The first Congress for project managers and administrators from the CEE region took place in Brussels

CZELO

More than 60 participants from the V4 countries, as well as Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Romania, and Slovenia took part in the event.

On November 4–5, 2025, the first Central and Eastern European Congress for Research Managers and Administrators (CEE Congress for RMAs) was held in Brussels. The event focused on sharing experiences, developing skills, and exchanging good practices in project management among participants from Central and Eastern Europe.   

The congress was organised by the Brussels liaison offices of the Czech Republic (CZELO), Slovakia (SLORD), Hungary (NRDIO), and Poland (PoISCA). The event built on the long-standing tradition of V4 training for project managers, which the CZELO office in Brussels has been co-organising with the above-mentioned partners since 2016, and became a natural continuation of this cooperation aimed at professionalising research management. The congress was held in strategic partnership with the European Association of Research Managers and Administrators (EARMA), underlining its contribution to strengthening the European Research Area (ERA) through professional support for research and international cooperation.  

The event was attended by more than 60 project managers and administrators from the V4 countries (Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia), as well as from Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Romania, and Slovenia.  

Program and main topics  

The two-day program offered plenary lectures, practical workshops, and networking opportunities. Participants focused on all phases of project management, from talent development and project proposal preparation to implementation.  

The main points of the program included:  

  • An introductory lecture focused on developing research excellence in the CEE region through professional project management, 

  • a panel discussion on institutional and national support for project managers and administrators, 

  • three thematic blocks devoted to the individual phases of the project cycle (pre-pre award, pre-award, post-award),  

  • a panel discussion on the use of artificial intelligence in research, supplemented by practical demonstrations of digital collaboration tools.  

The program also included an evening networking reception, which provided an opportunity for an informal exchange of experiences and the establishment of new contacts.  

Czech participation  

Czechia was actively represented at the event. Lenka Chvojková from the Technology Centre Prague spoke on the panel on the first day, and Dagmar Vokounová Franzeová from the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen led one of the parallel workshops, which focused on skill development.  

In addition to them, representatives from the following Czech institutions participated in the congress:  

  • Institute of International Relations  

  • Czech University of Life Sciences Prague  

  • Institute of Philosophy, Czech Academy of Sciences  

  • Charles University  

  • St. Anne's University Hospital in Brno  

  • Institute of Plasma Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences  

  • UNICO  

  • Institute of Computer Science, Czech Academy of Sciences  

  • Institute of Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences  

  • University of Pardubice  

  • Masaryk University  

The next edition of the traditional V4 training will take place in the spring of next year. Registration will open at the end of this year. Current information about its launch can be found on the CZELO website and on our social networks.