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:20260819T114047Z 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.\nEuropean University Alliances are uniquely positioned to protect these values by serving as long-term\, systemic spaces for democratic lear ning and practice. By integrating innovative governance\, transdisciplinar y research\, and deep engagement with our cities and regions\, we are movi ng beyond traditional education to build sustainable welfare societies. At the conference\, we will gather to explore how our transnational cooperat ion can act as a platform for co-creation\, ensuring a resilient future fo r Europe and beyond.\nSessions will cover topics such as: \;\n\nSocial Entrepreneurship\nTransdisciplinarity\nThe role of alliances in times of crises\nDemocratic values in the classroom\nOpen Science\nDemocracy labs\n \nVenue: \;Astra\, Porthaninkatu 3\, Turku\, Finland\nHow to arrive: h ttps://share.google/Gm1ISsiOAo11s9cMO \;\nFormat: On-site with partial live streaming. The morning pannel session will be live streamed on the C HARM-EU YouTube Channel. The rest of the conference is designed to be atte nded onsite only.\nHost of the CHARM-EU Annual Conference 2026: Åbo Akade mi University \n \n Registrations are open\n \n CALL for posters \n The Open Call for Posters for the CHARM-EU Annual Confe rence 2026 is officially live. Whether you are an academic\, a student\, s upport staff\, or an external stakeholder\, we want to hear your voice on topics like inclusive university cultures\, educational innovation\, and t ransnational cooperation.If accepted\, you'll get to pitch your work in pe rson this October 14th at Åbo Akademi University in Turku\, Finland. Ther e you will engage with higher education change-makers\, and have your work featured in the CHARM-EU resource centre.Don’t miss your chance to cont ribute to sustainable welfare societies—review the submission guidelines and submit your abstract before September 15th. \n \n View t he Open Call\n \n PROGRAMME \n Full speaker lineup and detaile d session abstracts are currently being finalized. Please check back for u pdates. \n \n \n Morning Sessions \n \n \n \n 8:00 –\; 9:00 Registration &\; Coffee9:00 –\; 9:15 Opening by Rector Professor Gunilla WidénRector of host university ÅAU\, Profe ssor Gunilla Widén\, welcomes the conference participants. 9:15 –\; 9:45 Universities as democratic actors Keynote Speech by ÅAU Professor K immo Grönlund9:45 –\; 10:45 From Mobility to Democratic resilience: The Role of European University alliancesPanel SessionEuropean University alliances are often framed as vehicles for mobility and institutional coop eration\, yet their potential role in supporting democratic values remains underdeveloped. In a context of growing political fragmentation across Eu rope\, this panel examines how alliances can move beyond exchange formats such as Erasmus+ and contribute to democratic resilience. Moderator: Dori s Alexander\, Associate Director of European Engagement and Director of CH ARM-EU\, Trinity College Dublin\; Chair\, Research &\; Innovation Topic al Group\, FOREU4ALLPanelists: Anders Adlercreutz\, Finland’\;s Mini ster of EducationMaria Kelo\, European University Association (EUA)Rapport eur: Lena Wassermann\, Advisor to the Vice President for Internationalisat ion at the University of Würzburg and supports the university’s strateg ic engagement within the CHARM-EU Alliance10:45 –\; 11:15 Coffee Brea k11:15 –\; 11:30 Energizer11:30 –\; 12:15 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 e ducation for computer science students into an international level inter disciplinary and impactful initiative: educational methods\, goals\, achi evements\, and activities for a student-powered and challenge-based impact lab network for the development of transformative competencies and inclu sive mindset. Share your thoughts and ideas on creating cross-subject\, c ross-faculty and cross-institutional learning opportunities that form sust ainability 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)12:15 –\; 12:30 Group Picture12:30 –\; 13:30 Lunch \n \n \n \n Afternoon Sessions \n \n \n \n 13:30 –\; 15:00 Workshops –\; parallel sessions \n \n Workshop 1 \n \n \n Workshop 2 \n \n \n Works hop 3 \n \n \n Workshop 4 \n \n \n Workshop 5 \n \n \n Workshop 6&\;7 \n \n Social Entrepreneurship: Buildi ng Solutions for Resilient Communities How can we turn academic ideas int o tools for societal welfare? This workshop explores the link between inno vation and social impact. Participants will work in small groups to “ \;pitch”\; a solution to a local community challenge\, focusing on ho w entrepreneurship can support democratic values like equity and inclusion . Speakers and Facilitators: Sonia CantelMaria HämäläinenPhoebe Sacar esRaporteur: Roland Thaler \n How to make your research or teaching methodologies more transdisciplinar?Moving from theory to practic e\, this session explores how researchers and teachers can adapt their pro jects/work on a more transdisciplinar way of doing things.Speakers and F acilitators: Dr. Jake Rowan Byrne\,  Co-Director of CHARM-EU and Assist ant Professor in Contemporary Teaching and Learning at the School o f Education\, Trinity College DublinOriol Uviedo Palomas\, Laboratory a nd project technician\, specialized in microplastics and citizen science\, University of BarcelonaRoger Strand\, full professor at the Centre for t he Study of the Sciences and the Humanities and researcher in the Theory o f Science research group at the University of BergenRapporteur: Dr. Mirei a Via\, Research Support Technician at CHARM-EU \n From Inc lusion to Resilience: European University Alliances in times of crises In  recent years\, universities and alliances have had to respond to  different types of crises: social inequalities\, mental health iss ues\, migration\, political tensions\, climate-related challenges and  increasing mistrust towards institutions.  At the same time\, Eu ropean University Alliances are becoming long-term cooperation struc tures with the capacity to connect universities\, local stakeholder s and communities across borders.  This workshop would like to exp lore a simple question: beyond academic cooperation\, how can allian ces connect and support people and communities in times of crisis?   The workshop would also be an opportunity to exchange experiences  between alliances and reflect collectively on what could realisti cally be developed together in the future.   \n CHARM -EU Values in the Classroom: Practical Methods   How do we teach democ racy? More importantly\, how do we create learning environments that allow students to experience democratic values in practice? This interactive se ssion invites educators and students to explore how CHARM-EU values can be meaningfully embedded into teaching through Challenge-Based Learning (CBL ).Together\, we will examine different dimensions of democracy in educatio n: teaching about democracy\, teaching democratic values\, and democratisi ng the classroom itself. Through discussion and a hands-on CBL mini-worksh op\, participants will explore practical approaches for facilitating respe ctful dialogue\, navigating controversial topics\, engaging diverse stakeh olders\, and fostering participation in classrooms shaped by political\, c ultural\, and societal tensions.Speakers &\; Facilitators: Nelli Piehl \, CHARM-EU alumna and Teaching and Project Assistant at Åbo AkademiMarti n Meggele Sjøen\, Professor of Educational Studies at the Institute of Ed ucation\, University of BergenChristoph Mohamad-Klotzbach\, Political Scie ntist at the Institute of Political Science and Sociology at the JMU Würz burgRapporteurs:Nina ShielÁdám Tóth \n Open Science Made Simple: Sharing Knowledge for a Stronger Society Open Science is often s een as a technical hurdle\, but it is a democratic tool. This workshop pro vides a “\;starter kit”\; for researchers to make their work ope n and transparent. We will discuss the benefits of sharing data and how it builds public trust in science and democratic institutions. Speakers &am p\; Facilitators: Balázs Aczél\, Vice Dean for Science at the Faculty o f Education and Psychology of Eötvös Loránd UniversityMalin Fredriksson Rapporteurs:Anikó Gál BéltekiFerenc Takó \n  In the de mocratic lab: live deliberative experimentThe results of this experiment  (including an analysis based on the questionnaires) will be presented wi th the closing remarks in 10-15 minutes.Facilitators:Isak VentoVilppu Kuus ipalo \n 15:00 –\; 15:20 Poster Session –\; One-m inute Pitches\nThe poster session will be a space where members of Europea n University Alliances\, university staff\, students and external stakehol ders can exchange ideas and discuss \;the \;posters. Poster presen ters will give a minute pitch and then engage in discussions. \;\n15:2 0 –\; 16:00 Poster Session &\; Coffee Break \;\n16:00 –\; 16:15 Interactive Quiz\nCultural interactive \;quiz with questions fr om CHARM-EU universities\, cities\, countries\, traditions\, music\, food\ , culture in general\, football\, etc.\n16:15 –\; 17:00 Closing sessi on \n \n \n \n Evening Programme \n \n \n \n 17:15 –\; 19:00 Cocktail with musical elements \n \n 8:00 - 9:00 Registration &\; Coffee9:00 - 9:15 Opening by Recto r Professor Gunilla WidénRector of host university ÅAU\, Professor Guni lla Widén\, welcomes the conference participants. 9:15 - 9:45 Universiti es as democratic actors Keynote Speech by ÅAU Professor Kimmo Grönlund9: 45 - 10:45 From Mobility to Democratic resilience: The Role of European Un iversity alliancesPanel SessionEuropean University alliances are often fra med as vehicles for mobility and institutional cooperation\, yet their pot ential role in supporting democratic values remains underdeveloped. In a c ontext of growing political fragmentation across Europe\, this panel exami nes how alliances can move beyond exchange formats such as Erasmus+ and co ntribute to democratic resilience. Moderator: Doris Alexander\, Associate Director of European Engagement and Director of CHARM-EU\, Trinity Colleg e Dublin\; Chair\, Research &\; Innovation Topical Group\, FOREU4ALLPan elists: Anders Adlercreutz\, Finland's Minister of EducationMaria Kelo\, European University Association (EUA)Rapporteur: Lena Wassermann\, Advisor to the Vice President for Internationalisation at the University of Würz burg and supports the university’s strategic engagement within the CHARM -EU Alliance10:45 - 11:15 Coffee Break11:15 - 11:30 Energizer11:30 - 12:15 Design processes and initiatives for promoting sustainability leaders hip\, 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 int ernational level interdisciplinary and impactful initiative: educational methods\, goals\, achievements\, and activities for a student-powered and challenge-based impact lab network for the development of transformative  competencies and inclusive mindset. Share your thoughts and ideas on cr eating cross-subject\, cross-faculty and cross-institutional learning oppo rtunities that form sustainability leadership and civic engagement skills of future changemakers. Lecturer: Dr. Barbara Hegyi\, Innovation and Entr epreneurship Education Coordinator at Eötvös Loránd University Budapest (ELTE)Rapporteurs: Anikó Gál Bélteki and Ferenc Takó from Eötvös L oránd University Budapest (ELTE)12:15 - 12:30 Group Picture12:30 - 13:30 Lunch13:30 - 15:00 Workshops - parallel sessions \n \n Workshop 1 \n \n \n Workshop 2 \n \n \n Workshop 3 \n \n \n Workshop 4 \n \n \n Workshop 5 \n \n \n Workshop 6& \;7 \n \n Social Entrepreneurship: Building Solutions for Resil ient Communities How can we turn academic ideas into tools for societal w elfare? This workshop explores the link between innovation and social impa ct. Participants will work in small groups to “\;pitch”\; a solu tion to a local community challenge\, focusing on how entrepreneurship can support democratic values like equity and inclusion. Speakers and Facili tators: Sonia CantelMaria HämäläinenPhoebe SacaresRaporteur: Roland Th aler \n How to make your research or teaching methodologies more transdisciplinar?Moving from theory to practice\, this session explo res 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 Conte mporary Teaching and Learning at the School of Education\, Trinit y College DublinOriol Uviedo Palomas\, Laboratory and project technician\ , specialized in microplastics and citizen science\, University of Barcelo naRoger Strand\, full professor at the Centre for the Study of the Scienc es and the Humanities and researcher in the Theory of Science research gro up at the University of BergenRapporteur: Dr. Mireia Via\, Research Suppo rt Technician at CHARM-EU \n From Inclusion to Resilience: European University Alliances in times of crises In recent years\, uni versities and alliances have had to respond to different types of  crises: social inequalities\, mental health issues\, migration\, poli tical tensions\, climate-related challenges and increasing mistrust  towards institutions.  At the same time\, European University Alli ances are becoming long-term cooperation structures with the capaci ty to connect universities\, local stakeholders and communities acr oss borders.  This workshop would like to explore a simple questio n: beyond academic cooperation\, how can alliances connect and suppor t people and communities in times of crisis?  The workshop would al so be an opportunity to exchange experiences between alliances and  reflect collectively on what could realistically be developed to gether in the future.   \n CHARM-EU Values in the Class room: Practical Methods   How do we teach democracy? More importantly\, how do we create learning environments that allow students to experience democratic values in practice? This interactive session invites educators and students to explore how CHARM-EU values can be meaningfully embedded i nto teaching through Challenge-Based Learning (CBL).Together\, we will exa mine different dimensions of democracy in education: teaching about democr acy\, teaching democratic values\, and democratising the classroom itself. Through discussion and a hands-on CBL mini-workshop\, participants will e xplore practical approaches for facilitating respectful dialogue\, navigat ing controversial topics\, engaging diverse stakeholders\, and fostering p articipation in classrooms shaped by political\, cultural\, and societal t ensions.Speakers &\; Facilitators: Nelli Piehl\, CHARM-EU alumna and T eaching and Project Assistant at Åbo AkademiMartin Meggele Sjøen\, Profe ssor of Educational Studies at the Institute of Education\, University of BergenChristoph Mohamad-Klotzbach\, Political Scientist at the Institute o f Political Science and Sociology at the JMU WürzburgRapporteurs:Nina Shi elÁdám Tóth \n Open Science Made Simple: Sharing Knowled ge for a Stronger Society Open Science is often seen as a technical hurdl e\, but it is a democratic tool. This workshop provides a “\;starter kit”\; for researchers to make their work open and transparent. We wi ll discuss the benefits of sharing data and how it builds public trust in science and democratic institutions. Speakers &\; Facilitators: Balá zs Aczél\, Vice Dean for Science at the Faculty of Education and Psycholo gy of Eötvös Loránd UniversityMalin FredrikssonRapporteurs:Anikó Gál BéltekiFerenc Takó \n  In the democratic lab: live delib erative experimentThe results of this experiment (including an analysis b ased on the questionnaires) will be presented with the closing remarks i n 10-15 minutes.Facilitators:Isak VentoVilppu Kuusipalo \n Social Entrepreneurship: Building Solutions for Resilient Communities How can we turn academic ideas into tools for societal welfare? This workshop explor es the link between innovation and social impact. Participants will work i n small groups to "pitch" a solution to a local community challenge\, focu sing on how entrepreneurship can support democratic values like equity and inclusion. Speakers and Facilitators: Sonia CantelMaria HämäläinenPh oebe SacaresRaporteur: Roland ThalerHow to make your research or teaching methodologies more transdisciplinar?Moving from theory to practice\, this session explores how researchers and teachers can adapt their projects/wor k on a more transdisciplinar way of doing things.Speakers and Facilitato rs: Dr. Jake Rowan Byrne\,  Co-Director of CHARM-EU and Assistant Profe ssor in Contemporary Teaching and Learning at the School of Educat ion\, Trinity College DublinOriol Uviedo Palomas\, Laboratory and projec t technician\, specialized in microplastics and citizen science\, Universi ty of BarcelonaRoger Strand\, full professor at the Centre for the Study of the Sciences and the Humanities and researcher in the Theory of Science research group at the University of BergenRapporteur: Dr. Mireia Via\, R esearch Support Technician at CHARM-EUFrom Inclusion to Resilience: Europe an University Alliances in times of crises In recent years\, universit ies and alliances have had to respond to different types of crises : social inequalities\, mental health issues\, migration\, political  tensions\, climate-related challenges and increasing mistrust towar ds institutions.  At the same time\, European University Alliances are becoming long-term cooperation structures with the capacity t o connect universities\, local stakeholders and communities across  borders.  This workshop would like to explore a simple question: b eyond academic cooperation\, how can alliances connect and support peo ple and communities in times of crisis?  The workshop would also b e an opportunity to exchange experiences between alliances and refl ect collectively on what could realistically be developed together  in the future.  CHARM-EU Values in the Classroom: Practical Methods    How do we teach democracy? More importantly\, how do we create learnin g environments that allow students to experience democratic values in prac tice? This interactive session invites educators and students to explore h ow CHARM-EU values can be meaningfully embedded into teaching through Chal lenge-Based Learning (CBL).Together\, we will examine different dimensions of democracy in education: teaching about democracy\, teaching democratic values\, and democratising the classroom itself. Through discussion and a hands-on CBL mini-workshop\, participants will explore practical approach es for facilitating respectful dialogue\, navigating controversial topics\ , engaging diverse stakeholders\, and fostering participation in classroom s shaped by political\, cultural\, and societal tensions.Speakers &\; F acilitators: Nelli Piehl\, CHARM-EU alumna and Teaching and Project Assis tant at Åbo AkademiMartin Meggele Sjøen\, Professor of Educational Studi es at the Institute of Education\, University of BergenChristoph Mohamad-K lotzbach\, Political Scientist at the Institute of Political Science and S ociology at the JMU WürzburgRapporteurs:Nina ShielÁdám TóthOpen Scienc e Made Simple: Sharing Knowledge for a Stronger Society Open Science is o ften seen as a technical hurdle\, but it is a democratic tool. This worksh op provides a "starter kit" for researchers to make their work open and tr ansparent. We will discuss the benefits of sharing data and how it builds public trust in science and democratic institutions. Speakers &\; Faci litators: Balázs Aczél\, Vice Dean for Science at the Faculty of Educat ion and Psychology of Eötvös Loránd UniversityMalin FredrikssonRapporte urs:Anikó Gál BéltekiFerenc Takó In the democratic lab: live delibera tive experimentThe results of this experiment (including an analysis base d on the questionnaires) will be presented with the closing remarks in 1 0-15 minutes.Facilitators:Isak VentoVilppu Kuusipalo15:00 - 15:20 Poster S ession - One-minute Pitches\nThe poster session will be a space where memb ers of European University Alliances\, university staff\, students and ext ernal 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 fr om CHARM-EU universities\, cities\, countries\, traditions\, music\, food\ , culture in general\, football\, etc.\n16:15 - 17:00 Closing session17:15 - 19:00 Cocktail with musical elements \n SPEAKERS AND PANELISTS \n \n Balázs Aczél \n \n \n Anders Adlercreutz \n \n \n Doris Alexander \n \n \n Jake Byrne \n \n \n Me ritxell Chaves \n \n \n Anikó Gál Bélteki \n \n \n Ki mmo Grönlund \n \n \n Maria Hämäläinen \n \n \n Barb ara Hegyi \n \n \n Maria Kelo \n \n \n Vilppu Kuusipalo \n \n \n Marvin Mendy \n \n \n Christoph Mohamad-Klotzba ch \n \n \n Nelli Piehl \n \n \n Phoebe Sacares \n \n \n Martin Sjøen \n \n \n Roger Strand \n \n \n F erenc Tackó \n \n \n Ádám Tóth \n \n \n Annisa Triya nti \n \n \n Oriol Uviedo \n \n \n Mireia Via \n \n \n Lena Wassermann \n \n \n Gunilla Widén \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 De an for Science at the Faculty of Education and Psychology of Eötvös Lor ánd University\, Budapest\, where he is also Professor of Psychology. He has been actively involved in the CHARM-EU alliance through the TORCH proj ect\, leading its Open Science activities\, and continues to contribute to the alliance’\;s research and innovation initiatives within the CHAR M-EIGHT project. His research focuses on metascience\, with particular emp hasis on research methodology\, open science\, and improving the robustnes s and credibility of scientific research. Through his research\, teaching\ , and international collaborations\, he promotes the adoption of transpare nt and reproducible research practices and supports the development of res earch capacity across the CHARM-EU partner institutions. \n \n Anders Adlercreutz\, Finland's Minister of Ed ucation \n Anders Adlercreutz (b. 1970) is Chair of the Swedis h People’s Party of Finland since June 2024 and the current Minister of Education. He graduated as an architect from Helsinki University of Techno logy in 1999. Adlercreutz’\;s political career began when he was elec ted to Kirkkonummi Municipal Council in 2013\, he served as Chair of the C ouncil from 2017 to 2023. He has been a Member of Parliament since 2015 an d served as Chair of SFP’s Parliamentary Group from 2019 to 2023. During the years in Parliament\, Adlercreutz was a member of several Committees\ , eg. the Finance Committee\, the Defence Committee\, the Administration C ommittee\, and the Environmental Committee. Before becoming Minister of Ed ucation he served as Minister of European Affairs and Ownership Steering f or the first year of the Orpo Government\, from June 2023 to June 2024. Mi nister 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 Engagem ent\, 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 f or the development of strategies of engagement\, working to get early insi ght on new EU