merry christmas and happy new year, dear danurbians!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, dear DANUrBians! Let the wonders of the enchanting holidays follow you in each footstep that you take. Let the joy and peace sail along with every thought for your closest family members and friends. The traditions, customs, and rituals are shared in a personal atmosphere, but the common emotion of the spiritual celebrations is what makes it unique. DANUrB+ revelas the ideas and knowledge of 6 different countries, a joint variety of typical manners, heritage, and culture, but working together for a common goal, enriching each other, helping and inspiring the promotion and prosperity of the Danube Region.
So, let us all sing along: "All we want for Christmas is a Journey Connecting Communities on the Danube".

SUSTAINABLE ENTREPRENEURSHIP ALONG THE DANUBE - EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM IN BULGARIA

On 21st December 2021, as part of the DANUrB+ school programs, National Tourism Cluster “Bulgarian Guide” organized an online workshop “Sustainable Entrepreneurship along the Danube”. Attended by representatives of six vocational schools and gymnasiums from three different Bulgarian Danube towns – Vidin, Svishtov and Ruse, the event focused on the school programs in shrinking settlements and the planned for the Spring of 2022 Competition for young entrepreneurs based on the DANUrB+ Quality label criteria.

50 YEARS OF RESEARCH IN THE FIELD OF TOURISM IN ROMANIA: PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE

In order to celebrate 50 years since its establishment, the National Institute of Research-Development in Tourism (INCDT), project partner in DANUrB+ (Danube Urban Brand+), organized the international symposium ”50 Years of Research in the field of Tourism in Romania: Past, Present, and Future”, an online event, given the pandemic conditions, on 16-17th of December 2021. 

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM IN CROATIA

5 schools from Croatia (Dalj Elementary School, Darda Elementary School, Zmajevac Elementary School, Julija Benešića Ilok Elementary School, and Vukovar School of Economics) started their work as associates to DANUrB+ educational program this October. With the help and facilitation of Nansen Dialogue Centre, we started our first joint meeting with introduction of the DANUrB+ goals and participative planning of activities, which are tailored to the specific community and to the age of the pupils. 

LOCAL PARTNERS AND ASP MEETING IN CĂLĂRAȘI, ROMANIA

On Friday 19th November 2021, "Ion Mincu" University of Architecture and Urbanism and Association for Urban Transition made a visit to Călărași, Romania to meet up with the ASP Municipality of Călărași. During the meeting, the partners presented the objectives of the DANUrB+ program as well as the planned activities to promote the local cultural heritage of the area. The partners were accompanied by the Mayor of Călărași and Lead Architect for the city, alongside whom they undertook site visits across the city identified as most suitable areas for urban regeneration activities in the upcoming academic year.

PARTNERS SHARED A STUDY TRIP ALONG SERBIA AND CROATIA

Another DANUrB+ Partners’ Meeting and Study Trip was held in 2 cross-border countries – Serbia and Croatia between 8th and 12th November 2021. It gathered project partners and stakeholders from the 6 nations - Hungary, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Slovakia.

STAKEHOLDERS MEET AGAIN IN SILISTRA, BULGARIA IN SEPTEMBER

At the beginning of September 2021, representatives of New Bulgarian University visited the city of Silistra, an associated partner in the DANUrB+ project. With the assistance of Ms. Lilia Trayanava, Coordinator of the Municipality of Silistra as an associated partner on the project, meetings were held in the Municipality of Silistra with the Director of the Directorate for Spatial Planning. The topics for student urban projects related to the exposition of underestimated objects of cultural and historical heritage in the city and the region were discussed, and an agreement was reached for coordination with the municipality of the project assignments.

DANURB+ AS PART OF THE FUTURE PARTICIPATION AND DIGITALIZATION OF THE DANUBE

DANUrB+ participated at the “8th Danube Participation Day” (Digitalization & Participation - putting people at the center of the digital transition), an annual platform for stakeholders in the Danube Region for participatory governance in the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR), on October 25th and 26th, 2021. It was held online and the organizers from Priority Area 10 “Institutional Capacity and Cooperation” (PA 10) of the EU Danube Strategy and Danube Civil Society Forum (DCSF) invited partners and stakeholders on the live stage, so they can share experiences and discuss the current situation, challenges, and future perspectives of digitalization worldwide and along the Danube Region.

PARTNERSHIP ON A JOURNEY CONNECTING COMMUNITIES IN HUNGARY, SLOVAKIA, AND AUSTRIA

The DANUrB+ International Partners’ Meeting took place in 3 different countries – Hungary, Slovakia, and Austria between 10th and 15th October 2021. It gathered more than 50 project partners and stakeholders from the 6 countries - Hungary, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Slovakia.

DANURB+ PART OF DANUBE BUSINESS TALKS - 13.10.2021

DANUrB+ participated at the international sector event “Danube Business Talks” on October 13th, 2021. It was held online and the organizers from Via Donau and Federal Ministry Republic of Austria invited a lot of public and private stakeholders on the live stage, so they can present and discuss the current situation, problems, and perspectives of passenger shipping, cargo shipping, and tourism along the Danube River.

THE DANURB INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION WAS BORN TODAY

11th October, 2021 is the birth date of the DANUrB International Association (DIA) in Esztergom, Hungary. The ceremony wrapped up the 1st DANUrB+ International Conference, hosted by the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME) and the Hungarian Contemporary Architecture Centre (KÉK). The participants had the opportunity to attend the event in person at the Szent Adalbert Event Center or to join it online.