Eurodoc Annual Report 2020/2021

On  16-17 July 2021, in the Eurodoc Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Prague in hybrid format, the National Associations (NAs) approved for the first time the release of the Annual Report. ‘The Eurodoc administration 2020/2021 wanted to increase the transparency of the voluntary contribution that the team performed during this year, and we are very happy for the positive support of all our members!’ said Giulia Malaguarnera, outgoing President of Eurodoc.

The Annual Report provides an essential  summary of the main activities of the Eurodoc administration members 2020/2021 (Board, Secretariat, Advisory Board and task forces members). 

In continuity with the previous administration, Eurodoc raised the awareness of the Early Career Researcher (ECR) working conditions during the COVID-19 restrictions, increasing the visibility of this issue in the media. The Eurodoc NAs provided insights and survey results within their ECR communities. This helped the Mental Health Working Group reflect on the definition and perceptions of wellbeing/mental health in the different European ECRs’ landscapes.   

One of the key topics that Eurodoc focused on in the report is Doctoral training and the debate on the future development of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) to link it more closely with the European Research Area (ERA). Highlights for the ECRs had been supervision, the research precarity, and contributions and reflections on the skills developed in performing research in- and outside Academia. Task Forces on Open Science and Research Integrity had been established to focus on Open Science Skills on one hand, and on Research Assessment on the other. During this term, the Democracy and Sustainability topics had been promoted and led by the Eurodoc Vice President, Beata Zwierzyńska by  fostering collaboration within (1) the Council of Europe and (2) in the Civil Society convention on the Future of Europe. Further, the report presents the Eurodoc representation and mission with Eurodoc’s participation in over 30 events. In addition, Eurodoc visibility and followers increased thanks to press coverage, as witnessed by a growth in following on social media.

Finally, the recommendations were welcomed by the AGM in the Annual Goals 2021/2022 and will be carried out by the new Board coordinated by Agnieszka Żyra.