From October 21 to 23, the Warwick University Center in Venice was the scene of the inaugural meeting of the new cohort of the EUTOPIA Science and Innovation Fellowship program (EUTOPIA-SIF), which brought together the 18 new fellows this year and the 24 active researchers. The event included several sessions, poster presentations and networking activities, facilitating connections and exchanges of ideas between participating researchers. 

The kick-off was attended by prominent figures such as George Christou, European vice-dean of the University of Warwick, and Yann Giraud, director of the EUTOPIA-SIF program, who welcomed the new additions. The fellows received specialized training in ethics, taught by Silvia Zabeo and Deborah Nadal from the Università Ca' Foscari Venezia; in data management, by Sergeja Masten from the University of Ljubljana; and on the impact of research, led by Emma Roberts and Grace P. from the University of Warwick.

Among the highlights of the event is the lecture by Tofik Shifa, a member of the Eutopia Young Leader Academy, who elaborated on the added value of MSCA scholarships for academic and research careers. In addition, a round table on innovation brought together specialists such as Barbara Da Roit, Katarina Šimunović, Alessandro Angelini and Giancarmelo Stamilla, who shared experiences on how researchers can develop as innovators.

Representing Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), the event was attended by Lydvina Meister from the Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Jaroslaw Lelonkiewicz, Sergey Malinovskiy from the Department of Political Sciences and Jack Carter from the Department of Economics . 

This event reaffirms the commitment of the EUTOPIA-SIF program to foster international collaboration and innovation in research, supporting postdoctoral researchers in the development of their professional and academic trajectories within a rich and diverse European context.