As continuing with the celebration of the #20EMES anniversary,  we keep writing the ongoing story of the contribution of the thousands of researchers, policymakers, practitioners and the wide public who have been accompanying us.

In that spirit, we prepared various interviews to find out what makes our research and (above all) the human community so special.

Referring to the EMES community, Marthe Nyssens, current vice-president, affirms, “To understand the DNA of EMES, you need to know that, of course, it is an intellectual community, but it’s also a human community. I think that the quality of the knowledge developed could be understood because there are these two pillars..to do good science, the question of human relationships and respect is really important.“

We were looking back at the beginning of EMES history (all the way in 90s). Still, we heard some wisdom and encouraging words for the next generation of EMES scholars that will continue with research with real transformative power.

Rocío Nogales Muriel, the EMES director, adds to that. “ I think our highest value is the relationship with the next generation of researchers… We really believe that the only way to stay relevant to the transition that society is facing is if you get new generations engaged and empowered to become the agents of change within academia and beyond.”

All in all, as we like to say- feel it is “just the beginning” while keeping little treasure for the coming generations! Join us in celebrating the two decades full of research and activities that have consolidated a worldwide research community.

Visit a dedicated 20EMESanniversary web page and discover the interviews with former PhD representatives.