CHARM ON is a monthly online series where academic and support staff can explore innovative practices and share experiences across the community.
Each session features a panel discussion with invited guests from across the university community, providing testimonials of concrete examples. The panels will include educators, researchers, students, and support staff. Together they will bring real-world perspectives on applying CHARM-EU’s approaches such as challenge-based learning, mobility, and interculturality.
Discussions of the series may motivate participants to dive deeper into CHARM-EU good practices in our Service Portfolio, and to participate in trainings offered by the Alliance.
CHARM ON will take place on the last Monday of each month at 13:00 CET, offering a regular space to share ideas, practices, and impact stories across the CHARM-EU community.
CHARM ON #1: Bringing Innovation into Practice
The first event in the series will spotlight Challenge-Based Learning (CBL). Our panel will dive into practical experiences of using CBL, highlighting how this method can move from theory into impactful practice. Following a short introduction on the concept of the series by Dr. Ferenc Takó (ELTE), panellists Dr. Valeire Borrell (UM), Dr. Silvia Gallagher (TCD), Freeke Jansen (UU), Dr. Viktor Mihucz (ELTE). and Dr. Sergio Villanueva (UB) will discuss CBL with facilitators Nicolas De Keyser (HWR) and Alexander Arenas Canon (UM).
Date: Monday, 29 September
Time: 13:00–14:00 CET
Format: Online panel discussion
Dr. Valérie Borrell Estupina is an Associate Professor at the University of Montpellier, specializing in water sciences, with a particular interest in extreme events, global changes, and interfaces. She has contributed to the development of the Water track of the CHARM-EU Master’s program on Global Challenges for Sustainability, integrating challenge-based learning activities, blended intensive programs, as well as geolocated educational apps to connect theoretical teaching with real-world field situations.
Dr. Silvia Gallagher is a Research Fellow specialising in multi/transdisciplinary research and higher education innovation, with a focus on Challenge Based Learning. She has supported the development of Challenge Based Learning educational programmes within CHARM-EU, including Masters and Blended Intensive Programmes.
Freeke Jansen is a Project Assistant and Junior Policy officer for CHARM-EU. As a CHARM-EU alumna, she has firsthand experience with Challenge Based Learning and a strong interest in intercultural competence development.
Viktor G. Mihucz is a full professor in Analytical Chemistry at ELTE, with a focus on analysis of environmental, food and clinical samples. He has been teaching in the CHARM-EU Master’s programme Global Challenges for Sustainability and he is in charge of developing a joint master’s programme on Planetary Health within CHARM-EU.
CHARM ON #2: International Joint Programmes
This second session focuses on one of CHARM-EU’s central achievements: international joint programmes. The beating heart of CHARM-EU’s mission, these transnational degrees integrate diverse academic traditions, governance models, and cultures into a single shared learning experience. Our panellists from across the Alliance – including Laia Alonso, Meritxell Chaves, Viktor G. Mihucz and Gilles Subra – will explicate the practical realities of building and sustaining these programmes — from accreditation and curriculum design to student mobility, digital infrastructure, and intercultural teamwork. The event will be facilitated by Nicolas De Keyser and Alexander Arenas Canon.
Date: Monday, 27 October Time: 13:00–14:00 CET Format: Online panel discussion
Laia Alonso is a Project Assistant for CHARM-EU at the University of Barcelona with a background in International Relations. As a CHARM-EU alumna, she saw firsthand how an international joint master’s creates a collaborative space to address global challenges while also fostering meaningful intercultural connections and friendships.
Meritxell Chaves is Secretary General of CHARM-EU since the start of the initiative in 2019. She has more than thirty years of experience in the higher education sector in different functional areas such as academic management, strategic planning, quality and accreditation, and international relations in different organisational cultures.
Viktor G. Mihucz is a full professor in Analytical Chemistry at ELTE, with a focus on analysis of environmental, food and clinical samples. He has been teaching in the CHARM-EU Master’s programme Global Challenges for Sustainability and he is in charge of developing a joint master’s programme on Planetary Health within CHARM-EU.
