On secondment at the Democratic Society (DemSoc)

Two of the CoDesign4Transitions Doctoral Candidates, Anna Filippi and Eugenia Rosina, are doing secondments at the Democratic Society (DemSoc) in Brussels. Anna and Eugenia are undertaking their PhD research at Politecnico di Milano and Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design respectively. As Anna’s secondment at DemSoc draws to an end, she has reflected on the experience.

What has been the focus of your secondment and what has it involved?

During my three-month secondment at DemSoc, I worked on the NetZeroCities (NZC) project, focusing on how it supports European cities in their transition toward climate neutrality.

My work involved conducting semi-structured interviews with participating cities to explore how NZC contributes to strengthening local capacities, enabling systemic approaches, overcoming organisational silos, and fostering collaboration across stakeholders.

How has this experience benefitted your research?

This experience provided valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities cities face when pursuing climate neutrality and the role of intermediaries like NZC in supporting transformative change. Being based in the Brussels office also allowed me to connect with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise working on a wide range of projects.

Through these interactions, I was able to exchange ideas, gain new perspectives for my PhD research, and expand my professional network.