\, e.g. on organizational key skills in information society\, the role of social m edia in libraries\, the importance of information literacy in various cont exts such as workplaces and in migration.Widén has been involved in Europ ean projects on youth information\, and in Nordic library research\, e.g. on cultural policy decision-making\, the case of Helsinki Central Libary O odi. She has been involved in several collaborative networks both national ly and internationally\, appointed as external expert in different evaluat ion committees\, and published widely in her areas of expertise.She has lo ng organizational experience at ÅAU\, recently she has been Vice-Rector f or Education 2022-25\, and served as Acting Rector from April 2025 until s he was appointed as Rector in January 2026. \n \n information about Turku \n \n \n Venue Informati on \n \n \n \n CHARM-EU ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2026 at Åbo Ak ademi UniversityÅbo (Turku in Finnish) 14 October 2026VENUE FOR THE MEETI NGAstra\, Porthansgatan 3\, 20500 ÅboRoom: Bonfire \n \n \n \n General Information about Turku \n \n \n \n Turku (in Finnish)/Åbo (in Swedish) is vibrant city of 200\,000 inhabita nts and the sixth largest city in Finland after Helsinki\, Espoo\, Tampere \, Vantaa and Oulu. Finland having two main official languages\, Turku/Åb o is officially bilingual and 5\,2 percent of its population identify Swed ish as their mother-tongue.Åbo Akademi University is the only Swedish-lan guage multidisciplinary academic university in Finland. The campus is loca ted in the old city centre\, at a walking distance from the hotels listed in this document.When speaking about the city in English\, the Finnish nam e Turku is usually used\, as the majority of the inhabitants are Finnish-s peaking. You will however see most names of streets in both languages\, so remember this when you are wondering about two very different street name s/addresses indicating the same location!Turku is the oldest city in Finla nd and the former capital of the country and will celebrate its 800th anni versary in 2029. Located on the seaside of Southwest Finland\, Turku is a regional hub for education\, culture and business and the third biggest ur ban area in Finland. Students make up a fifth of the city’s population. \n \n \n \n Travel to Turku \n \n \n \n BY AIR ALL THE WAY TO TURKUTurku Airport is eight kilometres/30-min utes by local bus (line 1)/15 minutes by taxi from the city centre. If you can find a reasonable flight to Turku Airport (TKU)\, it is the most conv enient option. (If your arrival time to Turku Airport is after the last bu s and there is no taxi to be found\, you can order one by using the servic e phone which is located near the exit on the arrivals level of the termin al).The air companies operating in Turku are:o Finnair (through Helsinki-V antaa Airport and Stockholm Arlanda)o SAS (through Copenhagen Kastrup and Stockholm Arlanda)o Air Baltic (through Riga)o WizzAir (through Vilnius\, Gdańsk and Bucharest) BY AIR THROUGH HELSINKI OR STOCKHOLMMany airlines operate flights to Helsinki Airport\, e.g. Finnair. From Helsinki-Vantaa A irport (HEL) you can take a bus or train to Turku. Turku–Helsinki is 166 km\; the bus or train will take you about 2\,5 hrs.–\; Bus connectio n from Helsinki–Vantaa Airport (Matkahuolto)Your end station would be “Turku Tuomiokirkko” or “Turku linja-autoasema = Turku bus station ”.–\; Train connection from Helsinki–Vantaa Airport (VR)\, with a transfer in Pasila.Your end train station when arriving from Helsinki is “Kupittaa (Turku)” or the main station “Turku (City Centre\, Logomo) ”. BY FERRY THROUGH STOCKHOLMFrom Stockholm there is a night ferry to T urku. You sleep on the ferry and arrive in the Port of Turku the next morn ing. The ferries are operated by Viking Line and Silja Line. \n \n \n \n Moving Around in Turku \n \n \n \n Central Turku is quite small and easiest to get around on foot. Turku is easy to navigate also on bike or electric scooter. Föli offers city bikes and e.g. Voi\, Dott and Ryde operate electric scooters. There is an ext ensive local bus network (going all the way to our nearest National Park). Bus tickets cost ca. 3-4€ and can be purchased beforehand in an app or by card (contactless payment) on the bus. For timetables and bus stops\, p lease see here. The bus stop nearest the ÅAU campus\, by the Cathedral is called “Tuomiokirkkotori” and the bus stops closest to the city centr e are all called “Kauppatori” (there are several around the Market squ are). Buses do not automatically stop at