CHARM ON #3: Citizen Science in Action
This month, our panel turns to Citizen Science in Action. Practitioners —Anna Sànchez, Isabelle Bonhoure and Josep Perelló (UB), Roger Strand (UiB), László Róbert Zsiros (ELTE) — will reflect on the principles, affordances, and values of doing research with communities, foregrounding its social dimensions: social commitment, collaboration, communication, learning (formal and informal), and evidence-based action. Through grounded examples from their own projects, they’ll explore ethical, methodological, and practical challenges, while sharing how they mobilise local partners and co-design participation. Rather than a one-size-fits-all recipe, the session offers starting points to ideate, design, contribute to, or lead just transparent projects and collaborations that connect academic rigour with societal needs. The event will be facilitated by Nicolas De Keyser (HRW) and Alex Arenas (UM).
Date: Monday, 24 November Time: 13:00–14:00 CET Format: Online panel discussion
Dr. Isabelle Bonhoure is a researcher and coordinator at OpenSystems (University of Barcelona), which she joined in 2013 after completing a PhD in Materials Science (Université Paris XI, 2000) and an MS in Scientific Communication (Pompeu Fabra University, 2005). She also teaches at UB’s Faculty of Information and Audiovisual Media and at the CHARM-EU Master’s in Global Challenges for Sustainability.
Her work focuses on Citizen Social Science, participatory research co-designed and directly driven by citizen groups that share a social concern. She is especially interested in co-creation with communities in situations of vulnerability, examining how top-level research can align with actions for social transformation. In this approach, citizens act as co-researchers (recognised as competent, in-the-field experts) throughout the process, from design to interpretation and into concrete change. Current research lines include mental health social support networks, urban sustainability challenges, climate vulnerabilities and the conceptualisation of CS alliance with GLAMs (Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums).
Prof Josep Perelló is a professor of Condensed Matter Physics at the University of Barcelona. In 2012, he created OpenSystems, a research group that conceives scientific research based on citizen participation and artistic practices that fall under the broad label of Social Citizen Science. Its main objective is to analyse human behaviour in urban contexts through the sciences of complexity and within the field of computational social science. With the aim of collectively responding to specific social concerns, OpenSystems has conducted more than 15 public experiments with more than 2,500 participants. He has been the coordinator of the Barcelona Citizens’ Office (until 2018, and founder in 2013), an initiative of the Barcelona City Council that works as a community of practice for a large number of citizen science projects and implements specific programs in civic centres, primary and secondary schools.
Dr. Anna Sànchez is an associate Professor since 2017 at the Department of Earth and Ocean Dynamics, University of Barcelona. Her research focuses on understanding the impact of dense water overflows on particle transport, making use of tools including in-situ observations from research vessels, underwater vehicles, satellite data, and ocean models. She is leading a research line that incorporates citizen science to study plastic pollution in the coastal area (http://www.surfingforscience.org/). This long-term project (since 2018) has represented a paradigm shift in microplastic research, allowing to fill the gap in knowledge of the coastal area, and actively involving citizens in the generation of new scientific data. The resulting open datasets have shed light on the magnitude of plastic pollution, providing robust evidence to inform policy and management strategies, particularly in relation to pellet spills, wet wipes, and artificial turf.
Dr László Róbert Zsiros is a Science communication expert and data scientist. With an MSc and PhD in Horticultural Sciences (plant molecular biology) and additional training in law, he blends rigorous research with creative storytelling. He performs shows at science festivals across Europe and trains STEM professionals in clear, engaging communication (e.g., in science centres, FameLab, SCIndikator). Academically, his current interests span canine bioacoustics and brain imaging. As a generalist maker and problem-solver, he designs and manages projects and helps tech teams turn complex ideas into messages that land. When not on stage or in the lab: dogs, tinkering, gardening, sport science, languages, data viz, and design.
CHARM ON #4: Speaking across borders 1: Language and Intercultural Communication
How do we communicate, collaborate, and build trust across cultures, languages, and institutions? This CHARM ON session explores intercultural communication through practical experiences from teaching, mobility, and professional practice. Our panel will share insights on navigating linguistic diversity, cultural expectations, norms, and institutional practices. Together, panellists will reflect on how intercultural competence can be developed intentionally and how it contributes to inclusion, trust, and more effective cooperation.
