Mutual learning exercise launched to help implement career improvements in participating countries
Fourteen EU member states have expressed an interest in sharing best practice on improving research careers, as part of the bloc’s recent push to make them more appealing.
The Mutual Learning Exercise (MLE) was announced by the European Commission on 30 January, after an earlier call for interest from the member states.
It is connected to member states’ adoption late last year of recommendations on a European framework for research careers, and has a goal to develop a toolbox for implementing those recommendations.
According to the Commission, the MLE “will enable an in-depth exchange of experiences on lessons learned and success factors of different strategies and measures based on the available evidence and collective experience and with an emphasis on policy learning”.
Member states interested in participating will meet on 31 January for a scoping workshop to discuss topics to be addressed.
The MLE aims to “identify and facilitate the exchange of best practices and thus provide a toolbox on which member states can draw to enhance their national strategies according to their specific needs and conditions”.
Each member state will choose a national representative to liaise with the Commission. The Commission will supply experts to advise on the outcome, as well as a rapporteur to coordinate.
The project is based on “open, frank and confidential knowledge exchanges [and] requires that each participating country is willing to provide detailed information on its experience in view of allowing other participants to learn from it”.