From October 13 to 15, 2025, Brussels (Belgium) hosted the European Week of Regions and Cities 2025 – the largest annual event dedicated to urban and regional development in Europe. This initiative brings together more than 6,000 participants from across the continent, including policymakers, researchers, representatives of local authorities, and civil society organizations. The event serves as a platform for exchanging ideas, discussing policies, and fostering partnerships, with a particular focus on European cohesion policy and regional development.
This year, dr. Monika Belhaj, a researcher at the Institute of Economics and Rural Development of the Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences (LCSM EKVI), participated in the event, representing Lithuania in the context of the Horizon Europe GRANULAR project. Dr. Monika Belhaj took part in the joint session “Rural proofing: Making policies work for rural areas through data/Earth observation”, where she presented the Rural Proofing methodology and its application based on the experience of the Lithuanian Living Lab.
During the discussion, participants explored how data-driven policy assessment tools can help better address the needs of rural territories. Attendees actively engaged in dialogue, asked questions, and shared their national experiences, examining the possibilities of applying the tool at national and regional levels.
In addition to her presentation at the joint session, dr. Monika Belhaj took part in panel discussions and thematic workshops, where she established new professional connections with potential partners from various European countries. During the event, the institute’s ongoing research directions in regional development were also presented.
LSMC EKVI actively participates in international projects and initiatives aimed at contributing to evidence-based policymaking and the development of sustainable solutions in the field of regional development. Events such as the European Week of Regions and Cities strengthen collaboration between science and policy and provide an opportunity for Lithuanian researchers to showcase their contribution at the European level.
More about the project: https://www.ruralgranular.eu/
Contact details:
Dr. Monika Belhaj, monika.belhaj@ekvi.lt
Dr. Živilė Gedminaitė-Raudonė, zivile.gedminaite@ekvi.lt