As part of the recent COST feature “Shaping the Future of Research and Innovation in the Western Balkans”, Prof. Vancho Adjiski of Goce Delčev University, North Macedonia, shared how participation in the COST Action REMINDNET transformed his research journey and strengthened regional capacity for sustainable post-mining management.

“Coming from North Macedonia, I faced a familiar Western Balkans challenge: legacy and active mining sites, fragmented data, and limited capacity. COST turned that local problem into a European collaboration,” said Prof. Adjiski.
“Being entrusted to lead Working Group 3 (WG3) in the REMINDNET Action accelerated my leadership, project management, and consensus-building. Through Short-Term Scientific Missions, training sessions, and peer exchange, we co-created practical, open tools: a Best Practices database, a Web GIS application, and a monitoring workflow. Together, these tools make post-mining assessments faster, reproducible, and comparable across sites.”

Prof. Adjiski’s contribution exemplifies how COST enables researchers from smaller or less-represented countries to connect, collaborate, and co-create knowledge that has both local and European relevance. His work within REMINDNET provides a scalable framework for post-mining assessment and monitoring—bridging the gap between scientific evidence and practical environmental action.

“COST is about people, trust, mobility, and a network that helps early-career scientists learn by doing and deliver results that matter,” he noted. “It strengthened my career, expanded my partnerships, and gave our region a shared, scalable path from evidence to action.”

Prof. Adjiski’s story stands as a clear example of how COST Actions like REMINDNET empower researchers to turn regional environmental challenges into opportunities for innovation and international cooperation.