On 5 March 2026, the SECURE2 project was presented at the Congress of Young Scientists, „Youth Science for Policy“, held at Lviv State University of Life Safety in Ukraine. Organised by the Young Scientists Council at the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (YSC), the event brought together more than 100 participants from universities, research institutions, and public bodies to discuss how research can better inform public policy and help address today’s societal and security challenges.
This was a natural setting for SECURE2. The project focuses on improving research careers by piloting the European Framework for Research Careers, reducing precarity, and helping institutions build stronger ecosystems in which researchers, research managers, administrators, and policymakers can work together more effectively. In Lviv, these themes were not abstract policy ideas but part of an ongoing conversation about how young researchers can play a more active role in shaping the future of Ukraine.
During the Congress, SECURE2 team member Oleksandr Berezko delivered a presentation titled „From Research to Decision: How a Young Scientist Can Become an Architect of State Change in Ukraine“. The core message was clear: early-career researchers are more than knowledge producers — they are the backbone of policy and institutional change. In this context, SECURE2 represents a practical effort to make research careers more sustainable and influential, ensuring that the next generation of scientists can lead with confidence.
The event also had a strong partnership dimension. The Young Scientists Council is Eurodoc’s member organisation in Ukraine, while Eurodoc is part of the broader SECURE ecosystem and a longstanding European voice for doctoral candidates and junior researchers. This connection is especially valuable because it links national discussions in Ukraine on youth science and policy with broader European efforts to strengthen researcher careers, representation, and long-term institutional change.
For SECURE2, participation in the Congress was an opportunity not only to present the project, but also to place its mission in a very concrete context: empowering young scientists to move from the margins of policy discussions to the centre of public transformation.
