UTCB hosted the 2024 EU-CONEXUS EENVIRO Research Conference 

Taking place on October 29-31, 2024, the EU-CONEXUS EENVIRO Research Conference titled “Sustainable Solutions for Energy and Environment” was hosted by Technical University of Civil Engineering Bucharest. It covered the two disciplines from their present to future challenges, concerns and perspectives. Aligned with UTCB Doctoral School Conference, which took place on October 29, it was the biggest EU-CONEXUS event so far.  

The conference aimed to facilitate collaboration between diverse research communities associated with EU-CONEXUS partner institutions, stakeholders, and international partners. In addition, it was also set to boost interdisciplinary research projects, inviting participants from EU-CONEXUS partner institutions, as well as international partners, to submit extended abstracts or articles. 

This research conference fostered collaboration and exchange of knowledge on subjects related to energy and environment from four scientific domains:  

• Coastal and environmental engineering  
• Environmental sciences and biodiversity  
• Life sciences and biotechnology  
• Social, culture and human sciences institute  
  

This year’s edition in numbers:  

• 300 participants  
• 150 articles or extended abstracts received   
• 20 international keynote speakers and invited lecturers 
• 500 co-authors   
• 50 universities and research institutions involved globally 
• 50 scientific posters   
• 8 workshops, including 3 Horizon calls  
• 20 sessions with presentations  
• Art exhibition of EU-CONEXUS students  
• 6 laboratory visits 
• 3 cultural and social events  
  

The conference also featured the following keynote speakers and guest lectures:  

• Isabella Baer-Eiselt – “Joining Forces for Excellence in Research and Innovation:  the EU-CONEXUS Research Area’’  
• Lucie Vaucel – ‘‘Support for Joint EU-CONEXUS Research Projects”  
• Adrian Curaj – “Sustainability in Research: Principles and Practices” 
• Laure Castin – “AUF and the sustainable development goals’’  
• Elisabet Roca – “Beyond technological barriers: Fostering social engagement in coastal projects”  
• Yurii Hrinchenko – “Integrating sustainability principles into the curriculum and research: main challenges and possible solutions’’  
• Denis Worlanyo Aheto and Emmanuel Acheampong – “Sustainable Marine Fisheries Development Amidst the Strive for Energy Sufficiency in West Africa: The Challenges and Prospects in Ghana’’  
• Tim Tengfei Zhang – “Respiratory infectious transmission risk and its control during air travel’’  
• Frédéric Thevenet – “How to move forward in indoor air quality? Let me introduce you to IRINA“  
• Paris A. Fokaides – “Digital Twins in Coastal Engineering: Pioneering Sustainable Solutions for Environmental Challenges”  
• Jūratė Gruodė – “Environmental and Epigenetic Modifications of the Human Genome: Role in Disease Development“  
• Slaven Zjalic – “Sustainable methods to maintain food safety in climate change“ 
• Dalia Marija Stanciene – “Ethnopharmaceutical Heritage for Preservation of the Environment” 
• Darius Daunys – “Evolution of Biodiversity Protection in Coastal Seas: The Case of the Eastern Baltic”  
• Vanessa Albury – “All Water is One Water: Bringing Science and Sustainability to a Greater Audience the Fun Way, with Art!“  
  

Conference agenda also included: 

• EU-CONEXUS Opportunities for PhD students 
• Keynotes and PhD students’ presentations 
• Catalyst workshop – “Next-Gen researchers: Exploring innovation for the future” 
• DivAirCity workshop – Balancing the Scales: How to Assess Urban Resilience? 
• Workshop on co-tutelle, co-supervision for EU-CONEXUS PhD supervisors, and matchmaking 
• EFdeN Sustainable City visit (Building systems laboratory – Ilinca Năstase; Thermal systems laboratory – Răzvan Calotă and Alina Viorica Girip) 
• EU-CONEXUS Opportunities for researchers 
• Global Exchange Dialogues with EU-CONEXUS International Partners 
• Workshop Horizon Europe Funding Opportunities Cluster 5 – Climate and Energy 
• Workshop Horizon Europe Funding Opportunities Cluster 4 – Digital Field 
• Workshop Horizon Europe Funding Opportunities Cluster 6 – Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Field 
• “Humanities Unstuck” workshop  
• EU-CONEXUS Plan for Impact: Maximise Horizon Europe Project Success, Strengthen Impact Potential with Strategic Researcher Matchmaking, EU-CONEXUS Project Development Office 
• Coastal and Environmental Engineering session 
• Environmental sciences and Biodiversity session 
• Life sciences and Biotechnology session 
• Social, Culture and Human sciences session 
• Poster session 
• UTCB Labs visit (Hydraulic and Environmental Protection Laboratory – Dragoș Găitănaru; Wind Engineering Laboratory “Constantin Iamandi” – Costin Coșoiu; Laboratory of Geotechnical and Foundation Engineering – Andrei Olteanu; Structural Testing Laboratory, Seismic Risk Evaluation Research Center – Alexandru Aldea) 

On behalf of EU-CONEXUS, we would like to thank our distinguished guests, university staff members, and volunteers for making this event possible. For more information about this conference, visit the EENVIRO website and EU-CONEXUS dedicated page.