Workshop: 'Young Researchers for a Plastic Free Baltic Sea Region'
The three-day workshop will be organised for current master's and PhD students at BUP participating universities and other universities in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR), who aim to become future researchers, experts, and decision-makers. The event takes place in Hamburg on 22-24 September. The workshop is the result of collaboration within the BSR between the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, the Interreg Baltic-funded project BALTIPLAST, and The Baltic University Programme (BUP), making this event also a part of the German BUP Presidency.
The topic of the event is ‘Young Researchers for a Plastic Free Baltic Sea Region’ and it will be held in a hybrid format where in the morning the presentations from the experts will be available to the wider public, while in the afternoon around 30 students will actively collaborate with experts on the strategies on how to implement solutions developed under the BALTIPLAST project and to transfer them across the BSR. Experts in circularity, environmental management, policies and plastic pollution in the BSR will present and discuss soft and technical solutions developed under the BALTIPLAST project.
Aim of the event
The event aims to establish stronger connections between experts and the participating young researchers from universities in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) who are starting their individual research under the topics covered at the event. The participants will be provided with knowledge within the field and introduced to across-BSR region opportunities for future collaborations.
The participants should be conducting research in the Baltic Sea Region within any of the following fields or related topics:
- Biology
- Environmental Science
- Circular Economy
- Ecology
- Planetary Health
- Climate Change
Photo: Brian Yurasits
Preliminary program
Monday 22 September
Topic: Environmental Management and Plastics Pollution across the BSR
Morning – Insights from the BALTIPLAST project
Afternoon – Workshop: Implementation of innovative practices to reduce single use plastic pollution in schools, businesses, and households
Tuesday 23 September
Topic: Technical solutions: Circularity and Bio-Based plastic
Morning – Lectures by the experts in circular economy and bio-based plastics.
Afternoon session one – One-hour poster presentations from students about new technical solutions developed in BSR.
Afternoon session two - Workshop: Implementation of bio-based innovations and technologies to reduce single use plastic pollution across the BSR.
Wednesday 24 September
Topic: New opportunities: joining forces to create new projects, research visits, local actions with municipalities and communities that students are from
Morning – Discussion organised by the hosts focusing on the new opportunities, all participants will join.
Afternoon – Social event: visit to the harbor and a boat ride.
Quick information
- Dates: 22-24 September 2025
- Place: Hamburg, Germany
- Open for master's and PhD student at BUP participating universities
- Held in English
- Free of charge
- Application deadline: 15 July 2025
- Applicants will receive a response by 20 July 2025
Publish in Springer Book
There is a possibility to get published in the Springer Book Innovation in the Circularity of Plastic Materials. For those interested there is the opportunity to submit an abstract via the registration form.
Practical information
The deadline for registration was 15 July. The selection of participants will be based on the motivation provided in the registration. The selected applicants will be informed if they are accepted by 20 July.
The event will be held in English.
The accommodation and food during the three-day stay in Hamburg are covered by the organisers. All participants must cover their own travel costs to and from Hamburg.
Marketing material
We welcome you to share information about the workshop and invite you to download and use our marketing material:
Photo: Brian Yurasits
Contacts and more information
If you have any questions or want more information about the event, you are most welcome to contact The Baltic University Programme (BUP) via info@balticuniv.uu.se.