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ENGAGEgreen

The Erasmus+ project "Enhancing Institutional Capacities for Policy Engagement for Green and Digital Transitions" is funded by the European Commission and is being carried out by the Rhine-Main Universities together with five European partners.

The project, which will run from October 2023 to March 2026, will pilot and implement various dialogue and meeting formats, create good practice examples, a policy engagement toolkit and training materials for conducting face-to-face and virtual workshops. The activities are aimed at researchers at all career levels (R1-R4), students and representatives from politics, administration and practice.

About the Project

Policy Engagement Toolkit (work in progress)

News

10 June 2026, 15:00-16:00 (CET)

Webinar: Bringing Science and Policy Closer: Innovative Formats for Science–Policy Dialogue across Europe

How can universities and policymakers build more meaningful, lasting relationships? This webinar, co-organised by the ENGAGEgreen project and the Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN), explores innovative formats for science–policy dialogue — drawing on concrete experiences from the UK, Germany, and Catalonia.

Our speakers will present three distinct approaches: fostering structured dialogue between government and universities in the UK, bringing researchers directly into regional ministries through the Rhine-Main Science Dialogue in Germany, and adapting pairing schemes to local political realities in Catalonia. Together, these case studies offer a rich comparative perspective on what works — and why context matters.

How universities across Europe are closing the gap between research and policy.

📅 The event took place 10 June 2026 | 15:00–16:00 CET.

💻 The recording is available here.

🔗 The presentations are available here.

The webinar featured short, engaging presentations:

  • Dr Olivia Stevenson (UCL Public Policy)
    Building Meaningful Dialogue Between Government and Universities: Insights from the UK
  • Tome Sandevski (Goethe University Frankfurt)
    Meeting Policymakers Where They Work: The Rhine-Main Science Dialogue in Regional Ministries in Germany
  • Enol Nieto Jiménez (VIC University)
    Adapting to Local Realities: What Pairing Schemes Teach Us in Catalonia
  • David Corado (Granada University)
    From Territory to Policy: Living Labs as Catalysts for Science-Policy Dialogue in Granada
  • Giulia Ballarin (Ca' Foscari University Venice)
    The Knowledge Bridge: Connectin Academic Research and Policy Action in Italy
  • Moderator:
    Martina Miechova (Palacky University Olomouc)

Co-organised by the Erasmus+ ENGAGEgreen project and the Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN).

18 May 2026, 15:00-16:00 (CET)

Webinar: Beyond the Campus: Unlocking Student Potential for Policy Engagement

Students are the largest group at universities — yet they remain largely underrepresented in academic policy engagement. This webinar, co-organised by the ENGAGEgreen project and the Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN), brings together researchers and educators to showcase innovative approaches to involving students in shaping public policy.

From postgraduate teaching models at Durham University to student hackathons and collaborative theses at Palacký University Olomouc, our speakers will present concrete examples of how universities can unlock student potential beyond the classroom.

How can the next generation of researchers can become active contributors to the policy process?

📅 The event took place 18 May 2026 | 15:00–16:00 CET 

💻 The recording is available here.

🔗 The presentations are available here.

The webinar featured short, engaging presentations:

  • Professor Arlene Holmes-Henderson (Durham University and Universities Policy Engagement Network) 
    Teaching policy engagement to postgraduate students: a Durham University case study.
  • Dr Florence Belaen (University Lyon Lumière 2)
    À la carte Science: Lyon's Science Shop Approach to Student-Led Policy Engagement
  • Professor Jaroslav Burian and Dr Jakub Konicek (Palacky University Olomouc)
    From Student Ideas to Public Impact: Hackathons and Collaborative Theses
  • Moderator: 
    Tome Sandevski (Goethe University Frankfurt / ENGAGEgreen)

Co-organised by the Erasmus+ ENGAGEgreen project and the Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN).

1 April 2026, Olomouc

Open Data and Data Governance Policy

Michal Kubáň (Digital and Information Agency 🇨🇿) delivered a lecture at Palacký University for geoinformatics students and regional policymakers today. He discussed how OpenData in e-government supports informed decision-making, public services, and the implementation of EU data policies.

Futher information can be found here.

11 March 2026, Barcelona

Challenges of Environmental and Health Policies

At our event we joined forces to discuss the future of urban, health, and environmental policies.

It was a fantastic opportunity to foster real dialogue. Our goal? To build a shared language that turns scientific outputs into impactful policy recommendations that truly resonate with both local and national needs.

Futher information can be found here.

20 February 2026, Olomouc

Training on Spatial Statistics

The final training for policymakers delivered by Palacký University built on two previous sessions focused on working with ArcGIS and on data visualisation for the development of the open data portal. 

Futher information can be found here.

29 January 2026, Darmstadt

Future Technologies for Energy and Security​

How can renewable energies be stored safely and climate-neutrally over longer periods of time? 
How can digital resilience be increased in the event of a crisis in Germany? 
At the event Researchers presented answers to these questions during the on-site visit.

Bildrechte: Gerd Keim (links), TUDa/MEH (rechts) 

28 October 2025, Lyon/Venice

Bilingual Webinar on Agri-Food Policy

Ca' Foscari University of Venice and Université Lumière Lyon 2 ran a pilot of the bilingual webinar format (French/Italian simultaneous interpretation available). The one-hour online event was entitled “Agri-Food Policy: A comparison between France and Italy".

Futher information can be found here.

22 October 2025, Olomouc

Preparatory workshop: Use of sensor data

Palacký University Olomouc organised a preparatory workshop for students who intend to participate in the Hackathon of the Olomouc Region 2025. The workshop  on using sensor data for smart urban planning hosted three guest speakers.

Further information can be found here.

6 October 2025, Olomouc

Discussion: Introduction of the Open Data Portal

The session aimed to introduce the regional-level Open Data Portal of the Moravian-Silesian Region and sought to facilitate cross-regional exchange of experiences by comparing it with the Open Data Portal of the Olomouc Region. It was tailored to a student audience.

Further information can be found here.

25 September 2025, Frankfurt

Best Practice Exchange: Knowledge Transfer

As part of the Mercator Science-Policy Fellowship Programme and the ENGAGEgreen project, Goethe University Frankfurt organised its fourth meeting of colleagues from Rhine-Main universities and non-university scientific institutions in the Rhine-Main area. 

An article on the workshop can be found here. 


Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

Contact

Research Support
Goethe University Frankfurt am Main

Theodor-W.-Adorno-Platz 1
D-60323 Frankfurt am Main

Phone: +49 69 798 12132 / 12135
Email: science-policy@uni-frankfurt.de