19.11.2021 First face-to-face INCOPS team meeting

Transnational Project Meeting 17.-18.11.2021

Despite the pandemic, trips in Europe were feasible without major difficulties this November. We took advantage of this window of opportunity and applied for the reallocation of the funds actually planned for the Kick-off meeting in Utrecht for a face-to-face meeting in Marburg that had not yet been planned in the project application.

It was a very successful event: in compliance with the infection control regulations of the University of Marburg, the project participants were able to see each other face-to-face for the first time. The meeting was designed as a two-day event to enable participation in an additional project-external conference on the transfer of practice in teaching in peace and conflict research in Marburg.

The following people were present at the meeting: Ana Pantea (Cluj), Chris van der Borgh (Utrecht), Jolle Demmers (Utrecht), Luuk Slooter (Utrecht), Daniela Nascimento (Coimbra), David Curran (Coventry), Frank Grundig (Kent), Lena Runge (Marburg), Maria Raquel Freire (Coimbra), Stéphane Voell (Marburg), Thorsten Bonacker (Marburg).

The meeting had several objectives. As it was the first face-to-face meeting of the partners, it provided a valuable opportunity to get to know each other better and to strengthen the common ground for future cooperation. The partners discussed in detail the challenges of teaching and Work-based Learning (WBL) in times of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and learned about the different approaches and experiences of the various partners, which also provided some impulses for the guiding questions of the project. Furthermore, at the organisational and coordination level, the requirements, administrative issues and further necessary preparations for the completion of the interim report by January 2022 were presented. For this purpose, the work was divided among the partners and the remaining open questions were discussed.

The latest progress of Intellectual Output 2 was also presented. The partners discussed guiding questions and research priorities for this output, as well as how to proceed in the coming weeks. The partners also shared the first preliminary results of the contributions already made by some partners to this output. In addition, the respected lead partner gave a first outlook on the third intellectual output and its current planning status and clarified still open questions. In addition, the partners presented the project and its progress at an off-project conference on practice transfer in teaching in peace and conflict research in Marburg.