policy/initiatives so as to maximise the opportunity space f or Trinity. She is currently engaged in the implementation of aspects of t he ERA policy agenda. She has been involved in several EC stakeholder gro ups including the co-creation of the European Universities initiative\, is the co-director of CHARM-EU alliance in Trinity College and a member of t he Executive Board. She was Chair of the R&\;I subgroup of the FOREU1 n etwork (the network of the 17 European Universities alliances funded throu gh the first Erasmus+ pilot call) and is currently chair of the R&\;I T opical Group (part of FOREU4ALL) for all alliances.Doris holds a BA in Mat hematical Science and an MSc in Computer Science (Health Informatics) from Trinity College Dublin. \n \n Jak e Rowan ByrneCo-Director of CHARM-EU and Assistant Professor in Contempora ry Teaching and Learning at the School of Education\, Trinity College Dubl in \n Dr. Jake Rowan Byrne is Co-Director of CHARM-EU and Assis tant Professor in Contemporary Teaching and Learning at the School of Educ ation\, Trinity College Dublin. His research and practice focus on transdi sciplinary education\, challenge-based learning\, innovative curriculum de sign\, and the development of learner agency through collaborative educati onal approaches. As a member of CHARM-EU’\;s Knowledge Creating Teams (KCTs)\, he has helped design and deliver transnational educational exper iences\, including leading the development and initial delivery of the Tra nsdisciplinary Research Module within the CHARM-EU Master’\;s in Glob al Challenges for Sustainability. He also serves as a lead facilitator wit hin the KCT delivering the CHARM Doctoral Summer School\, supporting docto ral researchers as they work in transdisciplinary teams to address complex societal challenges. Jake’\;s work is grounded in the belief that e ducation has long been a naturally transdisciplinary endeavour. Designing meaningful learning requires collaboration not only across academic discip lines but also with policymakers\, school leaders\, teachers\, learners\, families\, communities\, industry and civil society. His experience contri buting to the development of Ireland’\;s national Leaving Certificate Computer Science curriculum exemplifies this approach\, bringing together diverse stakeholders to co-create educational innovation. Through his res earch and leadership\, Jake explores how distributed leadership\, particip atory design and collaborative knowledge creation can strengthen education al ecosystems and build the capacity needed to address the complex challen ges facing society. \n \n Meritxel l ChavesSecretary General of European University of CHARM-EU \n Meritxell Chaves has more than thirty years of experience in the higher education sector\, in four universities of the Catalan university system\, in different functional areas of the University such as academic manageme nt\, strategic planning\, quality and accreditation\, and international re lations in different organisational cultures. As Secretary General of Eur opean University of CHARM-EU since the start of the initiative in 2019 she has been leading CHARM-EU team. \n \n Anikó Gál BéltekiCHARM-EU Manager at ELTE \n Anikó Gá l Bélteki is acting as CHARM-EU project manager at the Eötvös Loránd U niversity\, Budapest. She has already been involved in the alliance’s R& amp\;I dimension project TORCH and now focuses her efforts on the smooth r unning of the CHARM-EIGHT project. Holding a degree in agricultural and en vironmental sciences and being a qualified translator\, she has gained wor k experience in an international environment from multinational companies through projects of universities and conservation NGOs affiliated to globa l networks. Due to her diverse administrative and coordinator roles she re gularly participates in the meetings of various governing boards and offic es of CHARM European University and provides assistance for some work pack ages\, which means being in daily work contact with the representatives of partner institutions. \n \n Kimmo GrönlundProfessor of Political Science and Director of the Social Scienc e Research Institute at Åbo Akademi University \n Kimmo Grönl und is Professor of Political Science and Director of the Social Science R esearch Institute at Åbo Akademi University. Currently\, he is also membe r of the Board of Åbo Akademi University. His research interests include democratic innovations\, public opinion\, and electoral behavior. He has p ublished widely\, especially on controlled experiments with deliberative m ini-publics in journals such as Political Behavior\, International Politic al Science Review and Scandinavian Political Studies. He is the Director o f the Finnish Research Infrastructure for Public Opinion FIRIPO and the re search consortium STRONG – Implementing democratic innovations\, funded by the Strategic Research Council at the Research Council of Finland (2024 –2030). Moreover\, he is a widely used expert commentator on politics in Finland\, and he has been the electoral commentator of the largest Finnis h commercial TV channel MTV3 since 2006. \n \n Maria HämäläinenCHARM-EU MSc in Global Challenges for Sust ainability alumna \n Maria Hämäläinen is a recent graduate o f the CHARM-EU MSc in Global Challenges for Sustainability. Over two years \, her studies took her from Utrecht to Barcelona and Montpellier\, where she specialised in the Food track. Her work focused on agrifood transition s\, Mediterranean food systems\, and the social dimensions of sustainabili ty\, culminating in a Capstone thesis on the social acceptance of seaweed cultivation in the Thau Lagoon. Prior to joining CHARM-EU\, Maria complet ed a BSc in Sustainable Urban Planning at Tampere University\, Finland\, w here her research explored gender mainstreaming through participatory urba n planning processes. This experience sparked her long-standing interest i n the governance and community dimensions of sustainability. Beyond academ ia\, she has been actively involved in climate justice initiatives and is currently volunteering with a Ghana-based non-profit organisation working at the intersection of gender equity and climate action. She is also contr ibuting to a research project on inclusive energy governance through the Y ES-Europe Africa-Europe collaboration programme. \n \n Barbara Hegyi economist with a PhD in Regional Scienc es \n Barbara Hegyi is an economist\, with a PhD in Regional Sc iences. She coordinates the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education at E LTE Faculty of Informatics. Designer and implementer of several courses th at embrace sustainability and social responsibility. Coordinates the REDIN EST Impact Labs programme at an international level. \n \n Maria KeloDirector of Institutional Development a t European University Association (EUA) \n Maria Kelo is Direct or of Institutional Development at European University Association (EUA). The unit’s work focuses on recognition\, quality assurance\, rankings\, and learning and teaching\, including the European Degree. She is a member of the Swiss Accreditation Council\, vice-president of the European Quali ty Assurance Register\, and co-represents EUA in the Bologna Process.Befor e joining EUA in 2022\, Maria was the Director of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education\, and previously worked in diff erent European organisations in higher education. \n \n Vilppu Kuusipalo\, project coordinator at the Finnis h Research Infrastructure for Public Opinion (FIRIPO) \n Vilppu Kuusipalo works as a project