CEETRA Manifesto

Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) rapidly develop their transport systems with the ambitious policies and development plans aiming at increased accessibility, connectivity and sustainability of the region spanning from the Adriatic to the Baltic and to the Black Sea. This dynamics needs to be backed up with an excellent research community, advising the policymakers with the state-of-the-art scientific expertise.

The initiative has five primary objectives:

1. To promote and support excellent research in CEE concerning mobility issues, especially ‘hot topics’, to be realised and disseminated in relevant top journals and conferences. 

2. To help younger scholars reach scientific excellence.

3. To provide a forum for CEE researchers from academia, industry and NGOs, with common interest in mobility issues for ideas and researchers’ exchange, facilitation of collaboration and research impact acceleration.

4. To provide a platform through which mobility research-oriented lobbying can be achieved e.g. in the context of data availability, policy impact or exploration of joint opportunities (policy advisory, funding, collaboration) at international level.

5. To support efforts aimed at improving the quality of education of future transport professionals in the region.

Researchers from within the CEE countries (nationality, affiliation or affection) are welcome to join the initiative. Our objectives are scientific excellence, at the level of: 

• journals (publications in D1 and Q1 ranked journals), 

• funding (national and European competitive grants), 

• conferences (internationally recognised venues) and 

• collaborations (joint papers co-authored with researchers from internationally acknowledged labs and research grounds). 

We invite those who can already prove reaching that kind of excellence (as Mentors) or those who target to reach it (as Followers).  

Scope

The scope of research sought by the initiative is wide and includes (but is not limited to):

• Travel behaviour and demand modelling and simulation

• Quantitative methods with applications to transport research 

• Optimisation and artificial intelligence in transport

• Transport policy and economic appraisal

• Traffic flow theory and simulation

• Freight and logistics

• Transport and environment, including alternative fuels

• Intelligent transport systems

All modes of transport, both passenger and freight, are in scope.

Means

The initiative will initially be realised through a variety of means. 

• Initial kick-off meeting in Autumn 2023, followed by regular meetings (details to be confirmed), including formation of the executive committee to manage the overall initiative

• Presence at recognised conferences (such as hEART, ITEA, IATBR, TRB, NECTAR) via (co-)sponsored calls for papers (CfP) and sessions aimed at realisation of the initiative’s objectives 

• Co-sponsoring of special issues in top journals

• Mentoring initiative, where Mentors help younger scholars reach scientific excellence.

• Collaboration with similar  associations, policy and non-governmental organisations to advance mobility research and its impact in general

• Web and social media presence, 

The language of communication is English.