every stop. Passengers wanting to get on board must wave their hand. \n \n \n \n Q& amp\;A on Travelling \n \n \n \n Do you recommend the tra in or the bus from HEL?This will depend on where your hotel is located. If in the city centre\, the bus is better. But if staying next to the train station (Sokos Hotel Kupittaa)\, the train may be more convenient.There ar e buses and taxis outside the station\, so you will easily get into town\, but taking the bus at the airport will take you closer to the city centre directly.The bus stop for the bus taking you from Helsinki to Turku that is closest to your hotel will probably be at the Cathedral (Tuomiokirkko)\ , but you can also go until the bus station\, which is not far either.How much time is needed between my arrival at the airport and taking the train or bus?If the flight is on time and you are travelling light\, with hand- luggage only\, 30-40 minutes will be enough for you to catch both options. Check the information and follow the signs.The bus/train schedule says th ere is a transfer/connection\, will I manage?Yes!For the train\, there wil l be a transfer from the commuter train to the intercity train in Pasila\, which is 25 minutes from the airport. The platforms are side by side\, so it takes only a few minutes to change trains.For the bus\, if there is a transfer (rare occurrence)\, the first bus will take you to the second bus and not leave before the second bus is there. The transfer is 20-25 minut es after the departure from the airport.Should I buy my ticket in advance for the day when I arrive in Finland?It is a good idea to buy it in advanc e\; the tickets are usually cheaper when bought in advance. On the other h and\, if your flight is delayed\, you will lose the ticket. You could also wait until you land and buy the ticket online\, on your mobile phone (see the links provided above)\, when exiting the aircraft or while waiting fo r the train. And if you notice the bus/train is full when buying the ticke t\, maybe you can take another option instead.For the bus\, you can also b uy the ticket from the bus driver. For the train\, there is a ticket machi ne on the platform.How about the day when I leave Finland\, should I buy m y bus/train ticket already now?You can buy it already before arrival. \n \n \n \n Hotels in Turku \n \n \n \n Participants are responsible for finding and booking their own accommod ation. For some hotels there is a special rate\, which is mentioned for ev ery hotel separately.Closest to ÅAU (ca 10 min walk)Scandic Julia https:/ /www.scandichotels.fi/hotellit/suomi/turku/scandic-julia (500 m to the cam pus)We are happy to offer your guests a discount on room reservations at S candic Julia\, Scandic Hamburger Börs\, Scandic Plaza Turku and Scandic G o\, Eerikinkatu 30. Reservations can be easily made through the following link: BOOK WITH SCANDIC\, booking code CGRO. Through the link\, guests can directly book rooms at a discounted rate.Guests can choose their preferre d room type and receive an additional discount when paying for the reserva tion upon booking. The cancellation policy for individual bookings depends on the booking type chosen by the guest. To confirm the reservation\, gue sts must provide valid credit card information. Rooms are subject to avail ability and should be booked 10 days before arrival at the latest. Scandi c Friends members should also check for available loyalty offers.Centro Ho tel https://centrohotel.com/ (600 m to the campus)Use booking code: CHARM- EU for reduced rate on the rooms. Single room 112EUR/night\, Double room 1 32EUR/night – including breakfast. Book directly with the Centro Hotel. Limited availability.Scandic Hamburger Börs https://www.scandichotels.com /en/hotels/scandic-hamburger-bors (700 m to the campus)Use the booking cod e CGRO for discounted rates: https://www.scandichotels.com/en?bookingcode= CGROSokos Hotel Wiklund https://www.sokoshotels.fi/hotellit/turku/original -sokos-hotel-wiklund (700 m to the campus)Bob W Turku City Centre https:// bobw.co/locations/turkuOmena Hotelli Kauppiaskatu https://www.omenahotels. com/fi/hotellit/turku-kauppiaskatu/Ineon Hotel https://ineon.fi/enCity Cen ter (10+ min walk)Scandic Hotel Plaza https://www.scandichotels.fi/hotelli t/suomi/turku/scandic-plaza-turkuUse the booking code CGRO for discounted rates: https://www.scandichotels.com/en?bookingcode=CGROHelmi Hotelli http s://www.hotellihelmi.fi/en-gb/homeUse booking code: CHARM-EU for reduced r ate on the rooms. Single room 89EUR/night\, Double room 119EUR/night – i ncluding breakfast. Book directly