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:20260918T090626Z 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 (deadline 30 Septe mber)\n \n CALL for posters \n The Open Call for Posters for t he CHARM-EU Annual Conference 2026 is officially live. Whether you are an academic\, a student\, support staff\, or an external stakeholder\, we wan t to hear your voice on topics like inclusive university cultures\, educat ional innovation\, and transnational cooperation.If accepted\, you'll get to pitch your work in person this October 14th at Åbo Akademi University in Turku\, Finland. There you will engage with higher education change-mak ers\, and have your work featured in the CHARM-EU resource centre.Don’t miss your chance to contribute to sustainable welfare societies—review t he submission guidelines and submit your abstract before September 15th. \n \n View the Open Call\n \n PROGRAMME \n Full sp eaker lineup and detailed session abstracts are currently being finalized. Please check back for updates. \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\, Professor Gunilla Widén\, welcomes the conference part icipants. 9:15 –\; 9:45 Universities as democratic actors Keynote Sp eech by ÅAU Professor Kimmo Grönlund9:45 –\; 10:45 From Mobility to Democratic resilience: The Role of European University alliances –\; Panel SessionEuropean University alliances are often framed as vehicles f or mobility and institutional cooperation\, yet their potential role in su pporting democratic values remains underdeveloped. In a context of growing political fragmentation across Europe\, this panel examines how alliances can move beyond exchange formats such as Erasmus+ and contribute to democ ratic resilience. Moderator: Doris Alexander\, Associate Director of Euro pean Engagement and Director of CHARM-EU\, Trinity College Dublin\; Chair\ , Research &\; Innovation Topical Group\, FOREU4ALLPanelists: Anders A dlercreutz\, Finland’\;s Minister of EducationMaria Kelo\, European U niversity Association (EUA)Karl Stoeckel\, CIVIS Executive DirectorRapport 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 k and posters gallery walk11:15 –\; 12:00 Design processes and init iatives for promoting sustainability leadership\, civic engagement and inclusive mindset: the REDINEST Impact Labs –\; Interactive LectureG et inspired by the story of a journey that transformed the entrepreneurshi p education for computer science students into an international level in terdisciplinary and impactful initiative: educational methods\, goals\, a chievements\, and activities for a student-powered and challenge-based imp act lab network for the development of transformative competencies and in clusive mindset. Share your thoughts and ideas on creating cross-subject\ , cross-faculty and cross-institutional learning opportunities that form s ustainability leadership and civic engagement skills of future changemaker s. Lecturer: Dr. Barbara Hegyi\, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Educatio n Coordinator at Eötvös Loránd University Budapest (ELTE)Rapporteurs: A nikó Gál Bélteki and Ferenc Takó from Eötvös Loránd University Bud apest (ELTE)12:00 –\; 12:15 Group Picture12:15 –\; 13:15 Lunch \n \n \n \n Afternoon Sessions \n \n \n \n 13:30 –\; 15:00 Workshops –\; parallel sessions \n \n Workshop 1 \n \n \n Workshop 2 \n \n \n Wor kshop 3 \n \n \n Workshop 4 \n \n \n Workshop 5 \n \n \n Workshop 6&\;7 \n \n SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP: BUIL DING SOLUTIONS FOR RESILIENT COMMUNITIES How can we turn academic ideas i nto tools for societal welfare? This workshop explores the link between in novation and social impact. Participants will work in small groups to R 20\;pitch”\; a solution to a local community challenge\, focusing on how entrepreneurship can support democratic values like equity and inclusi on. Speakers and Facilitators: Sonia Cantel\, Professor at the Universit y of MontpellierMaria Hämäläinen\, CHARM-EU AlumniPhoebe Sacares\, CHAR M-EU AlumniRaporteur: Roland Thaler\, Professor at the University of Montp ellier \n How to make your research or teaching methodologi es more transdisciplinar?Moving from theory to practice\, this session exp lores how researchers and teachers can adapt their projects/work on a more  transdisciplinar way of doing things.Speakers and Facilitators: Dr. Ja ke Rowan Byrne\,  Co-Director of CHARM-EU and Assistant Professor in Con temporary Teaching and Learning at the School of Education\, Trin ity College DublinOriol Uviedo Palomas\, Laboratory and project technicia n\, specialized in microplastics and citizen science\, University of Barce lonaRoger Strand\, full professor at the Centre for the Study of the Scie nces and the Humanities and researcher in the Theory of Science research g roup at the University of BergenThe winning team of the pitch competition at the CHARM-EU Doctoral Summer School 2026 on transdisciplinarity: Ellen Lund\, Study of religions\, Åbo Akademi UniversityOlympe Mahé Behaviora l Green Finance\, University of Montpellier\, FranceNiklas Reich\, Applied Mathematics\, Ruhr West University of Applied Sciences\, GermanyLinda Rup pert\, Literary Studies\, University of Würzburg\, Germany The team cons ists of four doctoral candidates\, working in four different fields\, at f our different universities\, in three different countries. The team worked on the question of how the Energy Vision 2040 – the switching of energy systems in the Turku region – can become a success. The team presented their winning pitch “Co-Creating the Energy Vision 2040” first at Åbo Akademi University in June 2026\, combining the input of extensive resear ch with economical methods and citizen participation.Raporteur: Mireia Via \, University of Barcelona \n \n From Inclusion to Resilience: European University Alliances in times of crises In recent years\, universities and alliances have had to r espond to different types of crises: social inequalities\, mental h ealth issues\, migration\, political tensions\, climate-related challe nges and increasing mistrust towards institutions. At the same time\,  European University Alliances are becoming long-term cooperation structur es with the capacity to connect universities\, local stakeholders an d communities across borders. This workshop would like to explote a simpl e questions: beyong academic cooperation\, how can alliances connect and s upport people and communities in crisis?  The workshop would also be  an opportunity to exchange experiences between alliances  and reflect collectively on what could realistically be developed together in the fu ture. Speakers:Karl Stoeckel\, CIVIS\, Executive DirectorAnnisa Triyanti\ , Utrecht University Rapporteur: Marvin Mendy\, University of Montpellier \n 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 Tóth \n Open Science Made Simple: Sharing Knowledge for a Stronger Society  Open Science is often seen as a technical hurdle\, but it is a democrati c tool. This workshop provides a “\;starter kit”\; for researche rs to make their work open and transparent. We will discuss the benefits o f sharing data and how it builds public trust in science and democratic in stitutions. Speakers &\; Facilitators: Balázs Aczél\, Vice Dean for Science at the Faculty of Education and Psychology of Eötvös Loránd Un iversityMalin FredrikssonRapporteurs:Anikó Gál BéltekiFerenc Takó \n  In the democratic lab: live deliberative experimentThe res ults of this experiment (including an analysis based on the questionnair es) will be presented with the closing remarks in 10-15 minutes.Facilitat ors:Isak VentoVilppu Kuusipalo \n 15:00 –\; 15:20 Post er Session –\; One-minute Pitches\nThe poster session will be a space where members of European University Alliances\, university staff\, stude nts and external stakeholders can exchange ideas and discuss the posters . Poster presenters will give a minute pitch and then engage in discussion s. \n15:20 –\; 16:00 Poster Session &\; Coffee Break \n16:00  211\; 16:15 Interactive Quiz\nCultural interactive quiz with questions fr om Åbo Academy University and Finland: traditions\, music\, food\, cultur e\, history\, and possibly Moomins\n16:15 –\; 17:00 Closing session\n \n Rapporteurs will present the main conclusions of the workshops.\n Clo sing speech from Meritxell Chaves\, CHARM-EU Secretary General\n\n\n17:15 –\; 19:00 Cocktail Reception\n\n City of Turku Welcome Words by Dr. Kaija Hartiala\, Chairperson of the City Council\n Musical elements by me mbers of the student choirs Florakören and Brahe Djäknar\n A selection of cocktail bites and refreshments\n \n \n \n \n E vening Programme \n \n \n \n After the conference you are welcome to the Archipelago bar (Skärgårdsbaren) in the centre of the ci ty\, to continue the evening with food and drinks (at your own expense)\, karaoke\, dancing or just socializing. \n \n 8:00 - 9:00 Regis tration &\; Coffee9:00 - 9:15 Opening by Rector Professor Gunilla Wid énRector of host university ÅAU\, Professor Gunilla Widén\, welcomes th e conference participants. 9:15 - 9:45 Universities as democratic actors Keynote Speech by ÅAU Professor Kimmo Grönlund9:45 - 10:45 From Mobility to Democratic resilience: The Role of European University alliances - Pan el SessionEuropean University alliances are often framed as vehicles for m obility and institutional cooperation\, yet their potential role in suppor ting democratic values remains underdeveloped. In a context of growing pol itical fragmentation across Europe\, this panel examines how alliances can move beyond exchange formats such as Erasmus+ and contribute to democrati c resilience. Moderator: Doris Alexander\, Associate Director of European Engagement and Director of CHARM-EU\, Trinity College Dublin\; Chair\, Re search &\; Innovation Topical Group\, FOREU4ALLPanelists: Anders Adler creutz\, Finland's Minister of EducationMaria Kelo\, European University A ssociation (EUA)Karl Stoeckel\, CIVIS Executive DirectorRapporteur: Lena W assermann\, Advisor to the Vice President for Internationalisation at the University of Würzburg and supports the university’s strategic engageme nt within the CHARM-EU Alliance10:45 - 11:15 Coffee Break and posters gall ery walk11:15 - 12:00 Design processes and initiatives for promoting s ustainability leadership\, civic engagement and inclusive mindset: the R EDINEST Impact Labs - Interactive LectureGet inspired by the story of a jo urney that transformed the entrepreneurship education for computer science students into an international level interdisciplinary and impactful in itiative: educational methods\, goals\, achievements\, and activities for a student-powered and challenge-based impact lab network for the developm ent of transformative competencies and inclusive mindset. Share your tho ughts and ideas on creating cross-subject\, cross-faculty and cross-instit utional learning opportunities that form sustainability leadership and civ ic engagement skills of future changemakers. Lecturer: Dr. Barbara Hegyi\ , Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education Coordinator at Eötvös Lorán d University Budapest (ELTE)Rapporteurs: Anikó Gál Bélteki and Ferenc T akó from Eötvös Loránd University Budapest (ELTE)12:00 - 12:15 Group Picture12:15 - 13:15 Lunch13:30 - 15:00 Workshops - parallel sessions \n \n Workshop 1 \n \n \n Workshop 2 \n \n \n Worksh op 3 \n \n \n Workshop 4 \n \n \n Workshop 5 \n \n \n Workshop 6&\;7 \n \n SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP: BUILDIN G SOLUTIONS FOR RESILIENT COMMUNITIES How can we turn academic ideas into tools for societal welfare? This workshop explores the link between innov ation and social impact. Participants will work in small groups to “\ ;pitch”\; a solution to a local community challenge\, focusing on how entrepreneurship can support democratic values like equity and inclusion.  