The goal of the session held between April 29 to May 2 this year, the first in-person meeting of the Network since 2019, included collaborative workshopping among partners from the programme’s different regions to explore common themes, and discussing approaches for improved gender and social inclusion in borderland research. The event also kicked off the XCEPT Women Researchers Fellowship, providing opportunities for the fellows to develop their research ideas and make connections with senior researchers working in similar fields. Read the full event report here.