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Strengthening communities that support the professional development and mental well-being of young researchers was the focus of the PeerPower Erasmus+ project’s international meeting held in Brussels on 14 September 2026. HYA Board Member Karolina Eszter Kovács attended the event on behalf of the Hungarian Young Academy.

The aim of the meeting was to promote European cooperation amongst peer communities supporting early-career and postdoctoral researchers. Peer support involves mutual assistance whereby researchers at similar stages in their careers can share their experiences, seek solutions to their challenges together, and support each other’s professional development. The event provided an opportunity to learn about initiatives operating in different countries and to strengthen links between researchers’ representative bodies.

During the workshops, participants addressed the challenges that shape the day-to-day lives of early-career researchers. Discussions centred on the precarious nature of research careers, shortcomings in mental health support services, and the excessive workload arising from teaching duties.

In addition to identifying problems, participants focused on developing concrete courses of action. The proposals included individual, face-to-face discussions, regular consultations with the university management, and the establishment of networks linking local support communities. Particular attention was paid to involving young researchers in decision-making processes that affect them, so that their experiences and needs are reflected in the shaping of institutional practices.

The professional programme included the presentation of the PeerPower Community Handbook and the launching of the PeerPower Pilot Network. The handbook and the emerging network offer support for collaboration between research communities, the exchange of experiences and the sharing of best practices. These tools can help ensure that the connections formed at the meeting develop into longer-term collaborations.

Several organisations and representatives of the Hungarian young researchers’ community were present at the event. Alongside the Hungarian Young Academy, representatives of the Hungarian Association of PhD and DLA Candidates, the Hungarian chair of Eurodoc, and the former chair of the Association of Hungarian Doctoral Students and Young Researchers in Romania also took part. Click here to access the handbook presented, and you can read more about the project on the SciLink website.