Speakers and Facilitators: Sonia Cantel\, Professor at the University o f MontpellierMaria Hämäläinen\, CHARM-EU AlumniPhoebe Sacares\, CHARM-E U AlumniRaporteur: Roland Thaler\, Professor at the University of Montpell ier \n How to make your research or teaching methodologies more transdisciplinar?Moving from theory to practice\, this session explor es how researchers and teachers can adapt their projects/work on a more t ransdisciplinar way of doing things.Speakers and Facilitators: Dr. Jake Rowan Byrne\,  Co-Director of CHARM-EU and Assistant Professor in Contem porary Teaching and Learning at the School of Education\, Trinity College DublinOriol Uviedo Palomas\, Laboratory and project technician\, specialized in microplastics and citizen science\, University of Barcelon aRoger Strand\, full professor at the Centre for the Study of the Science s and the Humanities and researcher in the Theory of Science research grou p at the University of BergenThe winning team of the pitch competition at the CHARM-EU Doctoral Summer School 2026 on transdisciplinarity: Ellen Lu nd\, Study of religions\, Åbo Akademi UniversityOlympe Mahé Behavioral G reen Finance\, University of Montpellier\, FranceNiklas Reich\, Applied Ma thematics\, Ruhr West University of Applied Sciences\, GermanyLinda Rupper t\, Literary Studies\, University of Würzburg\, Germany The team consist s of four doctoral candidates\, working in four different fields\, at four different universities\, in three different countries. The team worked on the question of how the Energy Vision 2040 – the switching of energy sy stems in the Turku region – can become a success. The team presented the ir winning pitch “Co-Creating the Energy Vision 2040” first at Åbo Ak ademi University in June 2026\, combining the input of extensive research with economical methods and citizen participation.Raporteur: Mireia Via\, University of Barcelona \n \n From Inclusion to Resilience: European University Alliances in times of cr ises In recent years\, universities and alliances have had to resp ond to different types of crises: social inequalities\, mental heal th issues\, migration\, political tensions\, climate-related challenge s and increasing mistrust towards institutions. At the same time\, Eur opean University Alliances are becoming long-term cooperation structures  with the capacity to connect universities\, local stakeholders and communities across borders. This workshop would like to explote a simple questions: beyong academic cooperation\, how can alliances connect and sup port people and communities in crisis?  The workshop would also be a n opportunity to exchange experiences between alliances  and reflect col lectively on what could realistically be developed together in the futur e. Speakers:Karl Stoeckel\, CIVIS\, Executive DirectorAnnisa Triyanti\, U trecht University Rapporteur: Marvin Mendy\, University of Montpellier \n CHARM-EU Values in the Classroom: Practical Methods    How do we teach democracy? More importantly\, how do we create learning en vironments that allow students to experience democratic values in practice ? This interactive session invites educators and students to explore how C HARM-EU values can be meaningfully embedded into teaching through Challeng e-Based Learning (CBL).Together\, we will examine different dimensions of democracy in education: teaching about democracy\, teaching democratic val ues\, and democratising the classroom itself. Through discussion and a han ds-on CBL mini-workshop\, participants will explore practical approaches f or facilitating respectful dialogue\, navigating controversial topics\, en gaging diverse stakeholders\, and fostering participation in classrooms sh aped by political\, cultural\, and societal tensions.Speakers &\; Facil itators: Nelli Piehl\, CHARM-EU alumna and Teaching and Project Assistant at Åbo AkademiMartin Meggele Sjøen\, Professor of Educational Studies a t the Institute of Education\, University of BergenChristoph Mohamad-Klotz bach\, Political Scientist at the Institute of Political Science and Socio logy at the JMU WürzburgRapporteurs:Nina ShielÁdám Tóth \n Open Science Made Simple: Sharing Knowledge for a Stronger Society Op en Science is often seen as a technical hurdle\, but it is a democratic to ol. This workshop provides a “\;starter kit”\; for researchers t o make their work open and transparent. We will discuss the benefits of sh aring data and how it builds public trust in science and democratic instit utions. Speakers &\; Facilitators: Balázs Aczél\, Vice Dean for Sci ence at the Faculty of Education and Psychology of Eötvös Loránd Univer sityMalin FredrikssonRapporteurs:Anikó Gál BéltekiFerenc Takó \ n  In the democratic lab: live deliberative experimentThe results of this experiment (including an analysis based on the questionnaires)  will be presented with the closing remarks in 10-15 minutes.Facilitators :Isak VentoVilppu Kuusipalo \n SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP: BUILDING S OLUTIONS FOR RESILIENT COMMUNITIES How can we turn academic ideas into to ols for societal welfare? This workshop explores the link between innovati on and social impact. Participants will work in small groups to "pitch" a solution to a local community challenge\, focusing on how entrepreneurship can support democratic values like equity and inclusion. Speakers and Fa cilitators: Sonia Cantel\, Professor at the University of MontpellierMari a Hämäläinen\, CHARM-EU AlumniPhoebe Sacares\, CHARM-EU AlumniRaporteur : Roland Thaler\, Professor at the University of MontpellierHow to make yo ur research or teaching methodologies more transdisciplinar?Moving from th eory to practice\, this session explores how researchers and teachers can adapt their projects/work on a more transdisciplinar way of doing things .Speakers and Facilitators: Dr. Jake Rowan Byrne\,  Co-Director of CHARM -EU and Assistant Professor in Contemporary Teaching and Learning at  the School of Education\, Trinity College DublinOriol Uviedo Paloma s\, Laboratory and project technician\, specialized in microplastics and c itizen science\, University 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 BergenThe wi nning team of the pitch competition at the CHARM-EU Doctoral Summer School 2026 on transdisciplinarity: Ellen Lund\, Study of religions\, Åbo Akad emi UniversityOlympe Mahé Behavioral Green Finance\, University of Montpe llier\, FranceNiklas Reich\, Applied Mathematics\, Ruhr West University of Applied Sciences\, GermanyLinda Ruppert\, Literary Studies\, University o f Würzburg\, Germany The team consists of four doctoral candidates\, wor king in four different fields\, at four different universities\, in three different countries. The team worked on the question of how the Energy Vis ion 2040 – the switching of energy systems in the Turku region – can b ecome a success. The team presented their winning pitch “Co-Creating the Energy Vision 2040” first at Åbo Akademi University in June 2026\, com bining the input of extensive research with economical methods and citizen participation.Raporteur: Mireia Via\, University of Barcelona \n \n From Inclusion to Resilience: European Universit y Alliances in times of crises In recent years\, universities and all iances have had to respond to different types of crises: social i nequalities\, mental health issues\, migration\, political tensions\,  climate-related challenges and increasing mistrust towards institutions.  At the same time\, European University Alliances are becoming long-t erm cooperation structures with the capacity to connect universities \, local stakeholders and communities across borders. This workshop would like to explote a simple questions: beyong academic cooperation\, how can alliances connect and support people and communities in crisis?  The wo rkshop would also be an opportunity to exchange experiences between a lliances  and reflect collectively on what could realistically be develop ed together in the future. Speakers:Karl Stoeckel\, CIVIS\, Executive D irectorAnnisa Triyanti\, Utrecht University Rapporteur: Marvin Mendy\, Un iversity of MontpellierCHARM-EU Values in the Classroom: Practical Method s   How do we teach democracy? More importantly\, how do we create lear ning environments that allow students to experience democratic values in p ractice? This interactive session invites educators and students to explor e how CHARM-EU values can be meaningfully embedded into teaching through C hallenge-Based Learning (CBL).Together\, we will examine different dimensi ons of democracy in education: teaching about democracy\, teaching democra tic values\, and democratising the classroom itself. Through discussion an d a hands-on CBL mini-workshop\, participants will explore practical appro aches for facilitating respectful dialogue\, navigating controversial topi cs\, engaging diverse stakeholders\, and fostering participation in classr ooms shaped by political\, cultural\, and societal tensions.Speakers &\ ; Facilitators: Nelli Piehl\, CHARM-EU alumna and Teaching and Project As sistant at Åbo AkademiMartin Meggele Sjøen\, Professor of Educational St udies at the Institute of Education\, University of BergenChristoph Mohama d-Klotzbach\, Political Scientist at the Institute of Political Science an d Sociology at the JMU WürzburgRapporteurs:Nina ShielÁdám TóthOpen Sci ence Made Simple: Sharing Knowledge for a Stronger Society Open Science i s often seen as a technical hurdle\, but it is a democratic tool. This wor kshop provides a "starter kit" for researchers to make their work open and transparent. We will discuss the benefits of sharing data and how it buil ds public trust in science and democratic institutions. Speakers &\; F acilitators: Balázs Aczél\, Vice Dean for Science at the Faculty of Edu cation and Psychology of Eötvös Loránd UniversityMalin FredrikssonRappo rteurs:Anikó Gál BéltekiFerenc Takó 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 Kuusipalo15:00 - 15:20 Poste r Session - One-minute Pitches\nThe poster session will be a space where m embers of European University Alliances\, university staff\, students and external 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 Interactiv e Quiz\nCultural interactive quiz with questions from Åbo Academy Univer sity and Finland: traditions\, music\, food\, culture\, history\, and poss ibly Moomins\n16:15 - 17:00 Closing session\n\n Rapporteurs will present the main conclusions of the workshops.