Online info session on the CERV programme’s call EQUAL 2025

The Organisation for European Programmes and Cultural Relations (OEPCR), as the operator of the “Creative Europe Desk Cyprus”, the “CERV Cyprus National Contact Point” and as the Head of the Cypriot Network of the Anna Lindh Foundation, organises an online info session of the “Call for proposals to promote equality and to fight against racism, xenophobia and all other forms of discrimination (CERV-2025-EQUAL)”.

Date and time: Thursday 24 July 2025, 11:00am – 12:30pm

Language: Greek

Platform: ZOOM (after registering)

Registration (free): here

The online info session is open to beneficiaries of the European programmes represented by OEPCR, who intend to prepare and submit a proposal. The session is open to governmental authorities, local and regional authorities, state organisations or companies, public organisations, civil society organisations, non-governmental and non-profit organisations, research organisations, educational and training providers, whose work is relevant to the call’s topics, and which are based in Cyprus and Greece.

The first part of the session includes an introductory presentation of the EU Programme “Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values” (CERV), followed by a presentation of the “Call for proposals to promote equality and to fight against racism, xenophobia and all other forms of discrimination (CERV-2025-EQUAL)” and its priorities, which focus on promoting equality and preventing and combating inequalities and discrimination on the grounds of sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation and respecting the principle of non-discrimination and supporting, advancing and implementing comprehensive policies and an intersectional approach to combat racism, xenophobia, antigypsyism, LGBTIQphobia, antisemitism, anti-Muslim hatred and all forms of discrimination and intolerance, both online and offline.

In the second part of the session, Dr Charis Xinari, Associate Professor, Critical and Cultural Theory at the European University of Cyprus will present the CERV-funded project “Prison Safe – Protecting and Safeguarding LGBTIQ People in European Prisons (CERV-2022-EQUAL)”, which is related to the call’s priorities. For more information about the project, please visit project’s page here.

Through the presentation, participants will have the opportunity to learn more about project management and implementation methods of EU-funded projects.

The European University Cyprus (EUC) was founded in 2007 and developed out of Cyprus College, which was established in 1961. Today, EUC operates seven Schools, namely, the School of Business Administration, the School of Humanities, Social and Education Sciences, the School of Law, the School of Medicine, the School of Dentistry, the School of Veterinary Medicine and the School of Sciences, with the mission to educate students for successful careers and life achievement, to understand and serve the needs of society, and to create knowledge through research and innovation. The University places strong emphasis on linking teaching with research and carrying out public outreach activities, aiming at increasing the interest of young people and the wider public in scientific endeavors. The research activity of the university, as measured by its success in securing external research funding and authoring quality journal publications, has increased significantly in the last decade. Scientists affiliated with EUC have achieved recognition in the top 2% most cited researchers list of Stanford University, emphasizing the institution’s contribution to global scientific discourse. EUC has an extensive portfolio of research and innovation projects, funded by the European Commission (e.g., Horizon Europe, Horizon2020, Erasmus+, Directorates-General), the Cyprus Research and Innovation Foundation, the Max Planck Institute, the European Space Agency, and other governmental bodies and private organizations. Research activity is primarily carried out by a number of research centers, laboratories, and other specialized units such as clinics and innovation centers. Notably, in 2017, the University was awarded the ‘HR Excellence in Research’ logo by the European Commission, which identifies the institutions and organizations that provide and support a stimulating and favourable working environment for researchers. EUC’s impact on the local community is profound, with key involvement in the regional scientific community and society at large. EUC members play crucial roles as National Representatives in Management Committees of Horizon Europe, shaping the future of European research. Further, their appointments to government positions, such as the Research & Innovation Foundation, the Cyprus Bioethics Committee and the Scientific Committee of the National Public Health Organization in Greece, underscore EUC’s commitment to societal well-being.

The workshop aims to:

• help applicants in getting a deeper understanding of the call’s priorities and objectives;
• strengthen applicants’ skills to approach the call more effectively, enhancing the competitiveness of their applications;
• assist applicants in understanding the evaluation process to improve their proposal’s success chances;
• provide applicants with information on effective project management and implementation methods;
• give applicants the opportunity to expand their network.

Programme:

• Introductory presentation of the EU programme “Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV)”
• Presentation of the “Call for proposals to promote equality and to fight against racism, xenophobia and all other forms of discrimination (CERV-2025-EQUAL)”.
• Presentation: “Prison Safe – Protecting and Safeguarding LGBTIQ People in European Prisons (CERV-2022-EQUAL)”

Dr Charis Xinari, Associate Professor, Critical and Cultural Theory, European University of Cyprus (EUC)

• Q&A