The South Eastern Europe (SEE) Directors Forum met on June 9 in Brighton in the impressive setting of the Unitarian Church. The forum, which took place in conjunction with TNC25, offered a dedicated space for focused dialogue and strategic engagement to all participating members. While several representatives, including the forum’s chair Anastas Mishev, and colleagues from GRNET, KREN, ULAKBIM, RoEduNet, and the University of Malta, were unable to attend, the discussions remained productive and forward-looking.
Focus areas and presentations
The forum featured a series of informative presentations tailored for the SEE NRENs. Goran Škvarč from CARNET introduced Certiffy, a new fake webshop detection service. He also provided updates from GÉANT’s CSPAC committee and presented the NRENs4Education initiative, developed in partnership with CARNET, CSC, Jisc, Sikt, SURF, and GÉANT. This initiative aims to support the development of a federated and interoperable European Education Area. Participation is open to all interested NRENs.
Edit Herczog from the EU Liaison Office at GÉANT reflected on the evolving landscape, noting: “The EU remains committed to the Western Balkans, particularly through strategic alignment with the Acquis Communautaire. We are witnessing a shift from project-based funding to policy-driven investment, and several mechanisms – including IPA III, Horizon Europe, the Digital Europe Programme, and the Reform and Growth Facility – remain accessible, depending on strategic national planning and eligibility.”
These mechanisms offer varying degrees of monetary support depending on national status and planning alignment. Additional coordination through the EU Liaison Office is available for NRENs seeking further guidance or engagement.
Mira Stanic from GÉANT Partner Relations presented the GÉANT Value for Money proposition, designed to support NRENs in their strategic communication with funders and decision-makers. Live feedback gathered during the session indicated that the most valued aspects of GÉANT services include: advanced and secure services, high-performance connectivity, and financial sustainability. Further future discussions are likely to focus on community-driven innovation and on the importance of collaborative approaches in fostering digital and organisational transformation across borders.
Next steps
The SEE Directors Forum continues to serve as a neutral platform for structured regional dialogue, enabling NRENs to exchange knowledge and align strategies. Its value lies in facilitating open and constructive discussion, and in supporting the integration of SEE perspectives into the broader GÉANT environment.
The next Forum will be held on 11 November 2025 in Istanbul.
As preparations continue, input from participating (N)RENs remains essential and suggestions for future topics or improvements to the forum structure are welcome.
The ongoing success of the SEE Directors Forum relies on the active engagement of the community it serves. Continued collaboration will ensure that this platform remains a relevant and effective tool for supporting regional and European research and education goals.
For more information, contact Marina De Giorgi and Anastas Mishev.