\n Closing speech from Meritxell Ch aves\, CHARM-EU Secretary General\n\n\n17:15 - 19:00 Cocktail Reception\n\ n City of Turku Welcome Words by Dr. Kaija Hartiala\, Chairperson of the City Council\n Musical elements by members of the student choirs Florakö ren and Brahe Djäknar\n A selection of cocktail bites and refreshments\n After the conference you are welcome to the Archipelago bar (Skärgårdsba ren) in the centre of the city\, to continue the evening with food and dri nks (at your own expense)\, karaoke\, dancing or just socializing. \n SPEAKERS AND PANELISTS \n \n Balázs Aczél \n \n \n A nders Adlercreutz \n \n \n Doris Alexander \n \n \n Jake Byrne \n \n \n Meritxell Chaves \n \n \n Malin Fredriks son \n \n \n Anikó Gál Bélteki \n \n \n Kimmo Grönlu nd \n \n \n Maria Hämäläinen \n \n \n Barbara Hegyi \n \n \n Maria Kelo \n \n \n Vilppu Kuusipalo \n \n \n Marvin Mendy \n \n \n Christoph Mohamad-Klotzbach \n \n \n Nelli Piehl \n \n \n Phoebe Sacares \n \n \n N ina Shiel \n \n \n Martin Sjøen \n \n \n Karl Stoeckel \n \n \n Roger Strand \n \n \n Ferenc Tacó \n \n \n Ádám Tóth \n \n \n Annisa Triyanti \n \n \n Or iol Uviedo \n \n \n Isak Vento \n \n \n Mireia Via \n \n \n Lena Wassermann \n \n \n Gunilla Widén \n \n Balázs Aczél\nVice Dean for Science at the Faculty of Education and Psy chology of Eötvös Loránd University \n Balázs Aczél is Vic e Dean for Science at the Faculty of Education and Psychology of Eötvös Loránd University\, Budapest\, where he is also Professor of Psychology. He has been actively involved in the CHARM-EU alliance through the TORCH p roject\, leading its Open Science activities\, and continues to contribute to the alliance’\;s research and innovation initiatives within the C HARM-EIGHT project. His research focuses on metascience\, with particular emphasis on research methodology\, open science\, and improving the robust ness and credibility of scientific research. Through his research\, teachi ng\, and international collaborations\, he promotes the adoption of transp arent and reproducible research practices and supports the development of research capacity across the CHARM-EU partner institutions. \n \n Anders Adlercreutz\, Finland's Minister of Education \n Anders Adlercreutz (b. 1970) is Chair of the Swe dish People’s Party of Finland since June 2024 and the current Minister of Education. He graduated as an architect from Helsinki University of Tec hnology in 1999. Adlercreutz’\;s political career began when he was e lected to Kirkkonummi Municipal Council in 2013\, he served as Chair of th e Council from 2017 to 2023. He has been a Member of Parliament since 2015 and served as Chair of SFP’s Parliamentary Group from 2019 to 2023. Dur ing the years in Parliament\, Adlercreutz was a member of several Committe es\, eg. the Finance Committee\, the Defence Committee\, the Administratio n Committee\, and the Environmental Committee. Before becoming Minister of Education he served as Minister of European Affairs and Ownership Steerin g for the first year of the Orpo Government\, from June 2023 to June 2024. Minister Adlercreutz is married\, has 5 children\, is fluent in 7 languag es and is an avid cello player in his free time. \n \n Doris Alexander\, Associate Director of European Enga gement\, Trinity College Dublin \n Doris Alexander has worked in Research Management Administration since 1994\, taking up her current p ost as Associate Director of European Engagement in 2019 and is responsibl e for the development of strategies of engagement\, working to get early i nsight on new EU policy/initiatives so as to maximise the opportunity spac e for Trinity. She is currently engaged in the implementation of aspects o f the ERA policy agenda. She has been involved in several EC stakeholder groups including the co-creation of the European Universities initiative\, is the co-director of CHARM-EU alliance in Trinity College and a member o f the Executive Board. She was Chair of the R&\;I subgroup of the FOREU 1 network (the network of the 17 European Universities alliances funded th rough the first Erasmus+ pilot call) and is currently chair of the R&\; I Topical Group (part of FOREU4ALL) for all alliances.Doris holds a BA in Mathematical Science and an MSc in Computer Science (Health Informatics) f rom Trinity College Dublin. \n \n Jake Rowan ByrneCo-Director of CHARM-EU and Assistant Professor in Contemp orary Teaching and Learning at the School of Education\, Trinity College D ublin \n Dr. Jake Rowan Byrne is Co-Director of CHARM-EU and As sistant Professor in Contemporary Teaching and Learning at the School of E ducation\, Trinity College Dublin. His research and practice focus on tran sdisciplinary education\, challenge-based learning\, innovative curriculum design\, and the development of learner agency through collaborative educ ational approaches. As a member of CHARM-EU’\;s Knowledge Creating Te ams (KCTs)\, he has helped design and deliver transnational educational ex periences\, including leading the development and initial delivery of the Transdisciplinary Research Module within the CHARM-EU Master’\;s in G lobal Challenges for Sustainability. He also serves as a lead facilitator within the KCT delivering the CHARM Doctoral Summer School\, supporting do ctoral researchers as they work in transdisciplinary teams to address comp lex societal challenges. Jake’\;s work is grounded in the belief tha t education has long been a naturally transdisciplinary endeavour. Designi ng meaningful learning requires collaboration not only across academic dis ciplines but also with policymakers\, school leaders\, teachers\, learners \, families\, communities\, industry and civil society. His experience con tributing to the development of Ireland’\;s national Leaving Certific ate Computer Science curriculum exemplifies this approach\, bringing toget her diverse stakeholders to co-create educational innovation. Through his research and leadership\, Jake explores how distributed leadership\, parti cipatory design and collaborative knowledge creation can strengthen educat ional ecosystems and build the capacity needed to address the complex chal lenges facing society. \n \n Merit xell ChavesSecretary General of European University of CHARM-EU \n Meritxell Chaves has more than thirty years of experience in the high er education sector\, in four universities of the Catalan university syste m\, in different functional areas of the University such as academic manag ement\, strategic planning\, quality and accreditation\, and international relations in different organisational cultures. As Secretary General of European University of CHARM-EU since the start of the initiative in 2019 she has been leading CHARM-EU team. \n \n Malin FredrikssonLeading Coordinator for Open Science at Åbo Akad emi University \n Malin Fredriksson (MSocSc\, MA) works as the Leading Coordinator for Open Science at Åbo Akademi University. She has s everal years of experience in the library and university sector\, with a s trong focus on advancing open science and responsible research practices. Her work centers on supporting researchers through open science policies\, services\, training\, and the development of inclusive approaches to open ness in research. Her academic background is in information studies\, with a particular interest in open access publishing and the implementation of open science practices. She also has a background in the humanities\, par ticularly the study of religions and cultures. \n \n Anikó Gál BéltekiCHARM-EU Manager at ELTE \n Anikó Gál Bélteki is acting as CHARM-EU project manager at the Eöt vös Loránd University\, Budapest. She has already been involved in the a lliance’s R&\;I dimension project TORCH and now focuses her efforts o n the smooth running of the CHARM-EIGHT project. Holding a degree in agric ultural and environmental sciences and being a qualified translator\, she has gained work experience in an international environment from multinatio nal companies through projects of universities and conservation NGOs affil iated to global networks. Due to her diverse administrative and coordinato r roles she regularly participates in the meetings of various governing bo ards and offices of CHARM European University and provides assistance for some work packages\, which means being in daily work contact with the repr esentatives 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 Chall enges for Sustainability alumna \n Maria Hämäläinen is a rec ent graduate of the CHARM-EU MSc in Global Challenges for Sustainability. Over two years\, her studies took her from Utrecht to Barcelona and Montpe llier\, where she specialised in the Food track. Her work focused on agrif ood transitions\, Mediterranean food systems\, and the social dimensions o f sustainability\, culminating in a Capstone thesis on the social acceptan ce of seaweed cultivation in the Thau Lagoon. Prior to joining CHARM-EU\, Maria completed a BSc in Sustainable Urban Planning at Tampere University \, Finland\, where her research explored gender mainstreaming through part icipatory urban planning processes. This experience sparked her long-stand ing interest in the governance and community dimensions of sustainability. Beyond academia\, she has been actively involved in climate justice initi atives and is currently volunteering with a Ghana-based non-profit organis ation working at the intersection of gender equity and climate action. She is also contributing 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 R egional 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 seve ral courses that embrace sustainability and social responsibility. Coordin ates the REDINEST Impact Labs programme at an international level. \n \n Maria KeloDirector of Institutional Development at European University Association (EUA) \n Maria Kelo is Director of Institutional Development at European University Assoc iation (EUA). The unit’s work focuses on recognition\, quality assurance \, rankings\, and learning and teaching\, including the European Degree. S he is a member of the Swiss Accreditation Council\, vice-president of the European Quality Assurance Register\, and co-represents EUA in the Bologna Process.Before joining EUA in 2022\, Maria was the Director of the Europe an Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education\, and previously worked in different European organisations in higher education. \n \n Vilppu Kuusipalo\, project coordinator at the Finnish Research Infrastructure for Public Opinion (FIRIPO) \n Vilppu Kuusipalo works as a project coordinator at the Finnish Res earch Infrastructure for Public Opinion (FIRIPO)\, which operates the two deliberation laboratories at Åbo Akademi University. Vilppu is responsibl e for the day-to-day activities at FIRIPO\, such as making sure that the l aboratories function efficiently\, coordinating research-related activitie s\, supporting visiting researchers\, and maintaining the infrastructure n eeded for high-quality public opinion and deliberation studies.In his role \, Vilppu works closely with researchers and other project partners to fac ilitate the planning and implementation of experiments\, surveys\, and eve nts. He also contributes to the development and promotion of FIRIPO’s se rvices\, helping researchers make use of innovative methods and facilities for studying public opinion\, citizen participation\, and democratic proc esses.Vilppu’s background is in humanities\, and he is interested in var ious aspects of societies\, cultures and human interaction. \n \n Marvin MendyStrategic Partnerships Officer at the University of Montpellier \n Marvin Mendy is Strategic Partnerships Officer at the University of Montpellier and leads Work Packa ge 14 (Worldwide Academic Partnership Network). Over the past eight years\ , he has worked at the intersection of international relations\, diplomacy and project management across the higher education\, public and private s ectors. His expertise includes the design and implementation of internatio nal cooperation strategies\, institutional partnerships and multi-stakehol der initiatives.Within CHARM-EU\, Marvin is responsible for developing lon g-term partnerships beyond Europe and advancing the Alliance’\;s glob al engagement strategy\, particularly with Africa and other strategic regi ons. His work focuses on building sustainable international cooperation fr ameworks that connect higher education\, research and societal stakeholder s. \n \n Christoph Mohamad-Klotzba chPolitical Scientist at the Institute of Political Science and Sociology at the JMU Würzburg\n \n Dr. Christoph Mohamad-Klotzbach is a Political Scientist at the Institute of Political Science and Sociology at the JMU Würzburg. His research focuses on democracy and democratization\ , scientific concepts\, political culture\, statehood\, political parties\ , environmental health and sustainability. He is currently part of the EU- funded interdisciplinary research project MARKOPOLO\, which is attached to the Professorship of Social Science Sustainability Studies\, and studies knowledge transfer in environmental health. \n \n Nelli PiehlCHARM-EU alumna and Teaching &\; Project Ass istant at Åbo Akademi \n Nelli Piehl is a CHARM-EU alumna and Teaching and Project Assistant at Åbo Akademi\, where she also supports CHARM-EU’\;s Diversity\, Equity and Inclusion work. She is an early-c areer socio-ecological researcher with a particular interest in participat ory approaches and equity and inclusion across international contexts.  \n \n Phoebe SacaresCHARM-EU MSc in Global Challenges for Sustainability alumna \n Phoebe Sacares is a graduate of the CHARM-EU MSc in Global Challenges for Sustainability\ ,  having studied in Barcelona and Montpellier over two years of transdis ciplinary learning and research. Specialising in the Water track\, her wor k focused on a range of water-related sustainability challenges\, includin g supporting livelihoods amid aquatic ecosystem disruption in East Africa\ , developing water-efficient infrastructure in Dublin\, and addressing dro ught resilience in Catalonia. These experiences sparked a strong interest in tackling water-related sustainability issues.Prior to joining CHARM-EU\ , she completed a BSc in Physics and Astrophysics at the University of Yor k (UK). With a keen interest in applying science\, data analysis\, and map ping to environmental challenges\, she is pursuing a career at the interse ction of sustainability and evidence-based decision-making. She is current ly volunteering with the London Wildlife Trust\, contributing to practical conservation projects and gaining first-hand insight into the importance of community engagement in translating global climate goals into local act ion. \n \n Nina ShielResponsible R esearch &\; Innovation Specialist for CHARM-EU at Trinity College Dubli n \n Dr Nina Shiel (she/they) is Responsible Research &\; In novation Specialist for CHARM-EU\, based at Trinity College Dublin. With a PhD in Comparative Literature focusing on immersive virtual spaces\, and over a decade of experience in research development and European R&\;I strategy across leading Irish and UK universities\, her professional inter ests include inter/transdisciplinary research\, research culture\, and int ersectional equality\, diversity and inclusion. Her work as the leader of two work packages in the Horizon 2020 Science with and for Society (SwafS) -funded TORCH project\, developing CHARM-EU’\;s shared research and i nnovation agenda\, was recognised with the Trinity Research Excellence Awa rd in 2023. She is committed to fostering inclusive\, challenge-driven res earch and international collaboration.   \n \n Martin Meggele SjøenProfessor of Educational Studies at th e Institute of Education at the University of Bergen \n Dr. Mar tin Meggele Sjøen is a Professor of Educational Studies at the Institute of Education at the University of Bergen. He holds a Ph.D. in Security Stu dies from the University of Stavanger. Dr. Sjøen’s research explores de mocracy\, education\, political violence and peacebuilding\, with a specif ic focus on the intersection of education and security. \n \n Karl StoeckelExecutive Director of the CIVIS E uropean University Alliance \n Karl Stoeckel is Executive Direc tor of the CIVIS European University Alliance\, coordinated by Aix-Marseil le University\, where he leads the alliance’s coordination team and supp orts its governance\, strategic development and long-term sustainability. CIVIS brings together 17 universities across Europe and Africa\, represent ing more than 500\,000 students and 80\,000 academic and professional staf f. With over 15 years of experience in European research\, innovation and higher education policy\, Karl has worked extensively on European strateg y\, institutional relations\, science diplomacy\, international partnershi ps and the development and management of EU-funded projects. He previously represented Aix-Marseille University in Brussels\, working with the Europ ean Commission\, the European Parliament\, Member States’ Permanent Repr esentations and European research and innovation stakeholders. His experi ence also includes senior responsibilities at the French National Research Institute for Development (IRD)\, where he contributed to European strate gy and Horizon Europe programming\, and teaching European research and inn ovation policy at Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne. He is particularly intereste d in building sustainable\, place-based partnerships and in strengthening cooperation between universities\, research organisations and European and international stakeholders.  \n \n Roger StrandProfessor at the University of Bergen\, Norway \n Roger Strand is Professor at the University of Bergen\, Norway. His rese arch focuses on the governance of science\, technology\, and innovation\, with particular attention to complexity\, uncertainty\, and sustainability . He works at the intersection of philosophy\, science and technology stud ies\, and policy-oriented research\, contributing to the development of fr ameworks for responsible research and innovation (RRI). A record of his sc holarly publications is found at https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6159-1586.Str and has been involved in a range of European and international projects ad dressing the role of expertise\, interdisciplinary collaboration\, and soc ietal engagement in research and innovation. His work includes contributio ns to environmental governance\, sustainability transitions\, and science- policy interfaces. 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 Executi ve Board\, CHARM-EU Director and Head of the Rector’s Cabinet CHARM-EU O ffice\, Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) \n Ferenc Takó stu died Philosophy and Japanese Studies at Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) \, Budapest\, Hungary\, where he currently lectures at the Department of J apanese Studies. He used to be head of the Rector’s Cabinet Internationa l Strategy Office at ELTE between 2018 and 2021. Since 2021\, he is head o f the Rector’s Cabinet CHARM-EU Office and ELTE Executive Director of CH ARM-EU. \n \n Ádám TóthResearch er at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development at Utrecht Univ ersity. \n Ádám Tóth is a researcher in (ground)water\, sust ainability and education innovation at the Copernicus Institute of Sustain able Development at Utrecht University. Ádám is the co-lead of the educa tional practice work package of the CHARM-EIGHT project. He is involved in updating the existing master’\;s programme in Global Challenges for Sustainability\, exploring educational opportunities for a broader audienc e to develop knowledge\, including a strategy for micro-credentials\, badg es\, and continuing education\, as well as a team-based\, transdisciplinar y joint CHARM-EU Doctoral programme. \n \n Dr. Annisa TriyantiAssistant Professor\, Disaster and Climate Ris k Governance for Sustainability\, at Utrecht University \n Dr. Annisa Triyanti is an Assistant Professor of Disaster and Climate Risk Gov ernance for Sustainability at Utrecht University. Born in Indonesia\, she earned her PhD from the University of Amsterdam. Her research connects gra ssroots practices with global policy\, focusing on community self-governan ce and mangrove ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction in Asia. In her te aching\, she emphasizes public engagement and promotes the role of Europea n University Alliances in addressing societal challenges. Serving as Acade mic Director of CHARM-EU for Utrecht University\, she supports collaborati ve\, cross-boundary education. For three consecutive years\, she has also coordinated the Capstone module for the CHARM-EU Master’s in Global Chal lenges for Sustainability\, a transdisciplinary program where students con duct research alongside external stakeholders to tackle real-world issues. Beyond her academic roles\, Dr. Triyanti has engaged in intergovernmental policy dialogues on climate change and sustainable development since 2014 . As part of this work\, she represented young scientists in the Global Sc ience and Technology Advisory Group for the UN Office for Disaster Risk Re duction (UNDRR) from 2017 to 2019. \n \n Oriol UviedoLaboratory and project technician\, specialized in micr oplastics and citizen science \n Ever since my childhood\, I ha ve known that I wanted to pursue a career related to the ocean\, and that has indeed been the case. In 2020\, I graduated with a degree in Marine Sc iences from the University of Barcelona (UB)\, and I currently serve as a laboratory and project technician\, specialized in microplastics and citiz en science. One of the principal initiatives I lead is the ‘\;Surfing For Science’\; project\, which has a well-defined objective: to quan tify and characterize microplastics in the coastal areas of the western Me diterranean through citizen science. In this manner\, we generate scientif ic knowledge while simultaneously raising awareness about the critical iss ue of plastic pollution in our seas and oceans.Utilizing the methodology d eveloped in ‘\;Surfing For Science’\;\, we initiated the TRAP pr oject. While sharing the same core objectives\, this initiative expands th e scope of research to rivers\, combined sewer overflows (CSOs)\, and the open sea in order to analyse the transport and exchange of particles acros s these diverse systems. Furthermore\, I have participated in the OSES pro ject (Ocean Sustainability Through Education and Sport)\, where we develop ed best-practice manuals and fieldwork kits designed to enable marine recr eational users\, as sailors\, divers or surfers\, to collect reliable scie ntific data. Through these efforts\, our ultimate goal is to foster public awareness regarding the anthropogenic threats and impacts currently facin g our marine ecosystems. \n \n Isa k VentoSenior University Lecturer \n PhD Isak Vento is Senior University Lecturer in political science and methods at Åbo Akademi Unive rsity. His research focuses on political attitudes and behavior. \n \n Mireia Via\nResearch Support Technici an at CHARM-EU \n Mireia Via obtained her PhD in Theoretical Ch emistry and Computational Modelling from the University of