{"id":4856,"date":"2020-01-06T14:47:15","date_gmt":"2020-01-06T14:47:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/polsca.pan.pl\/en\/?p=4856"},"modified":"2020-01-07T16:37:02","modified_gmt":"2020-01-07T16:37:02","slug":"polissh-perspective-on-horizon-europe-conference-summary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/polsca.pan.pl\/en\/polissh-perspective-on-horizon-europe-conference-summary\/","title":{"rendered":"‘PoliSSH perspective on Horizon Europe’ conference – summary"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

On 27 November 2019 \u2018PoliSSH perspective on Horizon Europe\u2019 event took place in Staszic Palace in Warsaw (Poland). The conference was jointly organized by Polish Science Contact Agency (PolSCA) of the Polish Academy of Sciences and National Contact Point for Research Programmes of the EU in Poland. <\/strong> The main objective was to support the participation of Polish scientists in EU Framework Programmes, especially in the Social Sciences and Humanities\u2019 field. Other aims of the event were: to bring the European context closer to Polish scientists and to network them with foreign partners.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

CONCEPT AND OBJECTIVES\nOF THE EVENT<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Currently, European Union countries are in the process of consulting the\nnext research and innovation program \u2018Horizon Europe\u2019. The importance of the\nprogram is underlined by its proposed budget, which for the first time reached\n100 billion euro in the European Commission proposal, and even 120 billion euro\nin the proposal of the European Parliament. Increased funding for research and\ninnovation is also a greater opportunity for Polish scientists to raise their\nfunds. The fact is that Poland, as an EU member state, does not fully exploit\nits potential under Horizon 2020, similarly to other EU-13 countries. Thus far,\nthis region has obtained only 4.8% of H2020 funding, while it represents over\n17% of EU researchers. In addition, the funds available for financing research\nand innovation based on ERDF funds (so-called structural funds) are likely to\nbe reduced in the next EU Multiannual Financial Framework. Hence, an urgent\nneed to introduce system solutions that support participation in the next\nFramework Program, but also to build confidence in the national scientific\ncommunity that Horizon Europe is an excellent chance to strengthen and develop\nthe research sector in Poland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018PoliSSH perspective on\nHorizon Europe\u2019 event was particularly addressed to representatives of Social\nSciences and Humanities (SSH) due to many reasons.<\/strong> Firstly, because the objective of Horizon Europe is to bring science\nand innovation closer to members of European societies – this is a task for SSH\nresearchers who are to ensure understanding of research results among decision\nmakers and representatives of diverse environments. According to SSH-Impact\nPathways and SSH Integration in EU Research Framework Programmes<\/a> report, they are to provide specialist\nknowledge in terms of placing specific problems in wider contexts by combining\na local and global perspective. Moreover, SSH helps to better understand the\nsocio-economic impact of research policy itself and enhance its societal impact\nin the future. Secondly, the previously agreed joint proposal of the Parliament\nand the Council clearly states that Horizon Europe provides a multidisciplinary\napproach and stresses Social Sciences and Humanities\u2019 integration in all\nclusters and activities developed under the program (cross-cutting issue). The\nposition that achieving the main goals of Horizon Europe requires both\ntechnological, engineering, mathematical (STEM) and SSH disciplines is\nsupported by various networks e.g. European\nUniversity Association<\/a> (EUA) or European Alliance for Social Sciences\nand Humanities<\/a> (EASSH). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taking initiatives to strengthen the integration of social sciences and the humanities is extremely important for one more reason – the insufficient participation of SSH representatives in Horizon 2020. Such conclusions can be drawn from the latest report of the European Commission<\/a>, monitoring the development of SSH as a cross-cutting issue under the Horizon 2020 Program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore, the need to ensure adequate representation of researchers of social sciences and humanities in the EU Framework Programs is also pointed out by European scientific networks, including All European Academies (ALLEA) with its Working Group Horizon Europe<\/a>, focused on guaranteeing full representation of SSH disciplines. The one of its members is prof. Przemys\u0142aw Urba\u0144czyk, director of the PIASt Institute of Polish Academy of Sciences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u2018PoliSSH Perspective on Horizon Europe\u2019 event finally brought together over 80 participants, representing various institutes of Polish Academy of Sciences, universities, research funding agencies and other research institutions. The conference demonstrated the opportunities offered by EU programs and showcased the ‘success stories’ of beneficiaries, not only from Poland, but also from other European countries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The final agenda is available here<\/a>Pobierz<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n

OPENING AND WELCOMING ADDRESSES<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nconference was officially opened by prof.\nPawe\u0142 Rowi\u0144ski, Vice-President of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAS)<\/strong>, who\nwarmly welcomed all the participants. The Vice-President briefly described the\nefforts of the Polish Academy of Sciences in obtaining European grants and underlined\nthat research priorities of the Polish Academy of Sciences encompass\ninterdisciplinarity (including social changes, climate change, energy). He also\nexpressed his appreciation to the conference organizers, wished participants a\nproductive exchange and encourage all of them to engage in active and open\ndiscussions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prof. Ma\u0142gorzata Mol\u0119da- Zdziech,\nDirector of the Polish Science Contact Agency in Brussels (PolSCA)<\/strong>,\nused her welcoming address to give an overview of PolSCA activities and of the\nconference\u2019s program as well. She stressed out that we need Social Sciences and\nHumanities to understand and tackle global challenges, for instance climate\nchange. She expressed a hope that the conference provide us with hints for\npreparing a good research projects, especially in Horizon Europe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Zygmunt Krasi\u0144ki, Director of the National Contact Point for EU Research Programmes in Poland<\/strong>, emphasized the importance of EU funds in supporting research and innovation in Member States. He said that we already set up clear goals, which we would like to  achieve in terms of Polish participation in Horizon Europe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

KEYNOTE SPEECH<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nkeynote speech was given by Mr. Harald\nHartung, Head of Unit E4 in Directorate General for Research and Innovation of\nEuropean Commission<\/strong>. Mr. Hartung briefly described the preliminary\nstructure of Horizon Europe and pointed out the main changes, comparing to\nHorizon 2020. What is more crucial, the special attention was paid to Cluster 2\n\u2013 Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society, which focuses on challenges\npertaining to democratic governance, cultural heritage and the creative\neconomy, social and economic transformations. The challenges are interconnected\nand have been chosen because they respond to the most pressing social,\npolitical, economic and cultural concerns and expectations of European\ncitizens. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr. Hartung also made an appeal to SSH researchers for providing the extremely important human factor in R&I. He underlined that no single discipline can fully address very complex and current societal challenges. That is why there is an urgent need to foster multi, trans and interdisciplinary cooperation between disciplines, including inter-action between STEM and SSH fields. It is necessary if we would like to be able to examine the societal impact of science and research in the future, in particular for novel policies such as behavioural changes, level of acceptance of new technologies or ethical dimensions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

PANEL DISCUSSION <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first\npart of the event began with panel discussion, the aim of which was to describe\nthe position of Social Sciences and Humanities in EU framework programmes,\nidentify main drivers to integrate SSH research into EU framework programs as\nwell as to underline potential opportunities for SSH representatives. The panel\nwas focused on specific actions undertaken by different institutions to explore\nsuch opportunities and on proposals as to how such opportunities might be\nfurther developed. The need for the strengthening of the existing SSH\nstakeholder communities by networking and improving capacity building\nactivities was also discussed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the panel\ndiscussion, took part:<\/p>\n\n\n\n