Opening remarks:    

• Dr. Wojciech Karczewski – Director General of the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA) 
• Waldemar Dubaniowski – Director of the National Center for Research and Development Office in Brussels (NCBR)
• Magdalena Kołodziejska – Deputy Director of the National Center for Research and Development (NCBR)
• Dr. Tomasz Poprawka – Director of the Polish Science Contact Agency "PolSCA" of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Brussels
  

14:15 – 14:45  

Keynote speeches for the conference opening: 

• Prof. Andrzej Szeptycki – Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Science and Higher Education
• Michał Szczerba – Member of the European Parliament

High Level Policy Panel: Connecting National Strategies with ERA Priorities: Strengthening International Academic Cooperation and Supporting Emerging Talent

Description: With the renewed momentum of the European Research Area (ERA) and the adoption of its updated strategic agenda, Member States are called upon to align national research and innovation strategies with shared European priorities. This panel will explore how Poland can reinforce international academic cooperation while embedding robust support for early-career researchers and innovators within its national policy landscape. Panelists will discuss how targeted mobility programmes, inclusive grant schemes, and collaborative frameworks can contribute to a more attractive and sustainable research career environment. The conversation will also address how strengthening synergies between research and higher education institutions can unleash the full potential of Europe’s R&I ecosystems. Additionally, the panel will examine how Poland can improve its access to and contribution to excellence within the ERA by nurturing talent, deepening international engagement, and actively shaping a globally competitive and cohesive research area.

Moderator:

• Dr. Katarzyna Maniszewska – Executive Member of the National Expert Group for Developing the Strategy for the Internationalisation of Polish Higher Education and Science, Vice-Rector for International Cooperation, Civitas University

Participants: 

• Prof. Andrzej Szeptycki – Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Science and Higher Education
• Magda De Carli – Deputy Director of ERA & Innovation & Head of Unit forERA, Spreading Excellence and Research Careers, Directorate General for Research and Innovation, European Commission
• Silvia Gomez Recio – Secretary General at The Young European Research Universities Network (YERUN)

Discussion panel: Poland – A Destination for Scientists 

Description: Poland has been investing significant resources in attracting talented international researchers, developing scientific collaborations and multiple funding programmes. By attracting top researchers, Polish institutions can build world-class research teams and boost their scientific performance. In order to be perceived as an attractive research destination and retain research specialists in Poland, considerable efforts should be undertaken to better integrate various European initiatives and reform certain practices to create truly favorable environment for scientists and their professional development. Attractive employment conditions, transparent recruitment processes, as well as stable and secure research jobs are key to achieving this goal. 

Moderator:

• Dr. Łukasz Zamęcki – Faculty of Political Science and International Studies of the University of Warsaw; Chair of the Ministerial advisory team for activities promoting Polish science abroad

Participants:          

• Prof. Valentina Lepri – Director of the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw
• Dr. Danuta Earnshaw – Director of the Małopolska Biotechnology Center at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow
• Prof. Tomasz Wojdacz – Head of Independent Clinical Epigenetics Laboratory, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin & CEO of the EPI-CAN technologies
• Prof. Maria Górna – Head of the Structural Biology Group, University of Warsaw
  

Discussion panel: Brain Circulation in the World of International Science and Research

Description: International circulation of researchers, knowledge and technology boosts the overall research and innovation capacity. Balanced brain circulation requires reaching geographical, intersectoral and interdisciplinary mobility of researchers and R&D personnel. This idea underlines the importance of both attracting skilled scientists and enabling them to move across borders in order to share and gain knowledge, strengthening the competitiveness of research and innovation systems. Outgoing mobility also benefits institutions by exposing their researchers to new ideas, skills and collaborations that can be brought back to enrich domestic potential.

Introduction:

• Prof. Manuel Heitor – Instituto Superior Técnico at the University of Lisbon, Chair of the High-Level Expert Group on the Interim Evaluation of Horizon Europe
  

Moderator:

• Dr. Bartłomej E. Nowak – Vistula University; Chair of the NAWA Council
  

Participants:         

• Claire Morel – Head of Unit Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions at the Directorate-General Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, European Commission     
• Prof. Justyna Olko – Director of the Center for Research and Practice in Cultural Continuity, University of Warsaw, Ambassador for the ERC      
• Dr. Christine Durinx – Director of the VIB (Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie)   
• Dr. Karen Vandevelde – Head of the HR Department, Antwerp University

Discussion panel: Driving Science Internationalisation. How Can Grant Agencies Foster Global Research? 