the Basque Coun try (UPV/EHU). After that\, she left academia aside but not the world of r esearch entirely. Since then\, she has dedicated her career to supporting research\, working as a support technician in a chemistry research group a t the University of Barcelona (UB)\, and at the UB’\;s International Research Projects Office. She has also been an adjunct lecturer at the UB\ , teaching practical classes on the Biology and Chemistry bachelor’\; s degree programmes. She currently supports the research and innovation di mension of the CHARM-EU alliance. \n \ n Lena WassermannAdvisor to the Vice President for Internationalisatio n 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 the Universi ty of Würzburg and supports the university’s strategic engagement withi n the CHARM-EU Alliance. Her work focuses on European university cooperati on\, internationalisation strategies\, and cross-institutional collaborati on. Drawing on experience in academia\, policy\, and international partner ships\, she is particularly interested in how universities can work togeth er to address shared societal challenges and foster innovation in higher e ducation. \n \n Gunilla Widén\nPr ofessor of Information Studies at Åbo Akademi University (ÅAU) since 200 8 \n Gunilla Widén is Professor of Information Studies at Åbo Akademi University (ÅAU) since 2008. Her research focuses on information behaviour\, knowledge management\, and trust in information. She has led several large research projects\, e.g. on organizational key skills in inf ormation society\, the role of social media in libraries\, the importance of information literacy in various contexts such as workplaces and in migr ation.Widén has been involved in European projects on youth information\, and in Nordic library research\, e.g. on cultural policy decision-making\ , the case of Helsinki Central Libary Oodi. She has been involved in sever al collaborative networks both nationally and internationally\, appointed as external expert in different evaluation committees\, and published wide ly in her areas of expertise.She has long organizational experience at ÅA U\, recently she has been Vice-Rector for Education 2022-25\, and served a s Acting Rector from April 2025 until she was appointed as Rector in Janua ry 2026. \n \n Balázs Aczél\nVic e Dean for Science at the Faculty of Education and Psychology of Eötvös Loránd University \n Balázs Aczél is Vice Dean for Science at the F aculty of Education and Psychology of Eötvös Loránd University\, Budape st\, where he is also Professor of Psychology. He has been actively involv ed in the CHARM-EU alliance through the TORCH project\, leading its Open S cience activities\, and continues to contribute to the alliance's research and innovation initiatives within the CHARM-EIGHT project. His research f ocuses on metascience\, with particular emphasis on research methodology\, open science\, and improving the robustness and credibility of scientific research. Through his research\, teaching\, and international collaborati ons\, he promotes the adoption of transparent and reproducible research pr actices and supports the development of research capacity across the CHARM -EU partner institutions. \n \n Anders A dlercreutz\, Finland's Minister of Education \n Anders Adlercreutz (b . 1970) is Chair of the Swedish People’s Party of Finland since June 202 4 and the current Minister of Education. He graduated as an architect from Helsinki University of Technology in 1999. Adlercreutz's political career began when he was elected to Kirkkonummi Municipal Council in 2013\, he s erved as Chair of the Council from 2017 to 2023. He has been a Member of P arliament since 2015 and served as Chair of SFP’s Parliamentary Group fr om 2019 to 2023. During the years in Parliament\, Adlercreutz was a member of several Committees\, eg. the Finance Committee\, the Defence Committee \, the Administration Committee\, and the Environmental Committee. Before becoming Minister of Education he served as Minister of European Affairs a nd Ownership Steering for the first year of the Orpo Government\, from Jun e 2023 to June 2024. Minister Adlercreutz is married\, has 5 children\, is fluent in 7 languages and is an avid cello player in his free time. \n \n Doris Alexander\, Associate Director of European Engagement\, Trinity College Dublin \n Doris Alexander has worked in Research Management Administration since 1994\, taking up her cu rrent post as Associate Director of European Engagement in 2019 and is res ponsible for the development of strategies of engagement\, working to get early insight on new EU policy/initiatives so as to maximise the opportuni ty space for Trinity. She is currently engaged in the implementation of as pects of the ERA policy agenda. She has been involved in several EC stake holder groups including the co-creation of the European Universities initi ative\, is the co-director of CHARM-EU alliance in Trinity College and a m ember of the Executive Board. She was Chair of the R&\;I subgroup of th e FOREU1 network (the network of the 17 European Universities alliances fu nded through the first Erasmus+ pilot call) and is currently chair of the R&\;I Topical Group (part of FOREU4ALL) for all alliances.Doris holds a BA in Mathematical Science and an MSc in Computer Science (Health Informa tics) from Trinity College Dublin. \n \n Jake Rowan ByrneCo-Director of CHARM-EU and Assistant Professor in Contem porary Teaching and Learning at the School of Education\, Trinity College Dublin \n Dr. Jake Rowan Byrne is Co-Director of CHARM-EU and Assistan t Professor in Contemporary Teaching and Learning at the School of Educati on\, Trinity College Dublin. His research and practice focus on transdisci plinary education\, challenge-based learning\, innovative curriculum desig n\, and the development of learner agency through collaborative educationa l approaches. As a member of CHARM-EU's Knowledge Creating Teams (KCTs)\, he has helped design and deliver transnational educational experiences\, i ncluding leading the development and initial delivery of the Transdiscipli nary Research Module within the CHARM-EU Master's in Global Challenges for Sustainability. He also serves as a lead facilitator within the KCT deliv ering the CHARM Doctoral Summer School\, supporting doctoral researchers a s they work in transdisciplinary teams to address complex societal challen ges. Jake's work is grounded in the belief that education has long been a naturally transdisciplinary endeavour. Designing meaningful learning requ ires collaboration not only across academic disciplines but also with poli cymakers\, school leaders\, teachers\, learners\, families\, communities\, industry and civil society. His experience contributing to the developmen t of Ireland's national Leaving Certificate Computer Science curriculum ex emplifies this approach\, bringing together diverse stakeholders to co-cre ate educational innovation. Through his research and leadership\, Jake exp lores how distributed leadership\, participatory design and collaborative knowledge creation can strengthen educational ecosystems and build the cap acity needed to address the complex challenges facing society. \n \n Meritxell ChavesSecretary General of European University of CHARM-EU \n Meritxell Chaves has more than thirty year s of experience in the higher education sector\, in four universities of t he Catalan university system\, in different functional areas of the Univer sity such as academic management\, strategic planning\, quality and accred itation\, and international relations in different organisational cultures . As Secretary General of European University of CHARM-EU since the start of the initiative in 2019 she has been leading CHARM-EU team. \n \n Malin FredrikssonLeading Coordinator for Open Science at Åbo Akademi University \n Malin Fredriksson (MSocSc\, MA) works as the Leading Coordinator for Open Science at Åbo Akademi Univers ity. She has several years of experience in the library and university sec tor\, with a strong focus on advancing open science and responsible resear ch practices. Her work centers on supporting researchers through open scie nce policies\, services\, training\, and the development of inclusive appr oaches to openness in research. Her academic background is in information studies\, with a particular interest in open access publishing and the imp lementation of open science practices. She also has a background in the hu manities\, particularly the study of religions and cultures. \n \n Anikó Gál BéltekiCHARM-EU Manager at ELTE \n Anikó Gál Bélteki is acting as CHARM-EU project manager at the Eö tvös Loránd University\, Budapest. She has already been involved 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 degree in agri cultural and environmental sciences and being a qualified translator\, she has gained work experience in an international environment from multinati onal companies through projects of universities and conservation NGOs affi liated to global networks. Due to her diverse administrative and coordinat or roles she regularly participates in the meetings of various governing b oards and offices of CHARM European University and provides assistance for some work packages\, which means being in daily work contact with the rep resentatives of partner institutions. \n \n Kimmo GrönlundProfessor of Political Science and Director of the Soci al Science Research Institute at Åbo Akademi University \n Kimmo Grö nlund is Professor of Political Science and Director of the Social Science Research Institute at Åbo Akademi University. Currently\, he is also mem ber of the Board of Åbo Akademi University. His research interests includ e democratic innovations\, public opinion\, and electoral behavior. He has published widely\, especially on controlled experiments with deliberative mini-publics in journals such as Political Behavior\, International Polit ical Science Review and Scandinavian Political Studies. He is the Director of the Finnish Research Infrastructure for Public Opinion FIRIPO and the research consortium STRONG – Implementing democratic innovations\, funde d by the Strategic Research Council at the Research Council of Finland (20 24–2030). Moreover\, he is a widely used expert commentator on politics in Finland\, and he has been the electoral commentator of the largest Finn ish commercial TV channel MTV3 since 2006. \n \n Maria HämäläinenCHARM-EU MSc in Global Challenges for Sustaina bility alumna \n Maria Hämäläinen is a recent graduate of the CHARM -EU MSc in Global Challenges for Sustainability. Over two years\, her stud ies took her from Utrecht to Barcelona and Montpellier\, where she special ised in the Food track. Her work focused on agrifood transitions\, Mediter ranean food systems\, and the social dimensions of sustainability\, culmin ating in a Capstone thesis on the social acceptance of seaweed cultivation in the Thau Lagoon. Prior to joining CHARM-EU\, Maria completed a BSc in Sustainable Urban Planning at Tampere University\, Finland\, where her re search explored gender mainstreaming through participatory urban planning processes. This experience sparked her long-standing interest in the gover nance and community dimensions of sustainability. Beyond academia\, she ha s been actively involved in climate justice initiatives and is currently v olunteering with a Ghana-based non-profit organisation