Good Girl, Scientist, Yogi
Anastasiia Prytuliak on materials science, life in Japan, Ukrainian resourcefulness, and building a new data repository
On 27th and 28th May, the 8th General Assembly of the EOSC Association took place in Leuven, Belgium. The EOSC Association’s board members and secretariat welcomed nearly 180 delegates and guests. The primary focus of this annual meeting was the discussion on the establishment of the EOSC federation and the so-called EOSC "Nodes" and the future governance structure post-2027.
Programme
The first day of the meeting was opened by the President of the EOSC Association, Karel Luyben, who, along with Ute Gunsenheimer, presented the achievements of the EOSC secretariat to date and the planned activities, including the EOSC Symposium in October 2024 in Berlin and the projects “EOSC Gravity” and “EOSC United.”
Other activities discussed included the EOSC Macro-Roadmap, outcomes from the EOSC Winter School in Thessaloniki, a significant reconfiguration of the EOSC A Task Force, and the introduction of new internal working groups, termed Opportunity Areas and Expert Groups. The second day focused on the concept of "EOSC Nodes," with intense discussions on various aspects of this topic, which currently resonates strongly within the EOSC ecosystem.
New Members and Observers
The assembly unanimously approved five new members and five observers to the EOSC Association. Among the new members and observers are two organisations from the United Kingdom, the European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC), a national grant organisation, three universities, research organisations, and a national e-infrastructure consortium.
The Czech Republic was represented at the assembly by delegates from the EOSC CZ initiative, whose active participation in the discussions provides new insights for the further functioning and development of the national initiative.
Anastasiia Prytuliak on materials science, life in Japan, Ukrainian resourcefulness, and building a new data repository
What happens if we stop funding research data? And how can Europe connect data across scientific disciplines to better prepare for future crises? These were among the questions discussed at the ESFRI Stakeholder Forum, held in Cork, Ireland, on 22 September 2026. Research data were at the heart of the debate on the resilience of European research.