As part of the activities dedicated to the UNITA Alliance, Transilvania University of Brașov organized a Matching Event on May 22 and 23, 2025. This event, managed by the Inclusive Societies hub, focused on the scientific topic of “Pathways to Inclusive Societies: Exploring the Role of Democracy, Institutions, Politics, Citizenship, and Information”. The main goal of this meeting was to strengthen and support the UNITA community by bringing together researchers and academic staff who shared similar or complementary interests in the field of the Inclusive Societies research hub.
By organizing this event, the UNITBV team aimed to achieve several strategic objectives. The goal was to develop strong networks of UNITA researchers with interests in related thematic areas, thus facilitating the initiation of joint research projects across the entire alliance. The event was also designed to actively promote international cooperation in research and innovation and to contribute significantly to the activities of the UNITA research and innovation hub.
Over the course of the two dedicated days, 29 participants were engaged in a series of dynamic and interactive activities aimed at stimulating the exchange of ideas and building partnerships.
The program included a welcoming speech offered by Professor Carmen Buzea, Vice-Rector for Research of Transilvania University of Brasov, and Professor Monica Răileanu-Szeles, Co-leader of the Inclusive Societies Hub. The special guest on the first day of the event was Associate Professor Antonio Momoc, from the Faculty of Journalism and Communication, University of Bucharest, who presented his research on Populism, democracy, disinformation, and polarization.
Next, short ‘elevator pitch’ presentations showcased research interests of all the participants, followed by dedicated one-to-one ‘matching’ sessions to identify potential collaborators. Thematic working groups were organized for in-depth discussions and the development of concrete courses of action, along with various networking activities, both formal and informal.
This event structure was designed to encourage the identification of new areas of collaboration and lay the foundations for future international cooperation projects. The aim was to amplify the impact of research and initiatives developed within the UNITA University Alliance. Furthermore, as a natural continuation of this networking event, a call for “UNITA Starting Grants” program is planned for June 2025. These grants are intended to provide the necessary funding to strengthen the research networks within the Inclusive Societies research hub, through the topics addressed.
