Participation in COST Actions with the Support of NKFIH
COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology – www.cost.eu) is a European organization that funds research and innovation networks. Its aim is to provide researchers with opportunities for short-term research mobility within COST networks, thereby promoting international networking and knowledge transfer. Currently, there are nearly 300 COST networks operating across Europe. Each action lasts for four years and differs from many other EU-funded projects in that researchers working in the relevant field can join at any time during the first three years.
Participants in COST Actions can attend conferences or take part in short-term visits to other institutions or organizations related to their research field. These opportunities allow them to gain new perspectives and methods, share their own experiences and results, and strengthen their international connections.
Researchers at the university can take part in foreign study visits related to the COST Action program with the support of the National Research, Development and Innovation Office (NKFIH). During the 2023–2024 period, due to delays in receiving the funding and the resulting time constraints, only one trip could be realized. However, given the continued interest from university researchers in the mobility opportunities provided by COST Actions, two new funding applications have been submitted to NKFIH to make the program more widely accessible to the university’s academic community in the future. These applications are currently under review.
Report on Short-Term Research Mobility
Participation in the Launch of COST Action CA23102
In October 2024, Denis Ivanov, Assistant Professor at Corvinus University of Budapest, took part in the first Management Committee meeting of COST Action CA23102 in Brussels. The network was recently established and is funded until October 2028. The participating researchers are investigating the relationship between Euroscepticism and populism. At the meeting, our colleague had the opportunity to build professional connections with researchers from ten universities, which contributed not only to his individual academic development but also to enhancing the university’s international recognition.
Within the network, Denis Ivanov was elected as the Coordinator for Inclusiveness Target Countries (ITCs), granting him a significant role in shaping the project’s diversity. ITCs are member states with lower research intensity, which receive additional support to encourage their participation—Hungary among them. Since the project’s launch, more than seven new leadership members have joined, most of them from ITCs.
The meetings opened up new research opportunities and helped Corvinus expand its international academic connections in this field. Denis Ivanov is currently working in two of the network’s working groups. The collaboration and the consortium being developed through it are expected to form the basis of a future Horizon project proposal.
