On Thursday, 25 September 2025, nearly 80 experts in research data management – data stewards – gathered at the National Technical Library in Prague. The event, co-organised by the EOSC CZ initiative, provided a space for sharing experiences, networking, exchanging best practices, and hearing inspiring presentations from colleagues from Poland and Germany.
The highlight of the programme was an interactive workshop led by Tereza Kolmačková and Anna Soldánová from the Library of the Czech Academy of Sciences, titled Beyond Data Stewardship: People First.
Tereza and Anna guided participants through real-life situations where they could practise effective communication in challenging or conflict-prone moments. Through short scenarios and hands-on exercises, participants learned how to respond to unclear requests, avoid escalating tension, and conduct conversations with respect and openness.
“It was like a wake-up call. I suddenly realised how much the tone of voice or the choice of words can influence the outcome of a conversation,” shared one of the participants.
The workshop clearly showed that data stewardship is not only about technologies and processes but, above all, about people – their needs, emotions, and ability to cooperate.
An international perspective was brought by Natalia Galica from Poland and Stefano Della Chiesa from Germany, who shared how data stewardship is organised in their respective countries.
Stefano Della Chiesa, a research data management specialist at the Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development in Dresden, reflected on his experience at the Prague meeting and compared the Czech and German contexts:
It was excellent. The venue was fantastic, the organisation flawless, and the Czech colleagues were incredibly open and friendly. What really struck me was the age profile of the participants – most of them were younger, which gave the meeting a very energetic and dynamic atmosphere.
The German research data management environment is more structured and institutionalised. We have initiatives that have been running for over ten years, and we recently established the National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI), which sets the direction for our national strategy. What impressed me about the Czech community is its energy and drive. Even though it’s still in the early stages of development, it has enormous potential. I believe that with this potential, the Czech community can soon reach the level of the most established ones in Europe.
Pragmatism and action-oriented thinking. The Czechs are not afraid to experiment, learn from mistakes, and implement new ideas quickly. That’s something we could use more of in Germany.
Based on the strong interest and positive feedback, two in-person data steward meetings are planned for 2026 – one in Brno and one in Prague. Dates will be announced in due course. Due to its great success, the Data Steward Summer School, organised by the EOSC CZ Training Centre, will also return next year.
The meeting confirmed that data stewardship is more than just a technical discipline – it is a bridge connecting researchers, institutions, and evaluators, across national borders. Thanks to events like the Prague meeting, the Czech data steward community continues to grow stronger and to become an integral part of the European research ecosystem.
Georgia Koutentaki began her studies in Patras, but found her dream laboratory at the University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague. What started as a three-month Erasmus stay eventually turned into doctoral studies, and she decided to remain in Prague. Today, she trains a new generation of data stewards and is an active voice in the international research data management community.
The EOSC Association has launched a call for expert evaluators who will assess applications submitted to the EOSC Gravity preparatory and inter-project grants, aimed at supporting the growth of the EOSC Federation. Interested candidates can apply until 30 January 2026.
