Background

The ISFC has obtained a small grant to organise a knowledge exchange and networking occasion in Oslo, mainly focused on linking Norwegian and Czech, as well as other Central European experts. Due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the opportunities for professionals to share their expertise and discuss their work have been more limited. We aim to rectify this and create a programme that is useful, informative, and inspirational for researchers, civil society organisation professionals, and professionals from select industries or fields of work. We are aiming to try and bust geographic silos and create an opportunity for brainstorming and connections for future collaborations. All sessions are planned to be very interactive, with 1-3 people kicking off each session with a short presentation or key points for reflection.

The main aims of the activities are as follows:

• To create a networking opportunity for Prague, Budapest, Bratislava, Warsaw, and Oslo-based professionals working on sustainable finance topics.

• To inform, educate, inspire, and motivate participants to tackle the myriad of challenges in a world fighting a global pandemic.

• To exchange experiences and ideas about research projects, project and research impact and plans, and to identify potential research gaps or opportunities for collaboration or mutual support.

• To learn more about the challenges faced by professionals working on sustainable finance issues in Norway vs. those working on the same topic in Czechia and the wider Central European region.

• To share contacts and useful information about developments in sustainable finance in Europe and beyond.

• To have an opportunity to share insights from latest research and work done by organisations across the two regions.

See the agenda of the exchange in separate events.