“The Reform of Research Assessment” – STEM Working Group Workshop

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“The Reform of Research Assessment” – STEM Working Group Workshop

10 September 2025

On 20 November 2025, the Coimbra Group’s STEM Working Group organised a workshop on the reform of research assessment. The event took place at UCLouvain in Louvain-la-Neuve (Auditoire Montesquieu 02, Place Montesquieu 1), from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Click here to rewatch the event.

This workshop brought together institutional leaders, researchers, and representatives from the universities and national agencies to explore the principles underpinning the reform and present concrete proposals for its implementation. It featured a presentation from Prof. Henk Kummeling, Chair of the CoARA Steering Board, and it was followed by a roundtable discussion which engaged participants in a critical dialogue on the practical and cultural shifts required.

The reform of research assessment is gaining momentum across Europe, encouraged by initiatives such as the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA). As institutions seek to promote more inclusive, transparent, and qualitative approaches, this event offered a timely opportunity to reflect on how these changes are shaping the future of research evaluation.

Speakers:
Prof. Henk Kummeling, Chair of the CoARA Steering Board, Utrecht University
Prof. Ludovic Thilly, Chair of the Executive Board of the Coimbra Group, University of Poitiers
Prof. Agnès Guiderdoni, Prorector for Research of UCLouvain
Prof. Véronique Halloin, Secretary General of the Belgian Fund for Scientific Research (FNRS)
Prof. Maria Laura Bolognesi, Coordinator of the Chemical Sciences panel at ANVUR, University of Bologna
Prof. Stanisław Kistryn, member of the CoARA Steering Board, Jagiellonian University

Click here to rewatch the event.

Agenda:

14:00 Welcome remarks
– Prof. Ludovic Thilly, Chair of the Executive Board of the CG, University of Poitiers
14:05 Keynote speech
– Prof. Henk Kummeling, Chair of the CoARA Steering Board, Utrecht University (slides)
14:45 Presentation
– Prof. Agnès Guiderdoni, Prorector for Research of UCLouvain
15:00 Presentation
– Prof. Véronique Halloin, Secretary General of the FNRS (slides)
15:15 Presentation
– Prof. Maria Laura Bolognesi, Coordinator of the Chemical Sciences panel at ANVUR, University of Bologna (slides)
15:30 Coffee break
15:50 Panel discussion, ‘The role of the networks of European Universities in the implementation of the reform of the research assessment’
– Prof. Ludovic Thilly, Chair of the Executive Board of the CG, University of Poitiers
– Prof. Henk Kummeling, Chair of the CoARA Steering Board, Utrecht University
– Prof. Véronique Halloin, Secretary General of the FNRS
– Prof. Stanisław Kistryn, member of the CoARA Steering Board, Jagiellonian University
– Prof. Maria Laura Bolognesi, Coordinator of the Chemical Sciences panel at ANVUR , University of Bologna
Moderation: Prof. Agnès Guiderdoni, Prorector for Research of UCLouvain
16:50 Closing remarks