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An online European event entitled Engaging citizens with science: Insights and success stories from across Europe will take place on 27 January 2026, from 10:00 to 12:00 CET. The event is organised by the INSPIRING ERA project and forms part of a wider series of online activities supporting the implementation of the European Research Area (ERA) Policy Agenda. It focuses on how citizen engagement and citizen science can be made more meaningful, inclusive and impactful, drawing on concrete examples and mutual learning experiences from across Europe.
The programme will showcase successful public engagement initiatives from different national contexts, including Amai! from Flanders (Belgium), HEROINES from Serbia and Wijkwijs from the Netherlands. These examples will be complemented by a panel discussion bringing together leading experts and policy actors involved in European Commission Mutual Learning Exercises on citizen science and public engagement. The discussion will reflect on evidence, national practices and transferable approaches that can help embed citizen engagement more structurally in research and innovation systems across the ERA.
HEROINES (Serbia) – Dr Ivan Djordjević, Senior Research Associate, Institute of Ethnography SASA
HEROINES is a citizen-science initiative that centres Roma women, enabling them to document their histories, experiences of solidarity and community heritage through participatory mapping and co-created storytelling. Awarded the EU Prize for Citizen Science Grand Prize (2025), the project is recognised for its inclusive, community-driven approach and its impact in empowering marginalised groups and challenging social exclusion.
A dedicated outlook session will address future developments under the new ERA structural policy on “Enhancing Trust in Science through Citizen Participation and Communication”, outlining forthcoming plans and opportunities for stakeholder involvement.
While the event addresses Europe as a whole, the inclusion of a Serbian case highlights the relevance of citizen engagement practices for Western Balkan actors seeking closer integration into ERA-related policy learning.
For more information please refer to the source page of this announcement: https://www.inspiring-era.eu