MSCA Presidency conference: Attracting and retaining research talent in Europe

The MSCA Presidency Conference 2025 took place in Lyngby, Denmark, from 18 to 19 September 2025 as part of the Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU.

The conference was organised by the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and co-funded by the European Commission. It explored how academia can attract and retain the brightest minds and shape the future of research in Europe.

The conference brought together early career researchers, policy makers, university leaders and industry representatives to discuss the purpose-driven university, working culture and intersectoral mobility, diversity, well-being, academic talent programmes, international initiatives such as the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA) and the role of supervisors.

The aim was to generate actionable recommendations for the future MSCA programmes on motivation and working life of MSCA fellows.

The event also included networking opportunities and the organisation of the next MSCA Falling Walls Lab Pitch competition.