coordinator at the Finnish Research Infrastr ucture for Public Opinion (FIRIPO)\, which operates the two deliberation l aboratories at Åbo Akademi University. Vilppu is responsible for the day- to-day activities at FIRIPO\, such as making sure that the laboratories fu nction efficiently\, coordinating research-related activities\, supporting visiting researchers\, and maintaining the infrastructure needed for high -quality public opinion and deliberation studies.In his role\, Vilppu work s closely with researchers and other project partners to facilitate the pl anning and implementation of experiments\, surveys\, and events. He also c ontributes to the development and promotion of FIRIPO’s services\, helpi ng researchers make use of innovative methods and facilities for studying public opinion\, citizen participation\, and democratic processes.Vilppu ’s background is in humanities\, and he is interested in various aspects of societies\, cultures and human interaction. \n \n Marvin MendyStrategic Partnerships Officer at the Univ ersity of Montpellier \n Marvin Mendy is Strategic Partnerships Officer at the University of Montpellier and leads Work Package 14 (World wide Academic Partnership Network). Over the past eight years\, he has wor ked at the intersection of international relations\, diplomacy and project management across the higher education\, public and private sectors. His expertise includes the design and implementation of international cooperat ion strategies\, institutional partnerships and multi-stakeholder initiati ves.Within CHARM-EU\, Marvin is responsible for developing long-term partn erships beyond Europe and advancing the Alliance’\;s global engagemen t strategy\, particularly with Africa and other strategic regions. His wor k focuses on building sustainable international cooperation frameworks tha t connect higher education\, research and societal stakeholders. \n \n Christoph Mohamad-KlotzbachPolitical Scientist at the Institute of Political Science and Sociology at the JMU W ürzburg\n \n Dr. Christoph Mohamad-Klotzbach is a Political Sc ientist at the Institute of Political Science and Sociology at the JMU Wü rzburg. His research focuses on democracy and democratization\, scientific concepts\, political culture\, statehood\, political parties\, environmen tal health and sustainability. He is currently part of the EU-funded inter disciplinary research project MARKOPOLO\, which is attached to the Profess orship of Social Science Sustainability Studies\, and studies knowledge tr ansfer in environmental health. \n \n Nelli PiehlCHARM-EU alumna and Teaching &\; Project Assistant at Å bo Akademi \n Nelli Piehl is a CHARM-EU alumna and Teaching an d Project Assistant at Åbo Akademi\, where she also supports CHARM-EUR 17\;s Diversity\, Equity and Inclusion work. She is an early-career socio- ecological researcher with a particular interest in participatory approach es and equity and inclusion across international contexts.  \n \n Phoebe SacaresCHARM-EU MSc in Global Chal lenges for Sustainability alumna \n Phoebe Sacares is a graduat e of the CHARM-EU MSc in Global Challenges for Sustainability\,  having s tudied in Barcelona and Montpellier over two years of transdisciplinary le arning and research. Specialising in the Water track\, her work focused on a range of water-related sustainability challenges\, including supporting livelihoods amid aquatic ecosystem disruption in East Africa\, developing water-efficient infrastructure in Dublin\, and addressing drought resilie nce in Catalonia. These experiences sparked a strong interest in tackling water-related sustainability issues.Prior to joining CHARM-EU\, she comple ted a BSc in Physics and Astrophysics at the University of York (UK). With a keen interest in applying science\, data analysis\, and mapping to envi ronmental challenges\, she is pursuing a career at the intersection of sus tainability and evidence-based decision-making. She is currently volunteer ing with the London Wildlife Trust\, contributing to practical conservatio n projects and gaining first-hand insight into the importance of community engagement in translating global climate goals into local action. \n \n Martin Meggele SjøenProfessor of E ducational Studies at the Institute of Education at the University of Berg en \n Dr. Martin Meggele Sjøen is a Professor of Educational S tudies 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\, education\, political violence and peac ebuilding\, with a specific focus on the intersection of education and sec urity. \n \n Roger StrandProfessor at the University of Bergen\, Norway \n Roger Strand is Profes sor at the University of Bergen\, Norway. His research focuses on the gove rnance of science\, technology\, and innovation\, with particular attentio n to complexity\, uncertainty\, and sustainability. He works at the inters ection of philosophy\, science and technology studies\, and policy-oriente d research\, contributing to the development of frameworks 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 addressing the role of exp ertise\, interdisciplinary collaboration\, and societal engagement in rese arch and innovation. His work includes contributions to environmental gove rnance\, sustainability transitions\, and science-policy interfaces. He is the Co-Director of the non-profit NGO called the European Centre for Gove rnance in Complexity (www.ecgc.eu). \n \n Ferenc TakóMember of the CHARM-EU Executive Board\, CHARM-EU Dire ctor and Head of the Rector’s Cabinet CHARM-EU Office\, Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) \n Ferenc Takó studied Philosophy and Japa nese Studies at Eötvös Loránd 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 ELT E between 2018 and 2021. Since 2021\, he is head of the Rector’s Cabinet CHARM-EU Office and ELTE Executive Director of CHARM-EU. \n \n Ádám TóthResearcher at the Copernicus In stitute of Sustainable Development at Utrecht University. \n Á dám Tóth is a researcher in (ground)water\, sustainability and education innovation at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development at Utre cht University. Ádám is the co-lead of the educational practice work pac kage of the CHARM-EIGHT project. He is involved in updating the existing m aster’\;s programme in Global Challenges for Sustainability\, explori ng educational opportunities for a broader audience to develop knowledge\, including a strategy for micro-credentials\, badges\, and continuing educ ation\, as well as a team-based\, transdisciplinary joint CHARM-EU Doctora l programme. \n \n Dr. Annisa Triy antiAssistant Professor\, Disaster and Climate Risk Governance for Sustain ability\, at Utrecht University \n Dr. Annisa Triyanti is an As sistant Professor of Disaster and Climate Risk Governance for Sustainabili ty at Utrecht University. Born in Indonesia\, she earned her PhD from the University of Amsterdam. Her research connects grassroots practices with g lobal policy\, focusing on community self-governance and mangrove ecosyste m-based disaster risk reduction in Asia. In her teaching\, she emphasizes public engagement and promotes the role of European University Alliances i n addressing societal challenges. Serving as Academic Director of CHARM-EU for Utrecht University\, she supports collaborative\, cross-boundary educ ation. For three consecutive years\, she has also coordinated the Capstone module for the CHARM-EU Master’s in Global Challenges for Sustainabilit y\, a transdisciplinary program where students conduct research alongside external stakeholders to tackle real-world issues. Beyond