At the end of October, representatives of KSE participated in the kick-off meeting of the BRIDGE project (“Building Resilient Innovations in Democracy, Governance and Excellence”), which brings together leading universities and organizations from various European countries. The project is funded by the European Union’s program Horizon Europe (project number #101160337).

Participants of the project took part in the meeting: Erasmus University Rotterdam, Berlin University of Technology (TU Berlin), University of Tartu, Center for Innovations Development (CID). TU Berlin hosted the meeting, and we extend our sincere thanks to their team for the warm welcome and well-organized event.

During the kick-off meeting it was discussed the shared vision of the project and planned next steps. The project spans three years and will include numerous educational events, research activities, and initiatives aimed at advancing participatory governance research and practices at the local level. A key milestone will be the implementation of a pilot citizens’ assembly in Ukraine. This innovative initiative will combine offline and online formats, allowing more residents of ‘hromadas’ to engage in discussions on essential issues related to the reconstruction and development of their communities. Our partners from Berlin University of Technology, who have been studying and implementing citizens’ assemblies in Germany and other European countries for several decades, will provide expert support for this process.

BRIDGE will also strengthen KSE’s academic capacity by establishing a new international research support unit. This department will enhance the university’s participation in grant programs and provide support to researchers in preparing and managing project proposals. Key objectives include developing a professional team of grant writers and project managers, as well as preparing project applications in consortium with partners.

The BRIDGE project is a unique opportunity for KSE to learn from and adopt best practices from partners with deep expertise in project management, research, citizens’ assemblies, and public communication.

The Center for Innovations Development will support research into the level of public engagement in decision-making through the eIDEA module of the DREAM system, while partners from the University of Tartu will share their expertise in scientific management and big data for governance. This will enable us to improve efficiency in grant application preparation and project management. Together with Erasmus University Rotterdam, we will learn new methods and tools to enhance collaboration with researchers, practitioners, and community representatives.

Through this project, KSE will have the opportunity to strengthen its research activities and actively contribute to community development by enabling participatory governance and public involvement in critical decision-making. This is just the beginning, and we eagerly look forward to the next stages of collaboration within the BRIDGE project framework.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.