Roundtable “Smart specialization: from academic idea to political approach”

Dear students, junior professionals and academic community,

It is our pleasure to inform you that the Roundtable “Smart specialization: from academic idea to political approach” project nr.610666 is named “European economic integration of the Republic of Moldova through EU shared values: education-research-innovation” will be organized in 10 to 13 October 2022. 

If you are interested in the above mentioned thematic, do not miss the chance to join this event with interactive speeches of experienced and knowledgeable guests, presentations and case studies.

General description: 

Smart specialization is largely about the policy process to select and prioritize fields or areas where a cluster of activities should be developed. Setting priorities, selecting fields always entail risks for policy makers, thus hindering the entrepreneurs to discover the right domains of future specializations.

It will be an inclusive and interactive bottom-up process in which participants from different environments (policy, research, business, academia, etc) will discovering and producing information about potential new activities, identifying potential opportunities for the local triangles of knowledge that emerge through this interaction, while policymakers assess outcomes and ways to facilitate the realization of this potential. The roundtable pursues the integration of entrepreneurial knowledge fragmented and distributed over many sites and organizations, companies, universities, clients and users, specialized suppliers through the building of connections and partnerships. The roundtable consists of the exploration and opening up of a new domain of opportunities (technological and market), potentially rich in numerous innovations that emerge as feasible and attractive.

Objectives:

1) To increase knowledge and experience of participants on the Roundtable`s issues; 

2) To disseminate information among the stakeholders and wider public through mass-media; 

3) To inform national / regional authorities and the adequate EU structure about problems and perspectives on Roundtable`s issues through dissemination of the experts’ contributions and recommendations; 

4) To engage academics and youth/incl. students, civil and business society organizations in the dialogue with policy-makers regarding the implementation of the “knowledge triangle” in Moldova and involvement of all target groups in the policy dialogue, knowledge exchange.

Working language: English

Participants: 

The Roundtable will bring together (at least 75 participants, incl.5 non-local contributors) representatives of the EU Delegation to Moldova, European Union and Eastern Partnership member states diplomatic missions, academics, the representatives of governmental structures, independent national and European experts, members of civil society organizations and institutions, civil servants and members of local authorities, European and national legal practitioners (judges, lawyers, law official experts, court interpreters), representatives of employers organizations and trade unions, SMS academia (academic and administrative staff) and students (B.A, M.A, PhD), general public (including mass-media).

Who can participate?

• university students from Bachelor or Master studies; 
• youth associations; 
• university lecturers and researchers, student associations, interested administrative staff;
• Representatives of public administration, regional administrations who primarily work with EU law/Policy and therefore require both theoretical and practical training in EU integration issues;
• Representatives of the diplomatic mission;
• civil servants from local,  and leaders of NGOs; 
• wider public (including local mass-media).

     Date:  10th October to 13th October 2022

     Venue: Moldova State University, mun. Chișinău, 

     Form of the conference: Face to face 

     Application Deadline: 15th of September 2022

     For additional information please see agenda – will be provided soon

     Register at  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Wiun0UcZfZWDJkqSpypnYo65K8k6bRxnm9LOq3ERHw4/edit 

The program: 

The draft program of the RT will be prepared in cooperation with the different target groups and stakeholders in Moldova and in consultation with national and European experts in the field of regional and cross-border cooperation and EU Neighborhood policy. The emphasis of the program will be on:

1) the analyses of cases of Smart specialization strategies in European Union;

2) critical examination of the implementation of Smart specialization strategy in Moldova;

3) critical examination of the functioning of the triangle of knowledge in Moldova and national Research and Development strategies;

4) proposals and recommendations addressed to national and regional authorities and to the adequate EU structure.  

The participants will elaborate Proposals and recommendations to national authorities, decision-makers, governmental bodies and agencies in Moldova and to all relevant EU institutions and bodies for improving the current situation by formulating some innovative approaches in the frame of international cooperation and better economic integration into EU space.

We will add to the agenda specific topics, which will be relevant due time for Moldova. The preparation of the Final program will be executed in a close collaboration with all stakeholders in Moldova and EU.

Methodology: 

The roundtable format will be highly interactive, with expert international keynote speakers (5 non-local contributors), panelists and senior representatives from the EU Delegation to Moldova. With practical interactive sessions it will provide participants the opportunity to try out “on the ground” the lessons learnt from the EUSHARE project. In our pre-event reception, networking breakfast and poster sessions, the event will provide ample opportunities for direct exchange between different stakeholders as well as access to EU and MD policy-makers (more details see part F3).

Background materials: Participant will receive working folder with included  project’s Leaflet, Brochure ” EU supporting policies and instruments related to education-research-innovation towards Moldova”

Deadline for registration: 15.09.2022

For more details about the project Nr. 610666-EPP-1-2019-1-MD-EPPJMO-PROJECT “EUSHARE: European economic integration of the Republic of Moldova through EU shared values: education-research- innovation,” please visit the web site: www.eushare-project.eu