her academic rol es\, Dr. Triyanti has engaged in intergovernmental policy dialogues on cli mate change and sustainable development since 2014. As part of this work\, she represented young scientists in the Global Science and Technology Adv isory Group for the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) from 201 7 to 2019. \n \n Oriol UviedoLabor atory and project technician\, specialized in microplastics and citizen sc ience \n Ever since my childhood\, I have known that I wanted t o 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 Universi ty of Barcelona (UB)\, and I currently serve as a laboratory and project t echnician\, specialized in microplastics and citizen science. One of the p rincipal initiatives I lead is the ‘\;Surfing For Science’\; pro ject\, which has a well-defined objective: to quantify and characterize mi croplastics in the coastal areas of the western Mediterranean through citi zen science. In this manner\, we generate scientific knowledge while simul taneously raising awareness about the critical issue of plastic pollution in our seas and oceans.Utilizing the methodology developed in ‘\;Surf ing For Science’\;\, we initiated the TRAP project. While sharing the same core objectives\, this initiative expands the scope of research to r ivers\, combined sewer overflows (CSOs)\, and the open sea in order to ana lyse the transport and exchange of particles across these diverse systems. Furthermore\, I have participated in the OSES project (Ocean Sustainabili ty Through Education and Sport)\, where we developed best-practice manuals and fieldwork kits designed to enable marine recreational users\, as sail ors\, divers or surfers\, to collect reliable scientific data. Through the se efforts\, our ultimate goal is to foster public awareness regarding the anthropogenic threats and impacts currently facing our marine ecosystems. \n \n Mireia Via\nResearch Suppor t Technician at CHARM-EU \n Mireia Via obtained her PhD in Theo retical Chemistry and Computational Modelling from the University of the B asque Country (UPV/EHU). After that\, she left academia aside but not the world of research entirely. Since then\, she has dedicated her career to s upporting research\, working as a support technician in a chemistry resear ch group at the University of Barcelona (UB)\, and at the UB’\;s Inte rnational Research Projects Office. She has also been an adjunct lecturer at the UB\, teaching practical classes on the Biology and Chemistry bachel or’\;s degree programmes. She currently supports the research and inn ovation dimension of the CHARM-EU alliance. \n \n Lena WassermannAdvisor to the Vice President for Internati onalisation 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 President for Internationalisation at th e University of Würzburg and supports the university’s strategic engage ment within the CHARM-EU Alliance. Her work focuses on European university cooperation\, internationalisation strategies\, and cross-institutional c ollaboration. Drawing on experience in academia\, policy\, and internation al partnerships\, she is particularly interested in how universities can w ork together to address shared societal challenges and foster innovation i n higher education. \n \n Gunilla Widén\nProfessor of Information Studies at Åbo Akademi University (ÅAU) since 2008 \n Gunilla Widén is Professor of Information Studi es at Åbo Akademi University (ÅAU) since 2008. Her research focuses on i nformation behaviour\, knowledge management\, and trust in information. Sh e has led several large research projects\, e.g. on organizational key ski lls in information society\, the role of social media in libraries\, the i mportance of information literacy in various contexts such as workplaces a nd in migration.Widén has been involved in European projects on youth inf ormation\, and in Nordic library research\, e.g. on cultural policy decisi on-making\, the case of Helsinki Central Libary Oodi. She has been involve d in several collaborative networks both nationally and internationally\, appointed as external expert in different evaluation committees\, and publ ished widely in her areas of expertise.She has long organizational experie nce at ÅAU\, recently she has been Vice-Rector for Education 2022-25\, an d served as Acting Rector from April 2025 until she was appointed as Recto r in January 2026. \n \n Balázs A czél\nVice Dean for Science at the Faculty of Education and Psychology of Eötvös Loránd University \n Balázs Aczél is Vice Dean for Scienc e at the Faculty of Education and Psychology of Eötvös Loránd Universit y\, Budapest\, where he is also Professor of Psychology. He has been activ ely involved in the CHARM-EU alliance through the TORCH project\, leading its Open Science activities\, and continues to contribute to the alliance' s research and innovation initiatives within the CHARM-EIGHT project. His research focuses on metascience\, with particular emphasis on research met hodology\, open science\, and improving the robustness and credibility of scientific research. Through his research\, teaching\, and international c ollaborations\, he promotes the adoption of transparent and reproducible r esearch 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 Adler creutz (b. 1970) is Chair of the Swedish People’s Party of Finland sinc e June 2024 and the current Minister of Education. He graduated as an arch itect from Helsinki University of Technology in 1999. Adlercreutz's politi cal career began when he was elected to Kirkkonummi Municipal Council in 2 013\, he served as Chair of the Council from 2017 to 2023. He has been a M ember of Parliament since 2015 and served as Chair of SFP’s Parliamentar y Group from 2019 to 2023. During the years in Parliament\, Adlercreutz wa s a member of several Committees\, eg. the Finance Committee\, the Defence Committee\, the Administration Committee\, and the Environmental Committe e. Before becoming Minister of Education 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 chi ldren\, is fluent in 7 languages and is an avid cello player in his free t ime. \n \n Doris Alexander\, Associate D irector of European Engagement\, Trinity College Dublin \n Doris Alexa nder 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\, worki ng to get early insight on new EU policy/initiatives so as to maximise the opportunity space for Trinity. She is currently engaged in the implementa tion of aspects of the ERA policy agenda. She has been involved in severa l EC stakeholder groups including the co-creation of the European Universi ties initiative\, is the co-director of CHARM-EU alliance in Trinity Colle ge and a member of the Executive Board. She was Chair of the R&\;I subg roup of the FOREU1 network (the network of the 17 European Universities al liances funded through the first Erasmus+ pilot call) and is currently cha ir of the R&\;I Topical Group (part of FOREU4ALL) for all alliances.Dor is holds a BA in Mathematical Science and an MSc in Computer Science (Heal th Informatics) from Trinity College Dublin. \n \n Jake Rowan ByrneCo-Director of CHARM-EU and Assistant Professor in Contemporary Teaching and Learning at the School of Education\, Trinit y College Dublin \n Dr. Jake Rowan Byrne is Co-Director of CHARM-EU an d Assistant Professor in Contemporary Teaching and Learning at the School of Education\, Trinity College Dublin. His research and practice focus on transdisciplinary education\, challenge-based learning\, innovative curric ulum design\, and the development of learner agency through collaborative educational approaches. As