The UNIgreen European University Alliance successfully concluded its UNIgreen Science Week 2025, an extensive program of events that ran from September 22 to October 24, designed to foster innovation, collaboration, and knowledge exchange across its network of partner universities.
The central event was the live webinar “Beyond the Lab Bench: Exploring Career Paths Outside Academic Research.” This webinar was moderated by Ana Sofia Fajardo (Assistant Researcher) and focused on motivating researchers and students to consider careers outside academia, showcasing how scientific skills can be applied in fields such as science communication, consulting, and policy. Speakers Mattia Colalongo (R&D Scientist) and Weronika Jabłońska (Agroecology Intern) shared their personal experiences and discussed their transitions to roles that contribute to real-world solutions.
Watch the replay
In addition to the webinar, Alliance partners stood out with their on-site activities:
- University of Almería (Spain): The University of Almería joined the celebration by establishing a dedicated UNIgreen stand at the European Researchers’ Night. This was made possible through an engaging activity featuring a roulette wheel with games and prizes, which effectively introduced the general public to the Alliance’s work and mission.
- University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (Italy): UNIMORE fully integrated the UNIgreen Science Week events into the program of the European Researchers’ Night on September 26th, welcoming an audience of approximately 5,000 participants across its Modena and Reggio Emilia campuses. The event featured numerous workshops, exhibits, and performances aimed at connecting the world of research with society. UNIgreen activities, organized by UNIMORE’s Department of Life Sciences and the BIOGEST-SITEIA Research Center, included highly interactive labs such as:
- “Food Packaging Lab,” where participants could spin a “science roulette” to test eco-friendly materials and create their own “eco-bag.”
- “Insects on a Mission: Saving the Planet!” focusing on plastic-eating insects and pollinators.
- “Food for Life: the Science of Healthy Eating,” which promoted mindful eating through games and experiments for children.
A key moment of the evening was when UNIgreen researchers established a live streaming connection between UNIMORE and UAL to show the Italian participants what was happening simultaneously at the UAL Researchers’ Night.
Coming Soon
As part of the UNIgreen Science Week, a new recorded podcast will soon be released “Becoming a Researcher: Two Perspectives, One Passion.”
This exclusive conversation brings together three members of the UNIgreen community researchers at different stages of their scientific careers to explore what it truly means to pursue research today.
The discussion features Weronika Jabłońska, a biotechnology graduate from Warsaw University of Life Science and current research intern at SupBiotech, Frank Yates, Assistant Professor and Director of Research at SupBiotech, and Julien Grimaud, Assistant Professor of Life Sciences and UNIgreen Quality Committee member, who also moderates the exchange.
Together, they share insights on motivation, mentorship, and the evolving role of science in society from the perspective of both a PhD student beginning her journey and an experienced research leader guiding the next generation.
