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!!INVITATION TO CONTRIBUTE

!!From Barriers to Bridges\\Roundtable discussion
!!Academia Europaea Budapest Knowledge Hub
!5 November 2025 (09:00–12:00 CET)
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__Members of Academia Europaea are invited to a roundtable discussion entitled “From Barriers to Bridges”, to be held on 5 November 2025 (09:00–12:00), as part of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences’ 200th anniversary programme series.__
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!THE CHALLENGE

Despite substantial EU investment in frontier research, Europe’s scientific landscape remains fragmented and unevenly competitive.
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Data from the European Research Council (2013–2024) highlight this imbalance:

*More than 96% of ERC funding is concentrated in just 16 countries, primarily in Western and Central Europe,
*While the remaining 27 ERA countries, including those in Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe, collectively receive less than 4% of supported projects.
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This disparity poses a serious risk to Europe’s long-term position in global science, particularly in
comparison with the United States and emerging research leaders in Asia (China, Hong Kong,
Singapore).

!THE NEED

To address this imbalance, Europe requires a more cohesive and competitive European Research
Area (ERA) – one that:
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*strengthens research capacity in underrepresented regions,
*empowers talented scientists to initiate and lead world-class projects,
*and ensures a sustainable distribution of excellence across the continent.

!A PROPOSED WAY FORWARD

The roundtable discussion will consist of three parts:
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#__Experiences from within widening__ – experts from the EU and national academies who have already participated in widening programmes will share their insights – by invitation.
#__Lessons from success stories__ – representatives from countries that have successfully bridged the gap will present their best practices – by invitation.
#__Open forum for new ideas__ – contributors with fresh proposals and perspectives will be invited to present their visions – by open call.
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!YOUR CONTRIBUTION

We warmly invite you to contribute your ideas, proposals, and perspectives that may help
shape this new convergence mechanism.
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Please send your contributions to [hegyi.peter@semmelweis.hu|mailto:hegyi.peter@semmelweis.hu] by __20 October 2025__.
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All submissions will be carefully reviewed and will serve as the basis of a structured programme among stakeholders.
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As the concluding step of this process, and within the framework of the __Hungarian Academy of Sciences’ 200th anniversary programme series__, the consensus will be presented and consolidated at the event on __5 November 2025, 09:00–12:00__.
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!Together, we can lay the foundations for a more cohesive, inclusive, and globally competitive Europe. 
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[{Image src='AE_logo_BUDAPEST_08.png' caption='' height='100' alt='' link='https://mta.hu/aebudapest' class='image_left'}] Download the [invitation|From_Barriers_to_Bridges_event_call.pdf].