a member of CHARM-EU's Knowledge Creating Teams (KCTs)\, he has helped design and deliver transnational educational exper iences\, including leading the development and initial delivery of the Tra nsdisciplinary Research Module within the CHARM-EU Master's in Global Chal lenges for Sustainability. He also serves as a lead facilitator within the KCT delivering the CHARM Doctoral Summer School\, supporting doctoral res earchers as they work in transdisciplinary teams to address complex societ al challenges. Jake's work is grounded in the belief that education has l ong been a naturally transdisciplinary endeavour. Designing meaningful lea rning requires collaboration not only across academic disciplines but also with policymakers\, school leaders\, teachers\, learners\, families\, com munities\, industry and civil society. His experience contributing to the development of Ireland's national Leaving Certificate Computer Science cur riculum exemplifies this approach\, bringing together diverse stakeholders to co-create educational innovation. Through his research and leadership\ , Jake explores how distributed leadership\, participatory design and coll aborative knowledge creation can strengthen educational ecosystems and bui ld the capacity needed to address the complex challenges facing society. \n \n Meritxell ChavesSecretary General o f European University of CHARM-EU \n Meritxell Chaves has more than t hirty years of experience in the higher education sector\, in four univers ities of the Catalan university system\, in different functional areas of the University such as academic management\, strategic planning\, quality and accreditation\, and international relations in different organisationa l 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 Anikó Gál BéltekiCHARM-EU Manage r at ELTE \n Anikó Gál Bélteki is acting as CHARM-EU project manage r at the Eötvös Loránd University\, Budapest. She has already been invo lved in the alliance’s R&\;I dimension project TORCH and now focuses her efforts on the smooth running of the CHARM-EIGHT project. Holding a de gree in agricultural and environmental sciences and being a qualified tran slator\, she has gained work experience in an international environment fr om multinational companies through projects of universities and conservati on NGOs affiliated to global networks. Due to her diverse administrative a nd coordinator roles she regularly participates in the meetings of various governing boards and offices of CHARM European University and provides as sistance for some work packages\, which means being in daily work contact with the representatives 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 So cial Science Research Institute at Åbo Akademi University. Currently\, he is also member of the Board of Åbo Akademi University. His research inte rests include democratic innovations\, public opinion\, and electoral beha vior. He has published widely\, especially on controlled experiments with deliberative mini-publics in journals such as Political Behavior\, Interna tional Political Science Review and Scandinavian Political Studies. He is the Director of the Finnish Research Infrastructure for Public Opinion FIR IPO and the research consortium STRONG – Implementing democratic innovat ions\, funded by the Strategic Research Council at the Research Council of Finland (2024–2030). Moreover\, he is a widely used expert commentator on politics 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 for Sustainability alumna \n Maria Hämäläinen is a recent graduate of the CHARM-EU MSc in Global Challenges for Sustainability. Over two year s\, her studies took her from Utrecht to Barcelona and Montpellier\, where she specialised in the Food track. Her work focused on agrifood transitio ns\, Mediterranean food systems\, and the social dimensions of sustainabil ity\, culminating in a Capstone thesis on the social acceptance of seaweed cultivation in the Thau Lagoon. Prior to joining CHARM-EU\, Maria comple ted a BSc in Sustainable Urban Planning at Tampere University\, Finland\, where her research explored gender mainstreaming through participatory urb an planning processes. This experience sparked her long-standing interest in the governance and community dimensions of sustainability. Beyond acade mia\, she has been actively involved in climate justice initiatives and is currently volunteering with a Ghana-based non-profit organisation working at the intersection of gender equity and climate action. She is also cont ributing to 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 Barbara Hegyi is an economist\, with a PhD in Regional Sciences. She coordinates the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education at ELTE Faculty of Informatics. Designer and implementer of several courses that embrace s ustainability and social responsibility. Coordinates the REDINEST Impact L abs programme at an international level. \n \n Maria KeloDirector of Institutional Development at European Univers ity Association (EUA) \n Maria Kelo is Director of Institutional Devel opment at European University Association (EUA). The unit’s work focuses on recognition\, quality assurance\, rankings\, and learning and teaching \, including the European Degree. She is a member of the Swiss Accreditati on Council\, vice-president of the European Quality Assurance Register\, a nd co-represents EUA in the Bologna Process.Before joining EUA in 2022\, M aria was the Director of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education\, and previously worked in different European organisati ons in higher education. \n \n Vilppu Ku usipalo\, project coordinator at the Finnish Research Infrastructure for P ublic Opinion (FIRIPO) \n Vilppu Kuusipalo works as a project coordina tor at the Finnish Research Infrastructure for Public Opinion (FIRIPO)\, w hich operates the two deliberation laboratories at Åbo Akademi University . Vilppu is responsible for the day-to-day activities at FIRIPO\, such as making sure that the laboratories function efficiently\, coordinating rese arch-related activities\, supporting visiting researchers\, and maintainin g the infrastructure needed for high-quality public opinion and deliberati on studies.In his role\, Vilppu works closely with researchers and other p roject partners to facilitate the planning and implementation of experimen ts\, surveys\, and events. He also contributes to the development and prom otion of FIRIPO’s services\, helping researchers make use of innovative methods and facilities for studying public opinion\, citizen participation \, and democratic processes.Vilppu’s background is in humanities\, and h e is interested in various aspects of societies\, cultures and human inter action. \n \n Marvin MendyStrategic Part nerships Officer at the University of Montpellier \n Marvin Mendy is S trategic Partnerships Officer at the University of Montpellier and leads W ork Package 14 (Worldwide Academic Partnership Network). Over the past eig ht years\, he has worked at the intersection of international relations\, diplomacy and project management across the higher education\, public and private sectors. His expertise includes the design and implementation of i nternational cooperation strategies\, institutional partnerships and multi -stakeholder initiatives.Within CHARM-EU\, Marvin is responsible for devel oping long-term partnerships beyond Europe and advancing the Alliance's gl obal engagement strategy\, particularly with Africa and other strategic re gions. His work focuses on building sustainable international cooperation