A Week of Synergy at the Research Management Academy Brno 2026
This year’s Research Management Academy, hosted in Brno by CEITEC Masaryk University, recently concluded with a sense of achievement and renewed energy among its participants. Over five intensive days, researcher managers and administrators from the Alliance4Life consortium had the opportunity to strengthen their coordination, communication, leadership, and collaborative skills through a combination of practical workshops and teamwork-focused sessions, reflecting the project’s mission to enhance research culture and institutional capacities in Central and Eastern Europe.
The first day, led by EMG Group, dived into practical coordination scenarios and project reporting, while the remaining program, led by Azteka, focused on developing soft skills through highly interactive workshops that proved professional development is most effective when it is both "educational and fun". According to feedback, specific highlights included the negotiation activities and the storytelling workshop, which participants found to be a very practical and useful topic.
However, the academy wasn't just about technical and soft skills; it was about the human element of research management: "I wish every organization would have these trainings; teams would bond and be motivated to work," one participant shared, reflecting the sentiment that the academy provided a much-needed space for connection.
As the participants return to their home institutions, they carry with them a toolkit of commitments. The slogan "Panic is not the king" emerged as a favourite mantra, symbolizing a collective shift toward better decision-making and calmer team communication.
