The European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research held its 52nd Annual Meeting of the Board of Directors and 36th National Liaison Officials (NLO) Assembly Meeting on 14 and 15 October 2026 at the United Nations Office at Vienna, bringing together Board Members, National Liaison Officials, and the Centre’s team.
The meeting opened with remarks by Anja Korenblik, Acting Chair (UNODC), and Andres Schaller, on behalf of Marc Pointecker of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection. Executive Director Anette Scoppetta and Deputy Director Sonila Danaj presented the Management Team’s report and outlook.
The first day featured a round table on “Science for Policy – Policy for Science: Where do we stand today, and how can we strengthen the relationship between scientific evidence and policymaking?” Contributions came from Monika Austaller of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection; Matthias Reiter-Pázmándy of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Women, Science and Research; Mercedes Gallego Angulo of Imserso, Spain; and Agnieszka Sowa-Kofta of the Institute of Labour and Social Studies, Poland. The discussion explored how scientific evidence and policymaking can be better connected and how cooperation between research and policy institutions can be strengthened.
This was followed by “Transforming Society: What opportunities and challenges do the green, demographic and digital transitions create?”. European Centre researchers Selam Woldemariam, Nikko Bilitza, Elif Naz Kayran and Kai Leichsenring presented key findings on these major societal transitions. The session was moderated by Niki Kalavrezou, also of the European Centre, and invited comments from Board Members and NLOs, encouraging an exchange of perspectives on the implications of societal change for social policy.
Day 2 focused on research methods, knowledge translation and policy impact. In “Tools and Methods: Lessons from Researching Societal Issues”, European Centre researchers Felix Groß-Wohlgemuth, Michael Fuchs, Selma Kadi and David Conforti shared lessons learned from investigating societal challenges. The session was moderated by Deputy Director Sonila Danaj and followed by comments from Ursula Ganal of the City of Vienna, Austria, and Elnur Safarli of the National Observatory on Labour Market and Social Protection Affairs, Azerbaijan. The discussion explored how methodological insights can strengthen research approaches and contribute to a better understanding of complex societal issues.
The next session, “From Insights to Policy Impact: Translating Research into Action”, examined how knowledge translation and research-based solutions can strengthen social policy, support effective implementation, and help monitor and drive change. European Centre researchers Eszter Zolyomi, Lisa Hanzl and Sabina Gjylsheni presented their work, with Magdi Birtha as moderator. Comments from Jim Lynch of Ireland’s Department of Social Protection and Minna-Liisa Luoma of Finland’s Institute for Health and Welfare broadened the discussion to include policy and institutional perspectives on translating research into practical solutions.
The meeting concluded with a forward-looking round table, “Moving Forward: Strengthening Our Position at the Intersection of Policy, Research, and Impact”. Valuable contributions came from Andreja Rafaelič of the Social Protection Institute of the Republic of Slovenia; Haakon Hertzberg of the Norwegian Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion; Ilka Steiner of the Federal Social Insurance Office (FSIO), Switzerland; and Robin Maialeh of the Research Institute for Labour and Social Affairs, Czech Republic. Moderated by Anette Scoppetta, the discussion addressed the needs and expectations of member states, funding opportunities, and the outlook for new projects and new leadership. It highlighted the importance of strengthening the connections between policy, research and impact to support social transformation and effective social policy governance.
Board Members and National Liaison Officials from 14 countries: Austria, Azerbaijan, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Ireland, Kosovo, Moldova, Norway, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland and Ukraine, contributed to the exchange. The GAM 2026 provided a valuable opportunity to share knowledge and perspectives, strengthen collaboration across the European Centre’s network, and reflect on how research and expertise can contribute to effective, evidence-informed social policies amid ongoing societal change.
