Hello everybody!
My name is Anastasiia Petrova, and I’m a research fellow in the PARTICIPATE project based at the University of Turku, Finland. I would like to share my experience of an academic secondment at Parents International in the Netherlands, the new things I have tried during this journey, and how the idea of “research meeting practice” has gained a much deeper meaning for me.
Originally, I was supposed to complete a secondment in Ireland. Unfortunately, due to a very long and unsuccessful visa processing, I was unable to attend it. At that point, Eszter Salamon from Parents International kindly suggested that I could undertake a secondment with their organisation in the Netherlands instead.
Parents International is an independent organisation working in the fields of research, advocacy and training. Its mission is to empower parents worldwide to become active contributors to positive social change by supporting their children in growing into healthy, happy and engaged citizens of the 21st century.
Before this secondment, I had already attended a Parents International event as part of my PhD journey within the MSCA PARTICIPATE project. In 2025, I participated in the Parent Summit in Georgia. It was there that I realised how important it is to communicate research in a way that is understandable to different audiences. Even the most valuable findings can only make an impact if people are able to engage with them and reflect on their relevance. Moreover, when it comes to applying research findings in practice, researchers need to learn how to translate complex theories and models into something meaningful and useful for people outside academia. What was also very helpful regarding it is a training on communication that we, doctoral candidates, received at the University of Stavanger during the Winter school.
All in all, translating research and talking about it in a more accessible way became one of the key goals of my secondment.
At the beginning of my stay, I faced an interesting task, almost a challenge for me.I was invited to present findings from my work within the PARTICIPATE project during a “Life Skills” training session at Vytautas Magnus University in Lithuania, attended by active teachers. It was a very valuable experience. I felt a strong sense of responsibility, but in a positive way. I needed to find a way to explain concepts that often seem complicated even to me, despite researching them for a considerable time, in a manner that was clear, engaging and accessible to practitioners.
Another important part of my secondment involved working together with Eszter Salamon, Luca László and Adrienne Katz on an advocacy toolkit that incorporates findings from the PARTICIPATE project. By combining academic research, practical expertise and stakeholder perspectives, the advocacy toolkit transforms research evidence into practical recommendations designed to support those who wish to create positive change through policy development, professional practice or improved support for children and families.
In addition, I contributed to the development of a practical guide for parents on preventing and responding to bullying and cyberbullying. The guide is based on research conducted within the PARTICIPATE project and aims to provide parents with accessible and easy-to-use support. Our goal was to create a resource that can help parents feel more informed, confident and prepared when facing situations in which their child may be involved in (cyber)bullying.
The final stage of my secondment was attending the 2nd European Forum on Digital Citizenship Education. The event was filled with inspiring conversations and fruitful discussions on various topics, including cyberbullying and well-being online. It left me with many thoughts and reflections, so I feel it deserves a separate blog post of its own, so stay tuned!
Of course, a secondment is not only about work and professional development. Spring was a wonderful time to visit the Netherlands. During my stay, I had the opportunity to explore several cities, including Utrecht, Amsterdam and Leiden. I met with colleagues and friends, enjoyed the sea and experienced the beautiful blooming season at Keukenhof. These moments added a special dimension to my secondment and made the experience even more memorable.
Looking back, this secondment has shown me how valuable it is to build bridges between research and practice. It reminded me that producing knowledge is only one part of the process. Equally important is ensuring that this knowledge can reach people, support them and contribute to meaningful change in their everyday lives.
Anastasiia Petrova
