Networking, exchanging experience, pooling knowledge, enhancing skills - these are the objectives of the new EPICUR Hubs that have been developed under the leadership of KIT (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology). Being primarily virtual, these centers are intended to promote the collaboration between young European scientists and to facilitate their networking across disciplines and borders in research, teaching, innovation, and transfer. The first EPICUR Hub themed "Sustainable Transformation" started on April 08, 2025 with a virtual kick-off event.
For young researchers, it is often hard to engage in networking with like-minded colleagues outside their own research group or specific conferences. This issue is addressed by the newly created EPICUR Hubs: Their objective is to establish an easily accessible, straightforward network where early career researchers within Europe can find each other and exchange views.
"The intense collaboration with our European partners is a major prerequisite for strengthening Europe as a center of science on the international level," says Professor Thomas Hirth, Vice President Transfer and International Affairs at KIT. "The EPICUR Hubs provide access to a European network of skills. Young scientists and regional stakeholders from industry, civil society, and other areas are brought together in a way that enables them to pool knowledge, work jointly on innovative projects, and develop solutions to complex problems."
Pooling Skills and Creating Synergies
The EPICUR Hubs can be understood as transnational and interdisciplinary centers. They are part of the EPICUR Alliance, providing master students and early career researchers with many opportunities for continued education and networking. The Hubs offer virtual and hybrid formats and blended learning - a learning method combining in-person teaching with online elements - and in-person events including courses, workshops, online events, networking sessions, and short research stays.
"The Hubs support young people in gaining international experience and help them shape transformative initiatives. They promote the exchange of ideas and provide access to infrastructures and educational funding sources, with the aim to address urgent global challenges," says Kirsten Rosa, Research-Oriented Teaching Officer with the EPICUR Project. Together with Professor Nicolaos Theodossiou from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, she heads the first Hub, which will focus on sustainable transformation.
Until the end of 2026, three other Hubs themed "European Values", "Global Health", and "Future Intelligence", will follow and act as incubators for new ideas and thereby drive the cooperation of science, business, and society.
The virtual kick-off of the EPICUR Hub was on Tuesday, April 08, 2025.
About EPICUR
The aim of the European university alliance EPICUR (European Partnership for an Innovative Campus Unifying Regions) is to create an attractive and innovative European university for a new generation of students and researchers in Europe. EPICUR has partnered with nine universities in Europe: the universities of Poznań, Amsterdam, Thessaloniki, Freiburg, Mulhouse, Vienna, Odense, Strasbourg, and Karlsruhe. (amo)
