UG wins two out of six ENLIGHT Impact Awards

During the second edition of the ENLIGHT Impact Awards on 11 June in Bilbao, the UG won two out of six Impact Awards. We congratulate George Azzopardi (Faculty of Science and Engineering) and Sander van Lanen (Faculty of Spatial Sciences) and their teams for this international recognition of their work. Together with third UG nominee Charmaine Borg (Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences), they illustrate the UG’s commitment to excellence and innovation in higher education, as well as our ongoing contribution to top-level research and our commitment to society.

Nominations and Awards

George Azzopardi

ENLIGHT Impact Ambassador 2024

Project nominated and awarded:
Enhancing National and Cross-Border Security: Automatic detection of Face Morphing Attacks

“I am very happy to receive the ENLIGHT Impact Award. It is truly an honor to have our work recognized by such a prestigious alliance. I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to my postdoc, Guru Bennabhaktula, and my collaborators, Bas Timmermans and Kyra Bekman, from RDW (Dutch Driving Authority), which is financing our research project. Additionally, I want to thank the ENLIGHT team for the wonderful event. For me, making an impact with research for the benefit of society is very motivating.”

Sander van Lanen

ENLIGHT Impact Ambassador 2024

Project nominated and awarded:
Michi Noeki as social infrastructure: a rest stop in the neighborhood

“The ENLIGHT impact event is an inspiring event because you see what impact looks like, and how it is achieved, in all its diversity; in different disciplines, for different stakeholders, and in different places. I am proud of the Michi Noeki project and our team's efforts are recognised amidst so many inspiring projects.”

Charmaine Borg

Project nominated:
Invi Bracelet: a nonviolent self-defense tool against (sexual) violence.

“Attending the ENLIGHT Research Impact event was a relevant experience for me. It allowed me to connect with individuals from diverse countries and fields, and various academic levels, all sharing a like-minded approach to the importance of societal impact. We acknowledge that we are funded by society, and it is our responsibility to give back to society, engage with the media, and conduct work that benefits the community. This event, including the workshop, has inspired me to consider the impact of my research ideas from the very beginning, fueling my excitement and motivation.”

ENLIGHT Impact Conference

This ENLIGHT event gathered participants from the ENLIGHT Universities as well as Universities in other European University Alliances. They joined the panel discussion 'Towards Impact: The role of European University Alliances' and the workshop 'What makes research impact so challenging? What can we do to address these challenges?' The session dedicated to 'Bringing theory into practice', allowed the sixteen nominees from the ENLIGHT Universities to showcase their nominated projects. The next ENLIGHT Impact Conference will be hosted by the UG in March 2025.

More information

Click here for more information on ENLIGHT.