Brussels, 4 October 2024
From October 2 to 4, 2024, TOUR4EU (Tuscan Organisation of Universities and Research for Europe) organized a comprehensive three-day training course in Brussels, bringing together research managers, administrators, and international relations officers from seven leading Tuscan universities. The course focused on the Horizon Europe programme, the EU’s key funding initiative for research and innovation.
Attendees had the opportunity to directly engage with European Commission staff from various Directorates-General and Agencies, including DG AGRI, DG HOME, HaDEA, and the Innovative Health Initiative. Key topics included civil security, health research, and sustainability, with contributions from high-profile experts such as Valerio Abbadessa, Giulio Maria Mancini, Monica Ensini, and Elisabetta Vaudano.
This event marked the first time all research personnel from these universities—including Florence, Pisa, Siena, the Scuola Normale Superiore, the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, IMT Lucca, and the University for Foreigners of Siena—gathered in Brussels for such a course. The training represents an important step towards strengthening collaboration between Tuscan universities and EU institutions, enhancing opportunities for research funding and innovation.
TOUR4EU, as the bridge between Tuscan universities and the EU, is committed to fostering these collaborations to advance the interests of Tuscany’s higher education system in Europe.