Annual Meetings
Throughout the year, the SMART-RURAL network gets together to steer the Action, shape its Working Groups, and plan what comes next. Our meetings bring together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers from more than 30 countries across Europe.
1st Management Committee Meeting (MC1)
17 October 2025
Brussels, COST premises
Our first meeting brought the whole network together for the first time, with members travelling in from across Europe. The Management Committee elected the Action's leadership: Radu Mirza as Chair, Fatjon Cela as Vice Chair, and Dublin City University as Grant Holder, represented by Theo Lynn. The rest of the day was spent getting to know one another and the COST framework, exploring what the Action set out to achieve, and joining roundtable discussions on each of the four Working Groups that shape our work.
2nd Management Committee Meeting (MC2)
28 November 2025
Online
Our second meeting was where the Action really took shape. We agreed how the network would be organised, from the responsibilities of the Management Committee and Core Group to the four Working Groups and the specialist sub-groups within each, along with the coordinators who keep everything joined up. We also set out the plan for our first year of work, welcomed new members, and met the candidates standing for Working Group leadership ahead of the online elections.
1st Core Group Meeting
21 January 2026
Online
The Core Group met to put the Working Groups on a firm footing. We confirmed who would join each group from the many researchers who had applied, encouraged Management Committee members to take an active part, and set dates for the first kick-off meetings in February. We also moved the Action's communication plan forward and began laying the groundwork for the website you're reading now.
Extended Core Group Meeting
13 March 2026
Kolding, Denmark · Hybrid
Meeting in person in Denmark, the extended Core Group took stock of how far the Action had come. We reviewed our communication strategy, the new visual identity and website, and progress on Working Group membership. We agreed how our mobility grants would work, giving researchers the chance to visit and collaborate with colleagues in other countries, and we began planning our next in-person Management Committee meeting.
