Highlights from the ACE²-EU Virtual Town Hall Meeting – June 25, 2025
On June 25, 2025, the ACE²-EU Alliance held its second Virtual Town Hall Meeting, hosted via Zoom and coordinated under Work Package 8: Communication, Dissemination and Impact. The event welcomed over 100 participants, including students, academic editors, researchers, and faculty members from all across the alliance.
This edition of the Town Hall focused on the theme of academic publishing, bringing attention to the diversity of editorial practices, journal scopes, and contributions made by member universities to the wider academic community.
Opening Remarks
The meeting began with welcoming remarks and a brief overview of the session’s goals: to foster mutual understanding of institutional publishing ecosystems and to lay the groundwork for future editorial collaboration across borders.
Institutional Presentations
Lietuvos Inžinerijos Kolegija (LIK), Lithuania
Presented by Gitana Vyčienė
Dean Vyčienė shared insights from her two decades of work in hydrology and climate research. She introduced the institution’s editorial initiatives in environmental engineering, aligning closely with EU sustainability goals. Her contribution highlighted LIK’s commitment to rigorous research dissemination in applied sciences.
Latvian Academy of Culture (LAC), Latvia
Presented by Ilona Kunda
Dr. Kunda offered an overview of Culture Crossroads, LAC’s flagship open-access journal indexed in Scopus. The journal addresses contemporary debates in cultural studies and the arts, with a strong sociological and policy-oriented lens.
Goce Delčev University (UGD), North Macedonia
Presented by Liljana Koleva Gudeva
Dr. Koleva Gudeva presented UGD’s robust Open Journal System, encompassing nine international journals. Special attention was given to the Journal of Plant Sciences and Agriculture, which she edits, demonstrating the university’s leading role in scientific communication within the Balkan region.
“Constantin Brâncuși” University of Târgu Jiu (UCB), Romania
Presented by Flavius Cristian Mărcău
Dr. Mărcău showcased UCB’s editorial strengths in political science, European studies, and public administration. His role in various indexed journals and collaborations with the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) underlined UCB’s commitment to visibility and impact.
Polytechnic Institute of Santarém (IPS), Portugal
Presented by Ana Loureiro
Prof. Loureiro highlighted the journals Interacções and UIIPS Journal, focusing on pedagogical innovation and social sciences. She also discussed IPS’s approach to distance learning and open knowledge access, reinforcing the institution’s inclusive editorial mission.
Medical University of Gdańsk (MUG), Poland
Presented by Janusz Springer
Dr. Springer, editor of the European Journal of Translational and Clinical Medicine, emphasized scientific rigor and linguistic precision. He detailed the peer-review process and editorial standards that guide the journal’s publication of cutting-edge biomedical research.
Universidad Francisco de Vitoria (UFV), Spain
Presented by Isaac Caselles Jiménez
Dr. Caselles Jiménez presented UFV’s publishing philosophy rooted in the humanities and philosophy. His editorial experience spans historical scholarship and interdisciplinary thought, reflecting UFV’s intellectual and pedagogical diversity.
Discussion and Wrap-Up
The final segment featured an open Q&A, allowing participants to exchange perspectives on editorial ethics, open-access models, and the future of academic publishing within transnational university alliances.
In closing, the session reaffirmed ACE²-EU’s dedication to building a resilient and interconnected academic publishing landscape. The Virtual Town Hall proved once again to be a catalyst for shared learning and future cooperation.