with the Helmi Hotelli. Limited availabi lity.Sokos Hotel Turun Seurahuone https://www.sokoshotels.fi/hotellit/turk u/solo-sokos-hotel-turun-seurahuoneScandic Go\, Eerikinkatu 30 https://www .scandichotels.com/fi/hotellit/scandic-go-eerikinkatu-30Use the booking co de CGRO for discounted rates: https://www.scandichotels.com/en?bookingcode =CGROOmena Hotelli Humalistonkatu https://www.omenahotels.com/fi/hotellit/ turku-humalistonkatu/Forenum Aparthotels https://www.forenom.com/aparthote ls/turku/Sokos Hotel Kupittaa https://www.sokoshotels.fi/en/hotels/turku/o riginal-sokos-hotel-kupittaa (next to the Kupittaa train station\, not in the centre\, 1.2 kms to campus)Use booking code: BCHARMEU for reduced rate on the rooms. Single room 105EUR/night\, Double room 125EUR/night – inc luding breakfast and sauna. Book directly with Sokos Hotel Kupittaa. Limit ed availability\, discounted rates until September 11. \n \n \n \n Other Practical Information \n \n \n \n The eduroam WiFi is available throughout the whole campus\; you can access it using your home university login.Finland uses the euro. Cards are wide ly used and notes larger than 50 € may not be accepted everywhere. Conta ctless payment with cards is common. Some places are cash-free.In October\ , it might still be relatively warm during the daytime but the weather can be unpredictable (prepare for rain) and evenings are colder. Daytime temp eratures are 10 degrees and nighttime temperatures 5 degrees on average in southern Finland and the sun rises at 8 am and sets after 6 pm in October .Please note that some restaurants and most museums are closed on Mondays. Often kitchens close in restaurants around 9 or 10 pm. Some restaurants m ay have longer service hours during the weekends. \n \n \n \n To Do in Turku \n \n \n \n Campus walk (ÅAU Main building\, Sibelius Museum\, Juridicum\, Arken\, Aurum\, Astra)The hi story of ÅAU’s buildings: Åbo Akademi University FoundationWalk by the river (3\,5 kms between the ÅAU campus and Turku Castle)Turku Cathedral (closed for renovations) and AboaVetus (medieval Turku)Art museumTurku Mar ket Hall (Kauppahalli / Saluhallen)Kakola area: shop\, brewery\, spa and r estaurants in former prison and prison areaHansa shopping centre for Marim ekko\, Iittala and Finnish souvenirsKui at Kristiinankatu for more local s ouvenirsSauna and swimmingSaaronniemiJärveläIspoisFor more information\, please see Visit Turku \n \n \n \n Questions? \n \n \n \n Pia le Grand\, CHARM-EU Manager\, pia.legrand@ab o.fi\, +358 50 321 1400Harriet Klåvus\, CHARM-EU Manager\, harriet.klavus @abo.fi\, +358 46 921 6130Matias Dahlbäck\, WP17\, matias.dahlback@abo.fi \, +358 50 475 1515Sara Joas\, WP6\, sara.joas@abo.fi\, +358 50 465 3965 \n \n CHARM-EU ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2026 at Åbo Akademi Universit yÅbo (Turku in Finnish) 14 October 2026VENUE FOR THE MEETINGAstra\, Porth ansgatan 3\, 20500 ÅboRoom: BonfireTurku (in Finnish)/Åbo (in Swedish) i s vibrant city of 200\,000 inhabitants and the sixth largest city in Finla nd after Helsinki\, Espoo\, Tampere\, Vantaa and Oulu. Finland having two main official languages\, Turku/Åbo is officially bilingual and 5\,2 perc ent of its population identify Swedish as their mother-tongue.Åbo Akademi University is the only Swedish-language multidisciplinary academic univer sity in Finland. The campus is located in the old city centre\, at a walki ng distance from the hotels listed in this document.When speaking about th e city in English\, the Finnish name Turku is usually used\, as the majori ty of the inhabitants are Finnish-speaking. You will however see most name s of streets in both languages\, so remember this when you are wondering a bout two very different street names/addresses indicating the same locatio n!Turku is the oldest city in Finland and the former capital of the countr y and will celebrate its 800th anniversary in 2029. Located on the seaside of Southwest Finland\, Turku is a regional hub for education\, culture an d business and the third biggest urban area in Finland. Students make up a fifth of the city’s population.BY AIR ALL THE WAY TO TURKUTurku Airport is eight kilometres/30-minutes by local bus (line 1)/15 minutes by taxi f rom the city centre. If you can find a reasonable flight to Turku Airport (TKU)\, it is the most convenient option. (If your arrival time to Turku A irport is after the last bus and there is no taxi to be found\, you can or der one by using the service phone which is located near the exit on the a rrivals level of the terminal).The air companies operating in Turku are:o Finnair (through Helsinki-Vantaa Airport and Stockholm Arlanda)o SAS (thro ugh Copenhagen Kastrup and Stockholm Arlanda)o Air Baltic (through Riga)o WizzAir (through Vilnius\, Gdańsk and Bucharest) BY AIR THROUGH HELSINKI OR STOCKHOLMMany airlines operate flights to Helsinki Airport\, e.g. Finn air. From Helsinki-Vantaa Airport (HEL) you can take a bus or train to Tur ku. Turku–Helsinki is 166 km\; the bus or train will take you about 2\,5 hrs.