The EU-CONEXUS EENVIRO Research Conference “Sustainable Solutions for Energy and Environment” ran from 29-31 October at the Technical University of Civil Engineering Bucharest, Romania
The aim of conference is to facilitate collaboration between diverse research communities associated within EU-CONEXUS partner institutions, stakeholders and international partners. SETU plays an active role alongside partner universities in exploring sustainable solutions for urban and coastal environments.
Strong SETU participation
SETU representatives, including researchers and faculty members, share insights from projects that address local and transnational sustainability challenges. These projects reflect efforts to promote sustainable communities, resource management, and digital responses to environmental needs unique to Ireland’s coastal areas. Projects spanned a diverse range of departments, highlighting SETU's wide-reaching and dynamic research base and impact.
As part of SETU’s active engagement, Michelle Maher, Lecturer in Sustainability, delivered a workshop on research impact planning for challenge-based research, with a focus on Horizon funding. This workshop highlighted practical strategies for ensuring research projects generate meaningful, sustainable impact—particularly relevant for researchers working on pressing environmental and societal challenges.
Pictured Michelle Maher, EU-CONEXUS and colleagues durung workshop proceedings
SETU Workshop
Another element of SETU’s participation was Humanities Unstuck which is a workshop series developed by the Faculty of Arts & Humanities in SETU Waterford to challenge traditional modes of knowledge production. The workshop uses movement, creative writing, art and design to help researchers access their own latent creativity and to encourage innovative approaches. The workshops aim to invigorate cross-disciplinary thinking, and to facilitate researchers to forge new connections across the gamut of disciplines.
Dr Fiona Ennis, Dr Susan Flynn, and Dr Susan Connolly from the Department of Arts SETU
SETU conference participants are listed below:
- Dr Susan Flynn, Urban living labs: transformation and participation
- Malik Faizan, PhD student, Automated Music Therapy for anxiety and depression management in older people (AMITY)
- Samirah Blaauw, PhD student, Non-Invasive (genetic) monitoring of the European otter (lutra lutra) in Lough Carra, Co. Mayo
- Dr Emily Shakespeare, Creating a Digital Twin and Landscape Biography of a Coastal Landscape: Learnings so far
- Dr Ashish Vashishtha, Numerical Study of Feedstock Uncertainty on Syngas production and Combustion
- Dr Susan Connolly and Dr Fiona Ennis, Humanities Unstuck Workshop
- Andrew O'Regan, PhD Student, Investigation of the efficacy of foliar urea as part of a crop nutrition strategy
- Damir Akhmetshin, PhD student, Multi-scale approach to intertidal seaweed classification: integrating satellite, UAV RGB, and multispectral data
Through the yearly conference organised by EU-CONEXUS, SETU aims to strengthen collaborative approaches and explore shared educational and research frameworks. It is an opportunity to showcase SETU on a European stage and progress research opportunities and partnerships.
Pictured EU-CONEXUS colleagues from the Project Development Support Office
About EU-CONEXUS
EU-CONEXUS is a fully-fledged transnational European University offering joint education, training and study programmes, joint research and professional development opportunities for all of its staff, researchers, and students.
SETU is a partner of the EU-CONEXUS European University Alliance on Smart Urban Coastal Sustainability with La Rochelle University, France; Catholic University of Valencia, Spain; University of Zadar, Croatia; Agricultural University of Athens, Greece; Frederick University, Cyprus; Technical University of Civil Engineering Bucharest, Romania; Klaipeda University, Lithuania and University of Rostock, Germany.
EU-CONEXUS is themed on “Smart Urban Coastal Sustainability”, focusing education, research & innovation, and knowledge-sharing activities on defining, understanding and addressing societal challenges experienced by communities from urban and semi-urbanised coastal regions (rivers, seas and oceans). Further details can be found on the EU-CONEXUS website, tap here