working at the inte rsection of gender equity and climate action. She is also contributing to a research project on inclusive energy governance through the YES-Europe A frica-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 Informati cs. Designer and implementer of several courses that embrace sustainabilit y and social responsibility. Coordinates the REDINEST Impact Labs programm e at an international level. \n \n Maria KeloDirector of Institutional Development at European University Associat ion (EUA) \n Maria Kelo is Director of Institutional Development at Eu ropean University Association (EUA). The unit’s work focuses on recognit ion\, 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 Quality Assurance Register\, and co-repres ents EUA in the Bologna Process.Before joining EUA in 2022\, Maria was the Director of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Educ ation\, and previously worked in different European organisations in highe r education. \n \n Vilppu Kuusipalo\, pr oject coordinator at the Finnish Research Infrastructure for Public Opinio n (FIRIPO) \n Vilppu Kuusipalo works as a project coordinator at the F innish Research Infrastructure for Public Opinion (FIRIPO)\, which operate s 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 research-related activities\, supporting visiting researchers\, and maintaining the infras tructure needed for high-quality public opinion and deliberation studies.I n his role\, Vilppu works closely with researchers and other project partn ers to facilitate the planning and implementation of experiments\, surveys \, and events. He also contributes to the development and promotion of FIR IPO’s services\, helping researchers make use of innovative methods and facilities for studying public opinion\, citizen participation\, and democ ratic processes.Vilppu’s background is in humanities\, and he is interes ted in various aspects of societies\, cultures and human interaction. \n \n Marvin MendyStrategic Partnerships Off icer at the University of Montpellier \n Marvin Mendy is Strategic Par tnerships Officer at the University of Montpellier and leads Work Package 14 (Worldwide Academic Partnership Network). Over the past eight years\, h e has worked at the intersection of international relations\, diplomacy an d project management across the higher education\, public and private sect ors. His expertise includes the design and implementation of international cooperation strategies\, institutional partnerships and multi-stakeholder initiatives.Within CHARM-EU\, Marvin is responsible for developing long-t erm partnerships beyond Europe and advancing the Alliance's global engagem ent strategy\, particularly with Africa and other strategic regions. His w ork focuses on building sustainable international cooperation frameworks t hat connect higher education\, research and societal stakeholders. \n \n Christoph Mohamad-KlotzbachPolitical Scie ntist at the Institute of Political Science and Sociology at the JMU Würz burg\n \n Dr. Christoph Mohamad-Klotzbach is a Political Scientist at the Institute of Political Science and Sociology at the JMU Würzburg. His research focuses on democracy and democratization\, scientific concepts\, political culture\, statehood\, political parties\, environmental health and sustainability. He is currently part of the EU-funded interdisciplinar y research project MARKOPOLO\, which is attached to the Professorship of S ocial Science Sustainability Studies\, and studies knowledge transfer in e nvironmental health. \n \n Nelli PiehlCH ARM-EU alumna and Teaching &\; Project Assistant at Åbo Akademi \n Nelli Piehl is a CHARM-EU alumna and Teaching and Project Assistant at Åbo Akademi\, where she also supports CHARM-EU's Diversity\, Equity and I nclusion work. She is an early-career socio-ecological researcher with a p articular interest in participatory approaches and equity and inclusion ac ross international contexts.  \n \n Pho ebe SacaresCHARM-EU MSc in Global Challenges for Sustainability alumna \n Phoebe Sacares is a graduate of the CHARM-EU MSc in Global Challenges for Sustainability\,  having studied in Barcelona and Montpellier over tw o years of transdisciplinary learning and research. Specialising in the Wa ter track\, her work focused on a range of water-related sustainability ch allenges\, including supporting livelihoods amid aquatic ecosystem disrupt ion in East Africa\, developing water-efficient infrastructure in Dublin\, and addressing drought resilience in Catalonia. These experiences sparked a strong interest in tackling water-related sustainability issues.Prior t o joining CHARM-EU\, she completed a BSc in Physics and Astrophysics at th e University of York (UK). With a keen interest in applying science\, data analysis\, and mapping to environmental challenges\, she is pursuing a ca reer at the intersection of sustainability and evidence-based decision-mak ing. She is currently volunteering with the London Wildlife Trust\, contri buting to practical conservation projects and gaining first-hand insight i nto the importance of community engagement in translating global climate g oals into local action. \n \n Nina Shiel Responsible Research &\; Innovation Specialist for CHARM-EU at Trinity College Dublin \n Dr Nina Shiel (she/they) is Responsible Research &am p\; Innovation Specialist for CHARM-EU\, based at Trinity College Dublin. With a PhD in Comparative Literature focusing on immersive virtual spaces\ , and over a decade of experience in research development and European R&a mp\;I strategy across leading Irish and UK universities\, her professional interests include inter/transdisciplinary research\, research culture\, a nd intersectional equality\, diversity and inclusion. Her work as the lead er of two work packages in the Horizon 2020 Science with and for Society ( SwafS)-funded TORCH project\, developing CHARM-EU's shared research and in novation agenda\, was recognised with the Trinity Research Excellence Awar d in 2023. She is committed to fostering inclusive\, challenge-driven rese arch and international collaboration.   \n \n Martin Meggele SjøenProfessor of Educational Studies at the Insti tute of Education at the University of Bergen \n Dr. Martin Meggele Sj øen is a Professor of Educational Studies at the Institute of Education a t the University of Bergen. He holds a Ph.D. in Security Studies from the University of Stavanger. Dr. Sjøen’s research explores democracy\, educ ation\, political violence and peacebuilding\, with a specific focus on th e intersection of education and security. \n \n Karl StoeckelExecutive Director of the CIVIS European University A lliance \n Karl Stoeckel is Executive Director of the CIVIS European U niversity Alliance\, coordinated by Aix-Marseille University\, where he le ads the alliance’s coordination team and supports its governance\, strat egic development and long-term sustainability. CIVIS brings together 17 un iversities across Europe and Africa\, representing more than 500\,000 stud ents and 80\,000 academic and professional staff. With over 15 years of e xperience in European research\, innovation and higher education policy\, Karl has worked extensively on European strategy\, institutional relations \, science diplomacy\, international partnerships and the development and management of EU-funded projects. He previously represented Aix-Marseille University in Brussels\, working with the European Commission\, the Europe an Parliament\, Member States’ Permanent Representations and European re search and innovation stakeholders. His experience also includes senior r esponsibilities at the French National Research Institute for Development (IRD)\, where he contributed to European strategy and Horizon Europe progr amming\, and teaching European research and innovation policy at Paris 1 P anthéon-Sorbonne. He is particularly interested in building sustainable\, place-based partnerships and in strengthening cooperation between univers ities\, research organisations and European and international stakeholders .  \n \n Roger StrandProfessor at the U niversity of Bergen\, Norway \n Roger Strand is Professor at the Unive rsity of Bergen\, Norway. His research focuses on the governance of scienc e\, technology\, and innovation\, with particular attention to complexity\ , uncertainty\, and sustainability. He works at the intersection of philos ophy\, science and technology studies\, and policy-oriented research\, con tributing to the development of frameworks for responsible research and in novation (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 Euro pean and international projects addressing the role of expertise\, interdi sciplinary collaboration\, and societal engagement in research and innovat ion. His work includes contributions to environmental governance\, sustain ability transitions\, and science-policy interfaces. He is the Co-Director of the non-profit NGO called the European Centre for Governance in Comple xity (www.ecgc.eu). \n \n Ferenc TakóMe mber of the CHARM-EU Executive Board\, CHARM-EU Director and Head of the R ector’s Cabinet CHARM-EU Office\, Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) \n Ferenc Takó studied Philosophy and Japanese Studies at Eötvös Lor ánd University (ELTE)\, Budapest\, Hungary\, where he currently lectures at the Department of Japanese Studies. He used to be head of the Rector’ s Cabinet International Strategy Office at ELTE between 2018 and 2021. Sin ce 2021\, he is head of the Rector’s Cabinet CHARM-EU Office and ELTE Ex ecutive Director of CHARM-EU. \n \n Ád ám TóthResearcher at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Developmen t at Utrecht University. \n Ádám Tóth is a researcher in (ground)wa ter\, sustainability and education innovation at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development at Utrecht University. Ádám is the co-lead of the educational practice work package of the CHARM-EIGHT project. He is i nvolved in updating the existing master's programme in Global Challenges f or Sustainability\, exploring educational opportunities for a broader audi ence to develop knowledge\, including a strategy for micro-credentials\, b adges\, and continuing education\, as well as a team-based\, transdiscipli nary joint CHARM-EU Doctoral programme. \n \ n Dr. Annisa TriyantiAssistant Professor\, Disaster and Climate Risk G overnance for Sustainability\, at Utrecht University \n Dr. Annisa Tri yanti is an Assistant Professor of Disaster and Climate Risk Governance fo r Sustainability at Utrecht University. Born in Indonesia\, she earned her PhD from the University of Amsterdam. Her research connects grassroots pr actices with global policy\, focusing on community self-governance and man grove ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction in Asia. In her teaching\, s he emphasizes public engagement and promotes the role of European Universi ty Alliances in addressing societal challenges. Serving as Academic Direct or of CHARM-EU for Utrecht University\, she supports collaborative\, cross -boundary education. For three consecutive years\, she has also coordinate d the Capstone module for the CHARM-EU Master’s in Global Challenges for Sustainability\, a transdisciplinary program where students conduct resea rch alongside external stakeholders to tackle real-world issues. Beyond he r academic roles\, Dr. Triyanti has engaged in