- Bus connection from Helsinki–Vantaa Airport (Matkahuolto)Your end station would be “Turku Tuomiokirkko” or “Turku linja-autoasema = T urku bus station”.- Train connection from Helsinki–Vantaa Airport (VR) \, with a transfer in Pasila.Your end train station when arriving from Hel sinki is “Kupittaa (Turku)” or the main station “Turku (City Centre\ , Logomo)”. BY FERRY THROUGH STOCKHOLMFrom Stockholm there is a night f erry to Turku. You sleep on the ferry and arrive in the Port of Turku the next morning. The ferries are operated by Viking Line and Silja Line.Centr al Turku is quite small and easiest to get around on foot. Turku is easy t o navigate also on bike or electric scooter. Föli offers city bikes and e .g. Voi\, Dott and Ryde operate electric scooters. There is an extensive local bus network (going all the way to our nearest National Park). Bus t ickets cost ca. 3-4€ and can be purchased beforehand in an app or by car d (contactless payment) on the bus. For timetables and bus stops\, please see here. The bus stop nearest the ÅAU campus\, by the Cathedral is calle d “Tuomiokirkkotori” and the bus stops closest to the city centre are all called “Kauppatori” (there are several around the Market square). Buses do not automatically stop at every stop. Passengers wanting to get o n board must wave their hand.Do you recommend the train or the bus from HE L?This will depend on where your hotel is located. If in the city centre\, the bus is better. But if staying next to the train station (Sokos Hotel Kupittaa)\, the train may be more convenient.There are buses and taxis out side the station\, so you will easily get into town\, but taking the bus a t the airport will take you closer to the city centre directly.The bus sto p for the bus taking you from Helsinki to Turku that is closest to your ho tel will probably be at the Cathedral (Tuomiokirkko)\, but you can also go until the bus station\, which is not far either.How much time is needed b etween my arrival at the airport and taking the train or bus?If the flight is on time and you are travelling light\, with hand-luggage only\, 30-40 minutes will be enough for you to catch both options. Check the informatio n and follow the signs.The bus/train schedule says there is a transfer/con nection\, will I manage?Yes!For the train\, there will be a transfer from the commuter train to the intercity train in Pasila\, which is 25 minutes from the airport. The platforms are side by side\, so it takes only a few minutes to change trains.For the bus\, if there is a transfer (rare occurr ence)\, the first bus will take you to the second bus and not leave before the second bus is there. The transfer is 20-25 minutes after the departur e from the airport.Should I buy my ticket in advance for the day when I ar rive in Finland?It is a good idea to buy it in advance\; the tickets are u sually cheaper when bought in advance. On the other hand\, if your flight is delayed\, you will lose the ticket. You could also wait until you land and buy the ticket online\, on your mobile phone (see the links provided a bove)\, when exiting the aircraft or while waiting for the train. And if y ou notice the bus/train is full when buying the ticket\, maybe you can tak e another option instead.For the bus\, you can also buy the ticket from th e bus driver. For the train\, there is a ticket machine on the platform.Ho w about the day when I leave Finland\, should I buy my bus/train ticket al ready now?You can buy it already before arrival.Participants are responsib le for finding and booking their own accommodation. For some hotels there is a special rate\, which is mentioned for every hotel separately.Closest to ÅAU (ca 10 min walk)Scandic Julia https://www.scandichotels.fi/hotelli t/suomi/turku/scandic-julia (500 m to the campus)We are happy to offer you r guests a discount on room reservations at Scandic Julia\, Scandic Hambur ger Börs\, Scandic Plaza Turku and Scandic Go\, Eerikinkatu 30. Reservati ons can be easily made through the following link: BOOK WITH SCANDIC\, boo king code CGRO. Through the link\, guests can directly book rooms at a dis