frameworks that connect higher education\, research and societal stakehold ers. \n \n Christoph Mohamad-KlotzbachPo litical Scientist at the Institute of Political Science and Sociology at t he JMU Würzburg\n \n Dr. Christoph Mohamad-Klotzbach is a Political S cientist at the Institute of Political Science and Sociology at the JMU W ürzburg. His research focuses on democracy and democratization\, scientif ic concepts\, political culture\, statehood\, political parties\, environm ental health and sustainability. He is currently part of the EU-funded int erdisciplinary research project MARKOPOLO\, which is attached to the Profe ssorship of Social Science Sustainability Studies\, and studies knowledge transfer in environmental health. \n \n Nelli PiehlCHARM-EU alumna and Teaching &\; Project Assistant at Åbo A kademi \n Nelli Piehl is a CHARM-EU alumna and Teaching and Project A ssistant at Åbo Akademi\, where she also supports CHARM-EU's Diversity\, Equity and Inclusion work. She is an early-career socio-ecological researc her with a particular interest in participatory approaches and equity and inclusion across international contexts.  \n \n Phoebe SacaresCHARM-EU MSc in Global Challenges for Sustainabilit y alumna \n Phoebe Sacares is a graduate of the CHARM-EU MSc in Global Challenges for Sustainability\,  having studied in Barcelona and Montpel lier over two years of transdisciplinary learning and research. Specialisi ng in the Water track\, her work focused on a range of water-related susta inability challenges\, including supporting livelihoods amid aquatic ecosy stem disruption in East Africa\, developing water-efficient infrastructure in Dublin\, and addressing drought resilience in Catalonia. These experie nces sparked a strong interest in tackling water-related sustainability is sues.Prior to joining CHARM-EU\, she completed a BSc in Physics and Astrop hysics at the University of York (UK). With a keen interest in applying sc ience\, data analysis\, and mapping to environmental challenges\, she is p ursuing a career at the intersection of sustainability and evidence-based decision-making. She is currently volunteering with the London Wildlife Tr ust\, contributing to practical conservation projects and gaining first-ha nd insight into the importance of community engagement in translating glob al climate goals into local action. \n \n Martin Meggele SjøenProfessor of Educational Studies at the Institute o f Education at the University of Bergen \n Dr. Martin Meggele Sjøen i s 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 Univer sity of Stavanger. Dr. Sjøen’s research explores democracy\, education\ , political violence and peacebuilding\, with a specific focus on the inte rsection of education and security. \n \n Roger StrandProfessor at the University of Bergen\, Norway \n Roger Strand is Professor at the University of Bergen\, Norway. His research foc uses on the governance of science\, technology\, and innovation\, with par ticular attention to complexity\, uncertainty\, and sustainability. He wor ks at the intersection of philosophy\, science and technology studies\, an d policy-oriented research\, contributing to the development of frameworks 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 addressing the role of expertise\, interdisciplinary collaboration\, and societal en gagement in research and innovation. His work includes contributions to en vironmental governance\, sustainability transitions\, and science-policy i nterfaces. He is the Co-Director of the non-profit NGO called the European Centre for Governance in Complexity (www.ecgc.eu). \n \n Ferenc TakóMember of the CHARM-EU Executive Board\, CHA RM-EU Director and Head of the Rector’s Cabinet CHARM-EU Office\, Eötv ös Loránd University (ELTE) \n Ferenc Takó studied Philosophy and Japanese Studies at Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE)\, Budapest\, Hungar y\, 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. Since 2021\, he is head of the Rector’s Cab inet CHARM-EU Office and ELTE Executive Director of CHARM-EU. \n \n Ádám TóthResearcher at the Copernicus Inst itute of Sustainable Development at Utrecht University. \n Ádám Tót h is a researcher in (ground)water\, sustainability and education innovati on at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development at Utrecht Unive rsity. Ádám is the co-lead of the educational practice work package of t he CHARM-EIGHT project. He is involved in updating the existing master's p rogramme in Global Challenges for Sustainability\, exploring educational o pportunities for a broader audience to develop knowledge\, including a str ategy for micro-credentials\, badges\, and continuing education\, as well as a team-based\, transdisciplinary joint CHARM-EU Doctoral programme. \n \n Dr. Annisa TriyantiAssistant Professo r\, Disaster and Climate Risk Governance for Sustainability\, at Utrecht U niversity \n Dr. Annisa Triyanti is an Assistant Professor of Disaster and Climate Risk Governance for Sustainability at Utrecht University. Bor n in Indonesia\, she earned her PhD from the University of Amsterdam. Her research connects grassroots practices with global policy\, focusing on co mmunity self-governance and mangrove ecosystem-based disaster risk reducti on in Asia. In her teaching\, she emphasizes public engagement and promote s the role of European University Alliances in addressing societal challen ges. Serving as Academic Director of CHARM-EU for Utrecht University\, she supports collaborative\, cross-boundary education. For three consecutive years\, she has also coordinated the Capstone module for the CHARM-EU Mast er’s in Global Challenges for Sustainability\, a transdisciplinary progr am where students conduct research alongside external stakeholders to tack le real-world issues. Beyond her academic roles\, Dr. Triyanti has engaged in intergovernmental policy dialogues on climate change and sustainable d evelopment since 2014. As part of this work\, she represented young scient ists in the Global Science and Technology Advisory Group for the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) from 2017 to 2019. \n \n Oriol UviedoLaboratory and project technician\, spec ialized in microplastics and citizen science \n Ever since my childhoo d\, I have known that I wanted to pursue a career related to the ocean\, a nd that has indeed been the case. In 2020\, I graduated with a degree in M arine Sciences from the University of Barcelona (UB)\, and I currently ser ve as a laboratory and project technician\, specialized in microplastics a nd citizen science. One of the principal initiatives I lead is the 'Surfin g For Science' project\, which has a well-defined objective: to quantify a nd characterize microplastics in the coastal areas of the western Mediterr anean through citizen science. In this manner\, we generate scientific kno wledge while simultaneously raising awareness about the critical issue of plastic pollution in our seas and oceans.Utilizing the methodology develop ed 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 syst ems. Furthermore\, I have participated in the OSES project (Ocean Sustaina bility Through Education and Sport)\, where we developed best-practice man uals and fieldwork kits designed to enable marine recreational users\, as sailors\, divers or surfers\, to collect reliable scientific data. Through these efforts\, our ultimate goal is to foster public awareness regarding the anthropogenic threats and impacts currently facing our marine ecosyst ems. \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