FP7 Autumn Academy – Lessons learnt: The 3 Qs

Last week it was time for the FP7 Autumn Academy. A nice group of people from all over Europe came together in Budapest to discuss small and big things related to EU funding, proposal development and project management, and much more of course… :)

During the course, I also got an email from a previous participant from 2007 (!).  She sent “thank you greetings” to tell me about her new project – it’s always a very good surprise to get such emails! Actually, this is the fifth year of European Funding/FP7 Academies, and little by little, we have improved the concept, learnt from experiences and feedback from the participants, and I’m now very proud to be part of the team organising this course. A bit nostalgic, I’m also thinking of all the people I have had the chance to meet and spend time with, all the stories and good moments shared… At the end, life is made up of all these moments, isn’t it?

It was not different this time; in addition to the lectures and workshops, we had really good time at the guided dinner on the boat, during the sunny walk to the castle area and  wine tasting. I also learnt a few other things, and I’ll be smiling for long thinking of the theory of the 3 Qs (quality, quantity and c(q)ontinuity) – this applies not only to wines but also to many other things…:)

I’m now looking forward to the Winter Academy 2012 :)

Bodil

Impact of climate change on water: ClimateWater Final Symposium and Stakeholder Platform

The link between climate change and water resources and the water cycle might not be so evident to all of us immediately. However, the impacts of climate change on the environment are not only the increase in the greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere and the change in temperatures. Due to climate change induced events, we are observing more and more frequently floods as well as water scarcity and droughts in the same year. At the same time, several water-related sectors such as marine navigation, hydropower energy production and agricultural production are also negatively affected. Water resources and natural hydrological cycles are having quite a tough time in trying to cope with the impacts of climate change.

The ClimateWater project, funded under the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) of the European Union, has addressed these issues over the past three years. Last week, ClimateWater had its final symposium in Budapest; 11 project partners from nine EU Member States (Austria, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Malta, Romania, Slovakia, United Kingdom) met to share their final outputs in multiple workshops over two days. The presentations of the final symposium will shortly be available on the project’s homepage: http://www.climatewater.org

To keep up with the discussions on this topic, do not forget to register at the online ClimateWater Stakeholder Platform! http://www.climatewater.org/register.php

Ömer

LUX Prize 2011: Spotlight on European film

The European Parliament is a model – and a symbol – of cultural diversity. Its very make-up reflects Europe’s multiplicity of cultures and languages. With 736 seats, the European Parliament is the world’s largest international parliamentary body. It is also the most diverse: its Members represent 27 Member States and speak 23 languages in addition to regional and minority languages.

The Prize

Since 2007, the European Parliament LUX prize casts an annual spotlight on films that go to the heart of the European public debate. The Parliament believes that the cinema, a mass cultural medium, can be an ideal vehicle for debate and reflection on Europe and its future.

Films to be selected have to meet following criteria:

• Fiction or documentary films (may be animated)
• Minimum length of 60 minutes
• Produced or co-produced in a European Union country or in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway  or Swizerland
• Illustrates the universality of European values and the diversity of European culture, bringing insights into the debate on the process of building Europe
• Released for the first time between May 1 of the previous year and June 1 of the current year.

The LUX Prize is becoming a quality label backing European film productions.

The films selected for the prize competition help to air different views on some of the main social and political issues of the day and, as such, contribute to building a stronger European identity. They help celebrate the universal reach of European values, illustrate the diversity of European traditions and shed light on the process of European integration.

The winner does not receive a direct grant. Instead, the Parliament pays to subtitle the film into the EU’s 23 official languages and for it to be adapted for the visually or hearing impaired. It also funds the production of a 35 mm print for each Member State.

In this year the nominees are:

1. A Torinói ló (The Turin Horse) Hungary, France, Switzerland and Germany ;150 min;
2. Attenberg  Greece ; 95 min;
3. Essential Killing Poland, Norway, Ireland, Hungary; 83 min
4. Habemus Papam  Italy, France; 104 min
5. Le Havre Finland, France, Germany; 93 min
6. Les neiges du Kilimandjaro (The Snows of Kilimanjaro)France; 107 min
7. Mistérios de Lisboa (Mysteries of Lisbon)  Portugal; 256 min
8. Morgen France, Romania, Hungary; 100 min
9. Pina  Germany, France; 106 min
10. Play  Sweden, France, Denmark; 118 min

The finalists in this year are: Attenberg; Les neiges du Kilimanjaro and Play

 

     

 

The 2011 edition of the LUX Prize opens on 11 October and will close on 16 November with the Award ceremony.

Sources: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lux_Prize; http://www.luxprize.eu/v1/)

FP7 financial rules, management skills, and much more…

Last week, we organized the first Management and Financial course after the summer break.          As usual, it was two very intense days with discussions about FP7, financial rules and how to deal with partners, reporting, audits and much more. The training, especially the coffee breaks and lunch breaks seemed as always too short, the people too nice, and the topics too many…

Luckily, the evening boat trip allowed to continue talking, interacting, brainstorming new ideas and making new friends. This time, “Budapest by night” was even more beautiful; the Parliament got a new lighting system – it seemed magical!

Bodil & Ömer