counted rate.Guests can choose their preferred room type and receive an ad ditional discount when paying for the reservation upon booking. The cancel lation policy for individual bookings depends on the booking type chosen b y the guest. To confirm the reservation\, guests must provide valid credit card information. Rooms are subject to availability and should be booked 10 days before arrival at the latest. Scandic Friends members should also check for available loyalty offers.Centro Hotel https://centrohotel.com/ (600 m to the campus)Use booking code: CHARM-EU for reduced rate on the ro oms. Single room 112EUR/night\, Double room 132EUR/night – including bre akfast. Book directly with the Centro Hotel. Limited availability.Scandic Hamburger Börs https://www.scandichotels.com/en/hotels/scandic-hamburger- bors (700 m to the campus)Use the booking code CGRO for discounted rates: https://www.scandichotels.com/en?bookingcode=CGROSokos Hotel Wiklund https ://www.sokoshotels.fi/hotellit/turku/original-sokos-hotel-wiklund (700 m t o the campus)Bob W Turku City Centre https://bobw.co/locations/turkuOmena Hotelli Kauppiaskatu https://www.omenahotels.com/fi/hotellit/turku-kauppia skatu/Ineon Hotel https://ineon.fi/enCity Center (10+ min walk)Scandic Hot el Plaza https://www.scandichotels.fi/hotellit/suomi/turku/scandic-plaza-t urkuUse the booking code CGRO for discounted rates: https://www.scandichot els.com/en?bookingcode=CGROHelmi Hotelli https://www.hotellihelmi.fi/en-gb /homeUse booking code: CHARM-EU for reduced rate on the rooms. Single room 89EUR/night\, Double room 119EUR/night – including breakfast. Book dire ctly with the Helmi Hotelli. Limited availability.Sokos Hotel Turun Seurah uone https://www.sokoshotels.fi/hotellit/turku/solo-sokos-hotel-turun-seur ahuoneScandic Go\, Eerikinkatu 30 https://www.scandichotels.com/fi/hotelli t/scandic-go-eerikinkatu-30Use the booking code CGRO for discounted rates: https://www.scandichotels.com/en?bookingcode=CGROOmena Hotelli Humaliston katu https://www.omenahotels.com/fi/hotellit/turku-humalistonkatu/Forenum Aparthotels https://www.forenom.com/aparthotels/turku/Sokos Hotel Kupittaa https://www.sokoshotels.fi/en/hotels/turku/original-sokos-hotel-kupittaa (next to the Kupittaa train station\, not in the centre\, 1.2 kms to campu s)Use booking code: BCHARMEU for reduced rate on the rooms. Single room 10 5EUR/night\, Double room 125EUR/night – including breakfast and sauna. B ook directly with Sokos Hotel Kupittaa. Limited availability\, discounted rates until September 11.The eduroam WiFi is available throughout the whol e campus\; you can access it using your home university login.Finland uses the euro. Cards are widely used and notes larger than 50 € may not be a ccepted everywhere. Contactless payment with cards is common. Some places are cash-free.In October\, it might still be relatively warm during the da ytime but the weather can be unpredictable (prepare for rain) and evenings are colder. Daytime temperatures are 10 degrees and nighttime temperature s 5 degrees on average in southern Finland and the sun rises at 8 am and s ets after 6 pm in October.Please note that some restaurants and most museu ms are closed on Mondays. Often kitchens close in restaurants around 9 or 10 pm. Some restaurants may have longer service hours during the weekends. Campus walk (ÅAU Main building\, Sibelius Museum\, Juridicum\, Arken\, Au rum\, Astra)The history of ÅAU’s buildings: Åbo Akademi University Fou ndationWalk by the river (3\,5 kms between the ÅAU campus and Turku Castl e)Turku Cathedral (closed for renovations) and AboaVetus (medieval Turku)A rt museumTurku Market Hall (Kauppahalli / Saluhallen)Kakola area: shop\, b rewery\, spa and restaurants in former prison and prison areaHansa shoppin g centre for Marimekko\, Iittala and Finnish souvenirsKui at Kristiinankat u for more local souvenirsSauna and swimmingSaaronniemiJärveläIspoisFor more information\, please see Visit TurkuPia le Grand\, CHARM-EU Manager\, pia.legrand@abo.fi\, +358 50 321 1400Harriet Klåvus\, CHARM-EU Manager\, harriet.klavus@abo.fi\, +358 46 921 6130Matias Dahlbäck\, WP17\, matias. dahlback@abo.fi\, +358 50 475 1515Sara Joas\, WP6\, sara.joas@abo.fi\, +35 8 50 465 3965 CATEGORIES:CHARM-EU event,Governance,Research,Teaching LOCATION:Astra\, Åbo Akademi University\, Porthaninkatu 3\, Turku\, 20500\ , Finland X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Porthaninkatu 3\, Turku\, 2 0500\, Finland;X-APPLE-RADIUS=100;X-TITLE=Astra\, Åbo Akademi University: geo:0,0 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR