The CHANGER Project was featured in the 2nd Working Meeting of the Presidents of Research Ethics Committees (RECs) of Greek Universities, held at the University of Macedonia, Greece on 6 May 2025. CHANGER partner, Ioannis Manos from the University of Macedonia (UM), participated as an invited speaker, sharing key insights from the project with leading representatives from across the Greek academic ethics community.

In his presentation, Ioannis Manos outlined the progress and core findings of the CHANGER Project, placing particular emphasis on their relevance to the Greek context of RECs. He explored how Research Ethics Committees can develop new tools to meet challenges posed by rapid technological advancements and evolving research methodologies, as well as how researchers themselves can more meaningfully integrate ethical considerations throughout their work.

Drawing on the project’s international perspective, I. Manos highlighted several common challenges:

• A persistent lack of dialogue and mutual understanding between RECs and researchers.
• An urgent need for training, support, and clearly defined roles.
• The importance of cooperation and mutual trust.

He also stressed the diversity of national academic frameworks and legislation across Europe, underscoring the need for flexible and adaptive approaches to ethics review. In this context, he advocated for a gradual, dialogical process that respects the unique characteristics of each environment.

Closing the presentation, four key reflections on enhancing the role of ethics in research were shared:

1. Ethical conduct is a continuous process of dilemmas and decisions—not merely a formality.
2. Ethics discussions risk remaining superficial if approached solely as procedural tasks.
3. The relationship between RECs and researchers must be recognised as critical at every stage of the research process.
4. The overarching aim should be to deepen the dialogue between RECs and researchers, moving beyond compliance toward genuine engagement.