Report on the spring meeting of the Research Group on Cross-Border Cooperation

The Research Group on Cross-border Cooperation held its meeting at the University of Public Service on 2 March 2023. The meeting had the dual purpose of summarising the results of 2022 and discussing the plans for this year. Besides the founding members, employees of the Faculty of Law Enforcement – which joined the research group in 2022 – also attended the meeting, along with an external member from the University of Szeged.

During the first agenda item, Zsuzsanna Fejes, the leader of the research group, presented the results achieved in 2022. One of the aims of establishing the research group was to increase its capacity regarding calls for proposals, which, the research group sought to achieve already in its first year of operation by submitting two applications. For the Horizon Europe Twinning’s call, the proposal “Peripatein 3.0” was developed, which aimed to strengthen research institutions in the new Member States through networking activities, focusing on research management and research administration capacities (in order to reduce the scientific gap). In case the other proposal developed for the Horizon Europe programme gains support, the primary role of the research group in the project – in collaboration with the Romanian Academy of Sciences – will be to present the disaster management system of the Hungarian-Romanian border region at a case study level and to coordinate the study of the technological background.

During 2022, the members of the research group also participated in conferences and workshops. The research group organised a joint session at the 20th jubilee annual meeting and conference of the MRTT together with the Hungarian Academy of Sciences’ Centre for Economic and Regional Studies. Furthermore, within the framework of the Hungarian Science Festival, the research group organised a guest lecture. Zsuzsanna Fejes, the leader of the research group, attended the General Assembly of TEIN at the University of Luxembourg, on 14 December 2022. The research group submitted an application for full membership, which was unanimously accepted by the General Assembly. With the collaboration of the research group, one paper was published, and eight more are currently under publication.

The research group also took part in educational activities with CESCI members being involved in teaching at two university courses and providing internship opportunities for students. Meanwhile, at the Faculty of Public Governance and International Studies of the Doctoral School of Public Administration Sciences, a new dissertation topic was announced. In addition, the research group compiled a list of courses, in which, international guest lectures can be involved, and provided the name of potential guest lecturers.

Last year, the research group had two meetings. In order to increase visibility, its website was set up in both Hungarian and English, containing the basic documents, the researchers’ profiles, and up-to-date information on events and achievements.

The second item on the spring meeting’s agenda focused on planning the activities of the research group for 2023, which is based on 4 pillars. Under the research pillar, the participants explored the possibilities of launching proposals and projects, and outlined specific opportunities for launching joint professional projects. The second pillar is dedicated to scientific presentations: the research group plans to launch an online introductory workshop, which will be available on CESCI’s Youtube channel, embedded in the research group’s website. In addition, four more conferences were selected, in which, the research group plans to participate as lecturers. The research group will also continue to facilitate the invitation of guest lecturers from abroad in the framework of the Ludovika Fellowship programme.

The third pillar focuses on promoting the creation of high-quality publications, in which goal, the university’s Department for Science Strategy provides a systematic and effective support. Publishing a series of historical booklets on the border regime of the communist era was proposed as well, starting with the Pan-European Picnic, which will have its 35th anniversary in 2024.

Finally, the education pillar was discussed. In the framework of this pillar, the members will have the opportunity to be the consultant of doctoral students and develop joint courses. CESCI continues to offer students the opportunity to complete their internship programmes.