In addition to the NOVA University of Lisbon, the EUTOPIA Universities in the emerging European countries include the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia and the Babeș-Bolyai University in Romania, which is the project leader. These universities will be supported in their development by other EUTOPIA universities, namely the Free University of Brussels, in Belgium, the Ca'Foscari University of Venice, in Italy, the University CY Cergy Paris, in France, the University of Gothenburg, in Sweden, and the University Pompeu Fabra, in Spain.
Funded by the Horizon-Widera programme, the project will feature a health-focused network through the already established EUTOPIA Connected Communities - cornerstone communities of the alliance that will receive comprehensive training, research mobilities, and seed funding to promote collaborations, especially for early-stage researchers. career.
Ultimately, the new EUTOPIA_HEALTH mission is to create a transformative ecosystem of health innovation, implementing flexible academic career paths and integrating open-access science practices to build bridges with corporate partners and policymakers.
At the launch of the programme, Tiziana Lippiello, Rector of Ca' Foscari University of Venice and President of EUTOPIA, stressed that "EUTOPIA_HEALTH is one of the achievements that stand out for its importance and will have a significant impact on the development of our alliance in the coming years".
Daniel David, Rector of Babeș-Bolyai University - the partner university coordinating the project - added: "In addition to supporting advanced research and innovation in the field of medical and health sciences in a transdisciplinary way, EUTOPIA_HEALTH will also contribute to the creation of a new generation of health professionals.
One of the examples of a project with a similar logic, in which NOVA already participates - i.e. where an institution from a more developed country can help another institution from a less developed country - is the NIMBS - NOVA Institute for Medical Systems Biology, to be developed together with the Max Delbrüch Centre, in Berlin, Germany.
Since NOVA also has an interdisciplinary platform dedicated to health - NOVA health - participation in this project will also allow us to create synergies with all the universities involved in EUTOPIA_HEALTH, for example by bringing the most prestigious international scientists to its meetings.