Across Europe, many education systems face persistent challenges, including declining learning outcomes, high dropout rates, teacher shortages, and widening inequalities linked to socio-economic background. KU Leuven coordinates two Horizon Europe Cluster 2 projects that are strongly interlinked and aim to generate robust, evidence-based insights that can support more effective, inclusive, and resilient education systems across Europe.

UAntwerpen coordinates JUST FASHION, a HEU Cluster2 project – led by Prof. Dr. Annick Schramme – aiming to accelerate the climate transition in the European fashion industry and to bridge research and innovation, policy, and practice by co-creating strategies and practical solutions with industry stakeholders for fashion SME’s.

The Horizon Europe project PLEDGE investigates the emotional dynamics of political protest in the context of multiple, overlapping crises that have affected Europe and the world over the past decade, including the financial crisis, the COVID‑19 pandemic, climate change, energy shortages, and the war in Ukraine. The project, in which the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) is participating, responded to call topic HORIZON-CL2-2023-DEMOCRACY-01-04.

Horizon Europe Cluster 2 project DELIAH examines the multifaceted role of humour across artistic, cultural, and digital spaces. Universiteit Gent coordinates the project that aims to explore how humour can both support and undermine democratic participation in Europe.