Just Europe

In this episode we talk 'housing' - how can we make it affordable and climate resilient for everyone? Since 2013, house prices in the EU have risen by more than 60%. Rent costs have jumped, especially in cities, and affordable housing supply just isn't keeping up with demand. At the same time, extreme weather conditions are imposing as much stress as sky-rocketing energy bills and unequal living environments. Political scientist and Secretary general of SOLIDAR Mikael Leyi, Anna Iafisco, Policy Advisor at Eurocities, and Federica Rotondo, post-doc researcher at Sciences-Po involved in the Horizon project ReHousIn Europe - discuss how Europe can make housing more affordable, accessible and climate resilient, and why there is no time to waste…

In this episode, we put the climate conversation into the spotlight, exploring how disinformation can drown out more nuanced, evidence-based perspectives. When that happens, it's easy to think those who care are in the minority — and climate progress stalls. What is climate disinformation? Who is most vulnerable to believing it? Who is spreading it? And what is Europe doing to tackle it? Three experts in social science, disinformation research, and digital governance discuss this complex landscape: Max Falkenberg, Computational Social Scientist, AI+ Senior Research Fellow at King’s College London and Principal Investigator of the Horizon Europe project POLARCLIMATE; Jennie King, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue and co-founder of Climate Action Against Disinformation; and Paul Nemitz, former adviser at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Justice, visiting Professor at the College of Europe.

Can we use AI to bridge gaps — or will it become another social divide? Can we harness AI to build a more inclusive education system —or will it become another tool that leaves the most vulnerable behind? Education is fundamental to addressing inequalities and promoting equal opportunities and social mobility. From vocational training to adult education, teachers and trainers are at the forefront of preparing children, young adults and workers for Europe’s transition to a greener, digital economy. They have the pressure to prepare learners for jobs that don’t yet exist. Artificial Intelligence (AI) promises to help: less paperwork, personalised learning, even virtual labs for hands-on skills. But, fewer than 40% of educators feel ready to use AI. We put these questions to three experts specialised in digital learning environments and technologies: Tobias Ley, Head of the Center for Digitalisation in Lifelong Learning at the University for Continuing Education, Krems, Project coordinator of Horizon Europe Project TAICo; Diletta Huyskes, Researcher, University of Milan, Co-founder of Immanence; Niels Kerssens, Researcher, University of Utrecht, leader of the RECLaiM-EDU project.

Lush green spaces, cool tree-lined streets, shaded parks for children, benches for resting, and public places to shelter during extreme heat - cities across Europe are rethinking public space. Urban mobility is no longer just about getting from point A to point B, but about creating spaces that foster connection, inclusion, and community. When cities are designed with the most vulnerable in mind, they become better for everyone.In this episode, we ask: what happens when fairness becomes the foundation for building greener, more socially just cities? We explore ideas with Karen Vancluysen, Secretary-General of the POLIS Network, Sarah Stein Lubrano, writer, researcher and Head of Research at the Future Narratives Lab, and Francesco Pilla, Professor of Smart and Sustainable Cities at University College Dublin, coordinator of the Horizon-funded REALLOCATE project.

This 12th episode focuses on occupational health and safety: The EU has strong and flexible rules in place to help protect workers, and engages with trade unions, employers, researchers - and more - to ensure legislation is known and respected. Our guests include Maria Albin, Professor, Consortium member and Scientific Contributor in the EPHOR Horizon project, Task leader and partner for the Horizon project INTERCAMBIO, Klaus Heeger, Secretary General at European Confederation of Independent Trade Unions CESI, William Cockburn Salazar, Executive Director of EU-OSHA, and Robert Marinkovic, Adviser at the International Organization of Employers IOE. We'll hear their thoughts and experiences on how to best collaborate to keep people safe across their entire working lives.