On 26 August, DANSER hosted the hybrid “Discover DANSER” event as part of a capacity-building summer school for students from the Faculty of Biology of the University of Bucharest, and Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering of the National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest.
Organised by Natura 5 and GEOSTUD, with support from the DANSER DEMO Leaders, the session introduced students to the project’s DEMO Sites and showed how academic knowledge can be translated into practical work on biodiversity monitoring, conservation and river basin restoration.
Guest speakers Iulian Nichersu, Ronald Pöppl and Ivica Pavičić presented the Upper, Middle and Lower Danube DEMO activities, highlighting current work, future plans and the role of interdisciplinary cooperation across the project.
The event also gave students a closer look at how EU-funded research projects connect scientific theory with applied environmental work. By bringing together different academic backgrounds, institutions and countries, the session highlighted the value of international collaboration in developing effective solutions for biodiversity protection and ecosystem restoration.
“Discover DANSER” helped strengthen the link between the project and the next generation of researchers, while encouraging students to see how their own studies and expertise can contribute to large-scale European environmental initiatives.