intergovernmental policy di alogues on climate change and sustainable development since 2014. As part of this work\, she represented young scientists in the Global Science and Technology Advisory Group for the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (U NDRR) from 2017 to 2019. \n \n Oriol Uvi edoLaboratory and project technician\, specialized in microplastics and ci tizen science \n Ever since my childhood\, I have known that I wanted to pursue a career related to the ocean\, and that has indeed been the cas e. In 2020\, I graduated with a degree in Marine Sciences from the Univers ity of Barcelona (UB)\, and I currently serve as a laboratory and project technician\, specialized in microplastics and citizen science. One of the principal initiatives I lead is the 'Surfing For Science' project\, which has a well-defined objective: to quantify and characterize microplastics i n the coastal areas of the western Mediterranean through citizen science. In this manner\, we generate scientific knowledge while simultaneously rai sing awareness about the critical issue of plastic pollution in our seas a nd oceans.Utilizing the methodology developed in 'Surfing For Science'\, w e initiated the TRAP project. While sharing the same core objectives\, thi s initiative expands the scope of research to rivers\, combined sewer over flows (CSOs)\, and the open sea in order to analyse the transport and exch ange of particles across these diverse systems. Furthermore\, I have parti cipated in the OSES project (Ocean Sustainability Through Education and Sp ort)\, where we developed best-practice manuals and fieldwork kits designe d to enable marine recreational users\, as sailors\, divers or surfers\, t o collect reliable scientific data. Through these efforts\, our ultimate g oal is to foster public awareness regarding the anthropogenic threats and impacts currently facing our marine ecosystems. \n \n Isak VentoSenior University Lecturer \n PhD Isak Vento is Senior University Lecturer in political science and methods at Åbo Aka demi University. His research focuses on political attitudes and behavior. \n \n Mireia Via\nResearch Support Tech nician at CHARM-EU \n Mireia Via obtained her PhD in Theoretical Chemi stry and Computational Modelling from the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU). After that\, she left academia aside but not the world of rese arch entirely. Since then\, she has dedicated her career to supporting res earch\, working as a support technician in a chemistry research group at t he University of Barcelona (UB)\, and at the UB's International Research P rojects Office. She has also been an adjunct lecturer at the UB\, teaching practical classes on the Biology and Chemistry bachelor's degree programm es. She currently supports the research and innovation dimension of the CH ARM-EU alliance. \n \n Lena WassermannAd visor 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 Presid ent for Internationalisation at the University of Würzburg and supports t he university’s strategic engagement within the CHARM-EU Alliance. Her w ork focuses on European university cooperation\, internationalisation stra tegies\, and cross-institutional collaboration. Drawing on experience in a cademia\, policy\, and international partnerships\, she is particularly in terested in how universities can work together to address shared societal challenges and foster innovation in higher education. \n \n Gunilla Widén\nProfessor of Information Studies at Å bo Akademi University (ÅAU) since 2008 \n Gunilla Widén is Professor of Information Studies at Åbo Akademi University (ÅAU) since 2008. Her research focuses on information behaviour\, knowledge management\, and tru st in information. She has led several large research projects\, e.g. on o rganizational key skills in information society\, the role of social media in libraries\, the importance of information literacy in various contexts such as workplaces and in migration.Widén has been involved in European projects on youth information\, and in Nordic library research\, e.g. on c ultural policy decision-making\, the case of Helsinki Central Libary Oodi. She has been involved in several collaborative networks both nationally a nd internationally\, appointed as external expert in different evaluation committees\, and published widely in her areas of expertise.She has long o rganizational experience at ÅAU\, recently she has been Vice-Rector for E ducation 2022-25\, and served as Acting Rector from April 2025 until she w as appointed as Rector in January 2026. \n \ n information about Turku \n \n \n Venue Information \ n \n \n \n CHARM-EU ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2026 at Åbo Akadem i UniversityÅbo (Turku in Finnish) 14 October 2026VENUE FOR THE MEETINGAs tra\, Porthansgatan 3\, 20500 ÅboRoom: Bonfire \n \n \n \n General Information about Turku \n \n \n \n Tur ku (in Finnish)/Åbo (in Swedish) is vibrant city of 200\,000 inhabitants and the sixth largest city in Finland after Helsinki\, Espoo\, Tampere\, V antaa and Oulu. Finland having two main official languages\, Turku/Åbo is officially bilingual and 5\,2 percent of its population identify Swedish as their mother-tongue.Åbo Akademi University is the only Swedish-languag e multidisciplinary academic university in Finland. The campus is located in the old city centre\, at a walking distance from the hotels listed in t his document.When speaking about the city in English\, the Finnish name Tu rku is usually used\, as the majority of the inhabitants are Finnish-speak ing. You will however see most names of streets in both languages\, so rem ember this when you are wondering about two very different street names/ad dresses indicating the same location!Turku is the oldest city in Finland a nd the former capital of the country and will celebrate its 800th annivers ary in 2029. Located on the seaside of Southwest Finland\, Turku is a regi onal hub for education\, culture and business and the third biggest urban 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-minutes 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 convenie nt option. (If your arrival time to Turku Airport is after the last bus an d there is no taxi to be found\, you can order one by using the service ph one which is located near the exit on the arrivals level of the terminal). The air companies operating in Turku are:o Finnair (through Helsinki-Vanta a Airport and Stockholm Arlanda)o SAS (through Copenhagen Kastrup and Stoc kholm Arlanda)o Air Baltic (through Riga)o WizzAir (through Vilnius\, Gda ńsk and Bucharest) BY AIR THROUGH HELSINKI OR STOCKHOLMMany airlines ope rate flights to Helsinki Airport\, e.g. Finnair. From Helsinki-Vantaa Airp ort (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 connection f rom Helsinki–Vantaa Airport (Matkahuolto)Your end station would be “Tu rku Tuomiokirkko” or “Turku linja-autoasema = Turku bus station”. 211\; Train connection from Helsinki–Vantaa Airport (VR)\, with a transf er in Pasila.Your end train station when arriving from Helsinki is “Kupi ttaa (Turku)” or the main station “Turku (City Centre\, Logomo)”. B Y FERRY THROUGH STOCKHOLMFrom Stockholm there is a night ferry to Turku. Y ou sleep on the ferry and arrive in the Port of Turku the next morning. Th e ferries are operated by Viking Line and Silja Line. \n \n \n \n Moving Around in Turku \n \n \n \n Centra l 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 extensive local bus network (going all the way to our nearest National Park). Bus ti ckets 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\, please s ee here. The bus stop nearest the ÅAU campus\, by the Cathedral is called “Tuomiokirkkotori” and the bus stops closest to the city centre are a ll called “Kauppatori” (there are several around the Market square). B uses do not automatically stop at every stop. Passengers wanting to get on board must wave their hand. \n \n \n \n Q&\;A on Travelling \n \n \n \n Do you recommend the train or t he 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 are buses and taxis outside the station\, so you will easily get into town\, but ta king the bus at the airport will take you closer to the city centre direct ly.The bus stop for the bus taking you from Helsinki to Turku that is clos est to your hotel will probably be at the Cathedral (Tuomiokirkko)\, but y ou can also go until the bus station\, which is not far either.How much ti me 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 there is a transfer/connection\, 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 tak es only a few minutes to change trains.For the bus\, if there is a transfe r (rare occurrence)\, the first bus will take you to the second bus and no t leave before the second bus is there. The transfer is 20-25 minutes afte r 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 advance\; the tickets are usually cheaper when bought in advance. On the other hand\, i f your flight is delayed\, you will lose the ticket. You could also wait u ntil you land and buy the ticket online\, on your mobile phone (see the li nks provided above)\, when exiting the aircraft or while waiting for the t rain. And if you notice the bus/train is full when buying the ticket\, may be you can take another option instead.For the bus\, you can also buy the ticket from the bus driver. For the train\, there is a ticket machine on t he platform.How about the day when I leave Finland\, should I buy my bus/t rain ticket already now?You can buy it already before arrival. \n \n \n \n Hotels in Turku \n \n \n \n Part icipants are responsible for finding and booking their own accommodation. For some hotels there is a special rate\, which is mentioned for every hot el separately.Closest to ÅAU (ca 10 min walk)Scandic Julia https://www.sc andichotels.fi/hotellit/suomi/turku/scandic-julia (500 m to the campus)We are happy to offer your guests a discount on room reservations at Scandic Julia\, Scandic Hamburger Börs\, Scandic Plaza Turku and Scandic Go\, Eer ikinkatu 30. Reservations can be easily made through the following link: B OOK WITH SCANDIC\, booking code CGRO. Through the link\, guests can direct ly book rooms at a discounted rate.Guests can choose their preferred room type and receive an additional discount when paying for the reservation up on booking. The cancellation policy for individual bookings depends on the booking type chosen by the guest. To confirm the reservation\, guests mus t provide valid credit card information. Rooms are subject to availability and should be booked 10 days before arrival at the latest. Scandic Frien ds members should also check for available loyalty offers.Centro Hotel htt ps://centrohotel.com/ (600 m to the campus)Use booking code: CHARM-EU for reduced rate on the rooms. Single room 112EUR/night\, Double room 132EUR/n ight – including breakfast. Book directly with the Centro Hotel. Limited availability.Scandic Hamburger Börs https://www.scandichotels.com/en/hot els/scandic-hamburger-bors (700 m to the campus)Use the booking code CGRO for discounted rates: https://www.scandichotels.com/en?bookingcode=CGROSok os 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 Center (10 + min walk)Scandic Hotel Plaza https://www.scandichotels.fi/hotellit/suomi /turku/scandic-plaza-turkuUse the booking code CGRO for discounted rates: https://www.scandichotels.