Date: Monday, 26 january Time: 13:00–14:00 CET Format: Online panel discussion
Prof. Christopher M. Schmidt is a professor of German language and literature at Åbo Akademi University, where he brings language and culture to life in both teaching and research. He is passionate about exploring how people communicate across cultures and how language shapes understanding in international and business contexts, making him a go-to expert on language in intercultural communication. Beyond his academic work, Christopher helps connect students and scholars from different backgrounds through collaborative programmes and intercultural projects.
Rena Zendedel is an Assistant Professor at Utrecht University, within the Department of Languages, Literature and Communication, in the section of Translation, Intercultural Communication and Education. Her research initially focused on informal interpreting in medical settings and has since expanded to the study of intercultural competences among (exchange) students and teachers. In addition to her research activities, she works as a trainer in intercultural competences across various professional and educational contexts. She teaches several courses in the MA programme in Intercultural Communication and co-developed the Intercultural Preparation module for CHARM-EU students.
Dr. Monika Kovács is professor of social psychology at the Institute of Intercultural Education and Psychology at Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) in Budapest. She was vice dean for external relations and academic affairs between 2006 and 2015 at the Faculty of Education and Psychology, managing international relations of the faculty as well as supervising research projects. She has been teaching the course Internationalization in Higher Education, one of the courses of the Social Integration MA, for several years. With her colleague, Professor Lan Anh Nguyen Luu, she has conducted many intercultural preparation trainings for incoming and outgoing students as well as for staff of ELTE’s partners (Erasmus+ staff training) and for staff of ELTE itself. In the framework of CHARM-EU she was a member of the expert team that developed the Intercultural Preparation Modules, which aim to explore and enhance intercultural competences.
Nelli Piehl is a Teaching Assistant for CHARM-EU at Åbo Akademi University and a CHARM-EU alumna. Throughinternational study, research, work, and volunteering across several countries, she brings lived experience of intercultural collaboration in academic and community contexts. Her work sits at the intersection of environmental practice, engagement, and communication, with a focus on participatory approaches for sustainability.
CHARM ON #5:Speaking Across Borders 2: Networking and Community Building
This session turns the spotlight on networking and community building, essential foundations for collaboration in a transnational university alliance. As universities increasingly work across institutional, disciplinary, and cultural boundaries, the challenge is no longer whether to come together, but how to build sustainable communities that support long-term cooperation.
Drawing on experiences from CHARM-EU’s networking initiatives, this discussion will explore how structured networking formats can transcend individual connections to establish lasting communities of practice, teasing out how intentional design, facilitation, and shared guiding principles can advance inclusive participation, knowledge exchange, and trust across institutions.
Date: Monday, 30 March Time: 13:00–14:00 CET Format: Online panel discussion with Q&A
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Marion Hayaoui is EU Project Manager at the University of Montpellier with 10 years+ experience in coordinating collaborative projects with international partners. Her experience and marketing skills contribute to the development and implementation of effective communication strategies. Her strong understanding of EU funding programs and capacity to work in complex environments helps UM and CHARM-EU in setting and meeting deadlines and KPIs.
Oscar Henriksson is a university lecturer in physics at Åbo Akademi University in Finland, and a visiting researcher at the Helsinki Institute of Physics. He got his PhD in 2017 from the University of Colorado Boulder. His research within theoretical physics is focused on gravity and strongly interacting quantum field theory, and he teaches both introductory and advanced physics courses.
Marta Molinos Benitez is EU Project Manager at the University of Montpellier with a Master’s in European and International Studies (aMU) and a Bachelor’s in Business Administration and Management (UB).
Simone Roth is Professor of Business Economics (Marketing) at the Institute of Economics at Ruhr West University of Applied Sciences. She has extensive professional and teaching experience in brand development, brand management, and international market expansion. Her research focuses on international brand management, social media marketing, intercultural communication, and consumer behavior. She maintains close collaborations with industry partners, particularly in retail and insurance. Within the CHARM-EU Alliance, she serves as co-lead of the Networking and Community-Building WP.
