Marika Gruber participated in the 9th EMES International Training School at the University of Trento (30th June - 4th July). EMES - L’EMergence de l’Entreprise Sociale en Europe” (emergence of social enterprises in Europe) – is a research network of university research centers and individual researchers on social enterprise focusing on a wide range of issues in the fields of social enterprises, social and solidarity economy, and social entrepreneurship. This year’s training school addressed specifically PhD students and early career researchers. The training school offers a unique opportunity for young researchers to engage in interdisciplinary exchange, meet project partners, and facilitates new encounters with researchers and practitioners from across the globe. 

“Such encounters are extremely enriching and mind-opening”, says Marika Gruber from the University of Applied Sciences. “Our Estonian colleague of our Horizon EUROPE project SERIGO, for example, were also at the venue and I have met with collaborators of the SERIGO sister project ESIRA – Enhancing Social Innovation in Rural Areas. This allowed us to learn in greater detail about each other’s specific research in this academic field and offered the possibility to engage in interdisciplinary discussions. For such a big research project as SERIGO, exchange at the content level is crucial”, explains Marika. 

Marika Gruber is a young and excelling researcher at the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences with an impressive track record of third-party-funded projects. She is currently chiefly involved in the EU-funded project “Social Economy for Resilience, Inclusion and Good Life in Rural Areas” (SERIGO), with partners from across Europe and the ATHENA Alliance Network. The project is funded with a sum of 4.5 million Euros. At the 9th EMES International Training School Marika contributed with a presentation on “The Role of Social Innovation and Social and Solidarity Economy to enhance social inclusion and well-being in rural areas.”