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 – includin g breakfast. Book directly with the Helmi Hotelli. Limited availability.So kos Hotel Turun Seurahuone https://www.sokoshotels.fi/hotellit/turku/solo- sokos-hotel-turun-seurahuoneScandic Go\, Eerikinkatu 30 https://www.scandi chotels.com/fi/hotellit/scandic-go-eerikinkatu-30Use the booking code CGRO for discounted rates: https://www.scandichotels.com/en?bookingcode=CGROOm ena Hotelli Humalistonkatu https://www.omenahotels.com/fi/hotellit/turku-h umalistonkatu/Forenum Aparthotels https://www.forenom.com/aparthotels/turk u/Sokos Hotel Kupittaa https://www.sokoshotels.fi/en/hotels/turku/original -sokos-hotel-kupittaa (next to the Kupittaa train station\, not in the cen tre\, 1.2 kms to campus)Use booking code: BCHARMEU for reduced rate on the rooms. Single room 105EUR/night\, Double room 125EUR/night – including breakfast and sauna. Book directly with Sokos Hotel Kupittaa. Limited avai lability\, discounted rates until September 11. \n \n \n \n Other Practical Information \n \n \n \n The edu roam WiFi is available throughout the whole campus\; you can access it usi ng your home university login.Finland uses the euro. Cards are widely used and notes larger than 50 € may not be accepted everywhere. Contactless payment with cards is common. Some places are cash-free.In October\, it mi ght still be relatively warm during the daytime but the weather can be unp redictable (prepare for rain) and evenings are colder. Daytime temperature s are 10 degrees and nighttime temperatures 5 degrees on average in southe rn 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 may have longer service hours during the weekends. \n \n \n \n To Do in Turku \n \n \n \n Campus walk (ÅAU Main bu ilding\, Sibelius Museum\, Juridicum\, Arken\, Aurum\, Astra)The history o f 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 Market Hal l (Kauppahalli / Saluhallen)Kakola area: shop\, brewery\, spa and restaura nts in former prison and prison areaHansa shopping centre for Marimekko\, Iittala and Finnish souvenirsKui at Kristiinankatu for more local souvenir sSauna 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@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\, +358 50 465 3965 \ n \n CHARM-EU ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2026 at Åbo Akademi UniversityÅbo ( Turku in Finnish) 14 October 2026VENUE FOR THE MEETINGAstra\, Porthansgata n 3\, 20500 ÅboRoom: BonfireTurku (in Finnish)/Åbo (in Swedish) is vibra nt city of 200\,000 inhabitants and the sixth largest city in Finland afte r Helsinki\, Espoo\, Tampere\, Vantaa and Oulu. Finland having two main of ficial languages\, Turku/Åbo is officially bilingual and 5\,2 percent of its population identify Swedish as their mother-tongue.Åbo Akademi Univer sity is the only Swedish-language multidisciplinary academic university in Finland. The campus is located in the old city centre\, at a walking dist ance from the hotels listed in this document.When speaking about the city in English\, the Finnish name Turku is usually used\, as the majority of t he inhabitants are Finnish-speaking. You will however see most names of st reets in both languages\, so remember this when you are wondering about tw o very different street names/addresses indicating the same location!Turku is the oldest city in Finland and the former capital of the country and w ill celebrate its 800th anniversary in 2029. Located on the seaside of Sou thwest Finland\, Turku is a regional hub for education\, culture and busin ess 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 eig ht kilometres/30-minutes 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 convenient option. (If your arrival time to Turku Airport is after the last bus and there is no taxi to be found\, you can order one by using the service phone which is located near the exit on the arrivals level of the terminal).The air companies operating in Turku are:o Finnair (through Helsinki-Vantaa Airport and Stockholm Arlanda)o SAS (through Cop enhagen Kastrup and Stockholm Arlanda)o Air Baltic (through Riga)o WizzAir (through Vilnius\, Gdańsk and Bucharest) BY AIR THROUGH HELSINKI OR STO CKHOLMMany airlines operate flights to Helsinki Airport\, e.g. Finnair. Fr om Helsinki-Vantaa Airport (HEL) you can take a bus or train to Turku. Tur ku–Helsinki is 166 km\; the bus or train will take you about 2\,5 hrs.- Bus connection from Helsinki–Vantaa Airport (Matkahuolto)Your end statio n would be “Turku Tuomiokirkko” or “Turku linja-autoasema = Turku bu s station”.- Train connection from Helsinki–Vantaa Airport (VR)\, with a transfer in Pasila.Your end train station when arriving from Helsinki i s “Kupittaa (Turku)” or the main station “Turku (City Centre\, Logom o)”. BY FERRY THROUGH STOCKHOLMFrom Stockholm there is a night ferry to Turku. You sleep on the ferry and arrive in the Port of Turku the next mo rning. The ferries are operated by Viking Line and Silja Line.Central Turk u is quite small and easiest to get around on foot. Turku is easy to navig ate 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 tickets cost ca. 3-4€ and can be purchased beforehand in an app or by card (cont actless payment) on the bus. For timetables and bus stops\, please see her e. The bus stop nearest the ÅAU campus\, by the Cathedral is called “Tu omiokirkkotori” and the bus stops closest to the city centre are all cal led “Kauppatori” (there are several around the Market square). Buses d o not automatically stop at every stop. Passengers wanting to get on board must wave their hand.Do you recommend the train or the bus from HEL?This will depend on where your hotel is located. If in the city centre\, the bu s is better. But if staying next to the train station (Sokos Hotel Kupitta a)\, the train may be more convenient.There are buses and taxis outside th e station\, so you will easily get into town\, but taking the bus at the a irport will take you closer to the city centre directly.The bus stop for t he bus taking you from Helsinki to Turku that is closest to your hotel wil l 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 f ollow the signs.The bus/train schedule says there is a transfer/connection \, will I manage?Yes!For the train\, there will be a transfer from the com muter train to the intercity train in Pasila\, which is 25 minutes from th e 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 se cond bus is there. The transfer is 20-25 minutes 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 advance\; the tickets are usually cheaper when bought in advance. On the other hand\, if your flight is dela yed\, 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 for the train. And if you noti ce the bus/train is full when buying the ticket\, maybe you can take anoth er option instead.For the bus\, you can also buy the ticket from the bus d river. For the train\, there is a ticket machine on the platform.How about the day when I leave Finland\, should I buy my bus/train ticket already n ow?You can buy it already before arrival.Participants are responsible for finding and booking their own accommodation. For some hotels there is a sp ecial rate\, which is mentioned for every hotel separately.Closest to ÅAU (ca 10 min walk)Scandic Julia https://www.scandichotels.fi/hotellit/suomi /turku/scandic-julia (500 m to the campus)We are happy to offer your guest s a discount on room reservations at Scandic Julia\, Scandic Hamburger Bö rs\, Scandic Plaza Turku and Scandic Go\, Eerikinkatu 30. Reservations can be easily made through the following link: BOOK WITH SCANDIC\, booking co de CGRO. Through the link\, guests can directly book rooms at a discounted rate.Guests can choose their preferred room type and receive an additiona l discount when paying for the reservation upon booking. The cancellation policy for individual bookings depends on the booking type chosen by the g uest. To confirm the reservation\, guests must provide valid credit card i nformation. 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 rooms. Si ngle room 112EUR/night\, Double room 132EUR/night – including breakfast. Book directly with the Centro Hotel. Limited availability.Scandic Hamburg er Börs https://www.scandichotels.com/en/hotels/scandic-hamburger-bors (7 00 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 to the c ampus)Bob W Turku City Centre https://bobw.co/locations/turkuOmena Hotelli Kauppiaskatu https://www.omenahotels.com/fi/hotellit/turku-kauppiaskatu/I neon Hotel https://ineon.fi/enCity Center (10+ min walk)Scandic Hotel Plaz a https://www.scandichotels.fi/hotellit/suomi/turku/scandic-plaza-turkuUse the booking code CGRO for discounted rates: https://www.scandichotels.com /en?bookingcode=CGROHelmi Hotelli https://www.hotellihelmi.fi/en-gb/homeUs e booking code: CHARM-EU for reduced rate on the rooms. Single room 89EUR/ night\, Double room 119EUR/night – including breakfast. Book directly wi th the Helmi Hotelli. Limited availability.Sokos Hotel Turun Seurahuone ht tps://www.sokoshotels.fi/hotellit/turku/solo-sokos-hotel-turun-seurahuoneS candic Go\, Eerikinkatu 30 https://www.scandichotels.com/fi/hotellit/scand ic-go-eerikinkatu-30Use the booking code CGRO for discounted rates: https: //www.scandichotels.com/en?bookingcode=CGROOmena Hotelli Humalistonkatu ht tps://www.omenahotels.com/fi/hotellit/turku-humalistonkatu/Forenum Apartho tels https://www.forenom.com/aparthotels/turku/Sokos Hotel Kupittaa https: //www.sokoshotels.fi/en/hotels/turku/original-sokos-hotel-kupittaa (next t o the Kupittaa train station\, not in the centre\, 1.2 kms to campus)Use b ooking code: BCHARMEU for reduced rate on the rooms. Single room 105EUR/ni ght\, Double room 125EUR/night – including breakfast and sauna. Book dir ectly with Sokos Hotel Kupittaa. Limited availability\, discounted rates u ntil September 11.The eduroam WiFi is available throughout the whole campu s\; you can access it using your home university login.Finland uses the eu ro. Cards are widely used and notes larger than 50 € may not be accepted everywhere. Contactless payment with cards is common. Some places are cas h-free.In October\, it might still be relatively warm during the daytime b ut the weather can be unpredictable (prepare for rain) and evenings are co lder. Daytime temperatures are 10 degrees and nighttime temperatures 5 deg rees on average in southern Finland and the sun rises at 8 am and sets aft er 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 may have longer service hours during the weekends.Campus walk (ÅAU Main building\, Sibelius Museum\, Juridicum\, Arken\, Aurum\, A stra)The history of ÅAU’s buildings: Åbo Akademi University Foundation Walk by the river (3\,5 kms between the ÅAU campus and Turku Castle)Turku Cathedral (closed for renovations) and AboaVetus (medieval Turku)Art muse umTurku Market Hall (Kauppahalli / Saluhallen)Kakola area: shop\, brewery\ , spa and restaurants in former prison and prison areaHansa shopping centr e for Marimekko\, Iittala and Finnish souvenirsKui at Kristiinankatu for m ore local souvenirsSauna and swimmingSaaronniemiJärveläIspoisFor more in formation\, please see Visit TurkuPia le Grand\, CHARM-EU Manager\, pia.le grand@abo.fi\, +358 50 321 1400Harriet Klåvus\, CHARM-EU Manager\, harrie t.klavus@abo.fi\, +358 46 921 6130Matias Dahlbäck\, WP17\, matias.dahlbac k@abo.fi\, +358 50 475 1515Sara Joas\, WP6\, sara.joas@abo.fi\, +358 50 46 5 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