EERN-VETNET

The European Emerging Researchers Network (EERN-VETNET) enables networking, exchange of experiences as well as peer consulting between emerging researchers within VETNET. Ph.D. students as well as postdocs in early stage (see below) are welcome to our network. EERN organizes network events, workshops as well as conference sessions both online and in presence as part of the various VETNET activities. Also, beyond networking aspects, EERN members gain a facilitated access to join VETNET.

Chairpersons of the network are:

Dr Junmin Li, University of Cologne
Dr Susanne Peters, University of Bremen

EERN-VETNET board members:

  • Eija Lehtonen (Tampere University, Faculty of Education and Culture)
  • Julián Bell Sebastián (Universitat de València, Faculty of Philosophy and Educational Sciences)

EERN-VETNET members are listed here.

You are interested in EERN? Please contact us here: eernvetnet@gmail.com

Also, we are organized a group in LinkedIn to communicate and exchange ideas. We will be happy to invite you here!

Upcoming Events

Annual EERN-VETNET meeting: Tuesday evenings @ ECER
The ECER takes place in Tampere, Finland, in 2026. Let’s meet there! Please contact Susanne for further information.
Besides, you are invited to submit your abstract to the 10th Stockholm International Conference of Research on Vocational Education and Training, May 17-19, 2026. This conference is special – have a look and join EERN-VETNET there!

At ECER conferences, Junmin and Susanne chair sessions within the Emerging Researchers Conference. Also, we will provide a workshop at ECER for emerging researchers in VETNET annually. In 2025 in Belgrade, we offered Navigating Research in Vocational Education and Training for Emerging Researchers– Examples, Ideas & Exchange.

Latest Events

  • Gathering, networking and sharing spirits @ECER in Belgrade, Serbia: Not only during the annual EERN-VETNET meeting on Tuesday evenings in Belgrade, but all over the week, we had the opportunity to spend quality time.
  • Online event: How to – participate in international VET Conferences. Round table discussion with organizers of VET conferences! Lázaro Moreno Herrera, Janne Kontio, and Marianne Teräs as the organizers of the Stockholm International Conference on VET Research, Ville Heilala for EARLI SIG 14, Christof Nägele for VETNET@ECER and the Crossing Boundaries Conference, and Monika Øgård for the NordYrk Conference were our great guests.
  • EERN-Network Meeting @ Stockholm International Conference on Research in Vocational Education and Training
  • Online event:  “Behind the scenes – what can we learn from journal publishers?” with great roundtable guests (Stephanie Allais, Jay Plasman, Léna Krichewsky-Wegener, Elizabeth Knight, Silke Lange & Christoph Porcher)! You can find the podcast file to (re-)listen to our guests and participants here: https://uni-koeln.sciebo.de/s/koGGxKCbVjffdqi or here: https://www.jvet.uk/early-career-researchers
  • JVET’s Early Career Researcher Group (https://www.jvet.uk/early-career-researchers ) hosts an online event on academic dissemination at Thursday, 12th of October 2023, UCT-Time 09:00 AM – 11:00 AM; CET-Time 11:00 AM – 13:00 PM. Get insights into academic dissemination, scientific social media engagement, and research policy impact from experts in the field of vocational education and training. This event is organised in collaboration with the EERN-VETNET (https://vetnetsite.org/).
  • We had our first face-to-face meeting at the ECER in Glasgow in August 2023. Thanks to all who joined our inspiring, informal evening to get this thing started!

We aim to support Emerging Researchers and we refer to the definition of EERA:

An Emerging Researcher (ER) in EERA is someone who, within 5 years of completing a Ph.D., or during doctoral or master studies or research career, is interested in:

  • broadening research training and professional development experiences internationally;
  • exchange experiences and ideas about research and research training;
  • developing research projects in collaboration with researchers of different countries;
  • actively participating in an European research community for Emerging Researchers.

We will be happy to welcome you in EERN-VETNET.