In an increasingly interconnected global research ecosystem, internationalisation is not just an aspiration but a strategic imperative. Grant agencies are instrumental in preparing national research communities to effectively engage in large-scale international consortia, particularly within the EU Framework Programmes. Often their role extends beyond national grants—they facilitate participation in co-funded partnerships, foster multilateral cooperation, and help create an enabling environment for sustained international collaboration.This panel will explore the key role grant agencies play in catalyzing scientific internationalisation by enabling transnational collaboration, supporting researcher mobility, and integrating national R&I systems into broader global networks.This discussion will highlight successful practices, address the challenges of aligning diverse national regulations with international ambitions, and propose pathways for fostering inclusivity and excellence across ERA through agile and forward-looking funding models. 

Moderator:

• Prof. Krzysztof Pyrć– President-Elect of the Foundation for Polish Science (FNP)

Participants:         

• Dr. Marcin Liana– Deputy Director-General of the National Science Centre Poland (NCN)
• Agnieszka Ratajczak – Director at the Office of International Cooperation at the National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR)
• Joël Groeneveld – Head of Institutional and International Affairs and Research Mobility, Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique (FNRS)   
• Dr.Lidia Borrell-Damian – Secretary General at the Science Europe

Debate: A Path to Strong Innovative European Research Area

Description: What is the future of ERA and the European Framework Programmes for Research and Innovation? What response is the European Commission preparing to the current political, economic and social challenges, and what are the Member States counting on? We invite you to a discussion on the new priorities of the European Union, Poland's position on the 10th Framework Programme and the next steps in the debate on this topic.In the panel, we will recall the milestones of the last year - the Draghi, Letta and Heitor reports, the ideas of the Competitiveness Compass and Competitiveness Fund, the Warsaw Declaration and the results of the Horizon Europe mid-term review. We will consider what values Poland would like and should bring to the pan-European debate on the innovation policy and take a look into the Danish Presidency agenda in the field of R&I.

Moderator:

• Magdalena Bem-Andrzejewska – Director of the National Contact Point Department at the National Center for Research and Development (NCBR)
  

Participants:

• Michał Goszczyński – Deputy Director of the Department of Innovation and Development at the Ministry of Science and Higher Education
• Keith Sequeira – Head of Unit European Innovation Council DG Research & Innovation, European Commission
• Jakob Just Madsen – Head of the Danish EU Research Liaison Office (DANRO)
• Prof. Marek Pawełczyk – Rector of the Silesian University of Technology, Chairman of the KRASP Committee for International Cooperation

Debate: Empowering R&I collaboration in Europe. A new ERA in research management.

Description: The evolving European Research Area (ERA), particularly through the new ERA Policy Agenda 2025–2027, recognises Research Management and Administration (RMA) as essential to effective international cooperation and scientific excellence. With a dedicated action, the current ERA will continue to support professionalisation of RMAs, promoting Europe-wide structures for skills, careers, and cross-sectoral mobility as an effective leverage for transnational, multilateral R&I cooperation.This panel will explore such ideas as (1) the development of the RMA profession in Europe, (2) RMAs' role in internationalisation, especially in Widening countries and finally (3) will showcase tools and initiatives strengthening RMAs roles, in particular in driving international cooperation.The discussion will align with broader ERA strategies to strengthen research institutions’ administrative capacities — critical for Horizon Europe and future frameworks.

Moderator:

• Dr. Tomasz Poprawka –  Director of the Polish Science Contact Agency "PolSCA" of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Brussels
  

Participants:

• Stijn Delaure – Project Adviser at the Research Executive Agency, European Commission 
• Teodora Konach – Head of Professional Development at the European Association of Research Managers and Administrators (EARMA)
• Henning Rickelt – Managing Director of Zentrum für Wissenschaftsmanagement (ZWM)
• Dr. Katarzyna Górak-Sosnowska – President of the Polish Forum for Academic Administrators (FAA) and the SGH Warsaw School of Economics 

Closing Session: Building national strategies – does it really work?

• Raul Ranne – Senior Adviser at the Academic Cooperation Association (ACA); Managing Partner & CEO at EduEnable

Closing remarks and farewell

• Dr. Łukasz Gołota – Deputy Director of the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA)