Jointly organised by the GÉANT Special Interest Group Public Affairs and Policy (SIG PA) and the GN4-2 WP2T4 Task Policy Engagement.
Theme: Navigating the Digital Landscape: Stakeholder Engagement for National Research and Education Networks (NRENs)
Tuesday, 27th January 2026 | |
DAY 1: Foundation, Inspiration, and Strategy Initiation | |
12:00 - 13:00 | Arrival & Lunch |
13:00 - 13:30 | Welcome, Introduction & Expectations |
13:00 - 14:00 | KEYNOTE: Public Affairs and Communication in the Digital Age, Mechthild Bülow (Presentation and Q&A) |
14:00 - 14:30 | Coffee Break |
15:00 - 16:00 | Public Affairs 101: The Lobbying Game & Reputation - Presentation: Introduction to core PA concepts and reputation building (business-oriented perspective). (Hendrik Ike, GÉANT) |
16:00 - 17:00 | NREN Public Affairs: European Strategies - Presentations by selected GÉANT NRENs: Showcasing current national strategies. Followed by a discussion on wide-spectrum PA strategies |
17:00 - 17:15 | Case Study Introductions: The Budget Axe (Political Crisis) and The Visual Arts Data Conduit (EU Work Programme Advocacy) - Facilitator presents the fictional scenarios and the task |
17:15 - 18:00 | GROUP WORK: Case Study – Initial Strategy Brainstorming |
18:00 | Close Day 1 Working Session |
19:00 - 22:00 | Joint Workshop Dinner at Zollpackhof |
| Wednesday, 28th January 2026 | |
| DAY 2: Application, Policy Alignment, and Future Focus | |
9:00 - 9:45 | Day 1 Recap & Finalizing Case Study - Quick recap and instruction for finalizing the lobbying and media campaign strategy |
9:45 - 10:30 | Strategy Presentations & Peer Challenge - Group Presentations and Challenge: Participants critique and discuss the proposed PA strategies |
10:30 - 10:45 | Coffee Break |
10:45 - 11:15 | NRENs in the Digital Agenda; Work Programmes and Calls - Different Work Programmes; HE, CEF, DEP & the Competitiveness Compass. Rates, Rules & Eligibility |
11:15 - 11:30 | Interactive discussion on NREN Use Cases - Open Discussion |
11:30 - 13:00 | Shaping the Future: Discussion of Topics for the SIG Public Affairs and Policy (PA) - Interactive Session: Defining the agenda and focus areas for the new SIG |
13:00 - 14:00 | Lunch |
Registration
Please register via events.geant.org
For any questions, please email schaefer@dfn.de
Date
The meeting will take place on 27-28 January 2026, hosted by DFN in Berlin, Germany
Venue/Location
Alexanderplatz 1
10178 Berlin, Germany
Google maps link:
Accommodation/recommended hotels
The list of recommendations:
Remote participation
Will be possible. Details will follow after registration.