The European Researchers’ Night 2025, celebrated simultaneously in more than 350 cities across the continent this Friday, 26 September, once again brought science closer to society through engaging and participatory activities. Within this framework, the European project Global-ANSWER, coordinated by the University of Granada, carried out various outreach initiatives to reflect on inclusion and human mobility.
In Granada, project principal investigator Professor Belén Morata led the activity “Social Work and Human Mobility”. The proposal combined the screening of a short, creative video with a collective wall where participants shared words, phrases and wishes about what inclusion means to them. “It was a simple yet powerful way to connect research with everyday experiences of citizens,” Morata explained.
In Florence, the UNIFI team of Global-ANSWER organized the activity “Nei panni di… – Percorsi di accoglienza” in collaboration with the University of Granada and Comillas University. The simulation, promoted within BRIGHT-NIGHT – the European Researchers’ Night, took place in Piazza Santissima Annunziata at 3:00 PM and was aimed at an adult audience.
During this 10-minute interactive session, participants used their smartphones to access the Mentimeter app, adopting a fictional identity (age, country of origin, family situation, legal status) and reflecting on the basic needs of a migrant person – housing, work, healthcare, education, or emotional support. They then identified which actors and services they could turn to, such as NGOs or local authorities. By fostering anonymous and collective dialogue, the activity stimulated empathy and active participation, raising awareness of the challenges and opportunities of reception systems.
The initiative was part of the project “Global social work and human mobility: comparative studies on local government and good social work practices in the Euro-Mediterranean region” (Global-ANSWER), funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 872209).
The participation of Global-ANSWER also extended to Palermo, where the local team offered outreach activities to bring citizens closer to research on inclusion and human mobility, reinforcing the project’s international and collaborative dimension.
With this triple presence in the European Researchers’ Night, Global-ANSWER reaffirms its commitment to open and engaging science that connects the global challenges of migration and well-being with the local realities of European communities.
