CIVIS launches CASCADE, the Participatory Research and Education network

17 March 2025
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A new network, fostering Participatory Research and Education in CIVIS, is set to bring creativity and collaboration into action. The CASCADE network was established within the Alliance to create a shared academic community that brings participatory research and education together. Their first concrete activity will be a "How to" webinar series on Zoom, starting mid April. 
©CIVIS Comms Team

Co-led by the Université libre de Bruxelles, Stockholm University and the University of Glasgow and open to all CIVIS members — academics, students, administrative staff, and external stakeholders — the network aims to simplify processes, enhance communication, and facilitate collaboration across disciplines and institutions. 

By fostering a dynamic space for exchange, CASCADE connects individuals to international communities, encouraging interdisciplinary projects and innovative teaching methods. A key objective of the network is to promote fun and creativity in research and education to bring positive inspiration while making academic collaboration more accessible and engaging", explained Fanny Sbaraglia, from ULB. 

To achieve these goals, the CASCADE network is structured around three main types of sessions:

  1. Showcase of Projects allows project leaders to present their work, share successes, and highlight key challenges. By making projects more visible within the CIVIS community, they facilitate knowledge exchange and inspire new collaborations.
  2. Problem-Solving Sessions are interactive discussions which provide a space for project leaders to present specific difficulties they are facing. The group then collectively brainstorms solutions, offering interdisciplinary perspectives and peer support to overcome challenges.
  3. Designed as hands-on sessions, the Collaborative Workshops bring together participants to co-develop methodologies, tools, and approaches for participatory research and education. They emphasise practical outcomes and encourage deeper collaboration between different stakeholders.

Powered by CASCADE

Held in English and French, the CIVIS Webinar Series powered by CASCADE targets both the entire CIVIS community and the alliance's partners.

Key Tools

  • Monthly collaborative workspace
  • Regular asynchronous communication
  • Symposium for sharing project experiences: Celebrating success and exploring challenges
  • Opportunities to provide training sessions

Through these structured sessions, CASCADE serves as a collaborative incubator where ideas, expertise, and experiences are exchanged, ensuring that participatory research and education continue to thrive within CIVIS.

Key objectives

CASCADE will share expertise, practices, and experience, connecting individuals to national and international communities. It also aims to:

  • work with fun and creativity to bring positive inspiration;
  • simplify processes, ease communication and enhance collaboration.
The webinar series will be launched in April, thus stay tuned and check our Events page to find out more. No pre-registration will be needed.