Researchers enjoy career and networking boost
In recent years, the EU has worked fervently to foster its researcher exchange network, Euraxess. The online platform has successfully exposed many European researchers to valuable research environments abroad, simultaneously helping to attract bright researchers from the rest of the world to the EU. More recently, the EU-funded project 'European career of researchers' (E*CARE) reinforced the Euraxess services network and stimulated collaboration among Euraxess members to make Europe more attractive for top-notch researchers. The project team facilitated researcher mobility, prepared reports on mobility trends and fostered cooperation among Euraxess service centres, disseminating relevant best practices, experiences and tools. It identified obstacles that hinder mobility in Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Slovakia and Switzerland, revealing a strong desire for researchers to participate in international mobility programmes. After surveying the relevant stakeholders, E*CARE pinpointed obstacles related to research mobility, such as funding, housing, bureaucracy, legislation and immigration. Despite this, the project team found that researchers abroad were able to diversify their research knowledge and experience. This in turn enhanced networking, career opportunities and scientific output. In this light, the project published eight national reports on researcher career progression and mobility, as well as recommendations to facilitate both. Project outcomes also included a collection of best practices and mutual learning tools to support exchanges among service centres, for example through workshops and twinning initiatives. Key outcomes were disseminated through the project's website, national seminars, promotional materials and a highly successful final project conference. Overall, the project had a significant positive impact on improving services provided to researchers in the EU. It revealed mobility obstacles, established long-term collaboration initiatives and fostered networking. These outcomes are expected to support research exchanges for many years to come, reinforcing the EU's knowledge economy and significantly strengthening the international dimension of research. The Euraxess network has thus evolved to a higher level.
