Strengthening International Collaboration: First Meeting of the Pathways to Synergies Sister Projects

On March 24, our project took part in the first meeting of the first meeting of the Pathways to Synergies Sister Projects group. This initiative aims to develop Joint Internationalization Strategies (JIS) by bringing together EU-funded projects to exchange knowledge, discuss common challenges, and identify best practices that can enhance international research collaboration.

The meeting gathered representatives from twelve EU-funded projects who shared their approaches to strengthening cooperation across borders. Among the topics discussed were innovative strategies for internationalization, such as the use of virtual laboratories, mentoring schemes, journal clubs, and the strategic mapping of EU research networks.

Participants also explored ways to support consortium-building by aligning their projects with national and regional strategies, leveraging the opportunities offered by Erasmus+ and COST Actions, and encouraging more structured and strategic networking efforts.

Collaboration was a key theme throughout the meeting. Ideas were exchanged on how to share expertise across projects, co-host training activities and student exchanges, and work together on proposals for upcoming Horizon Europe calls. One particularly promising proposal involved the creation of a shared database of institutional strengths and existing networks. Another suggestion focused on making training sessions accessible to partners from sister projects.

Special thanks to CSA REMORA for organizing and hosting this productive and inspiring meeting. We look forward to continuing this collaboration in the upcoming sessions and jointly advancing international research efforts.

Further updates will follow as the group continues to work together in the coming months.