"This unique project contributed to enhancement of careers of young astronomers and to education of general publics in astronomy. Astronomy requires international interaction and this is usually the first step to future career prospects of early career researchers. However, there are not many targeted schemes focusing on exchanges between observatories like IAC Roque de Los Muchachos at La Palma. With our project, we filled this gap. We enabled mobility and expertise exchange for 21 young researchers, almost twice as much than originally planned 14. Several of the young astronomers obtained consequently top jobs in astronomy such as an ESO PhD studentship or ESA postdocotoral fellowship or even a tenure track professorship position. We tried to be as transparent as possible and researchers participating in the mobility scheme were sharing their unique experiences with public via our blog page http://erasmus.asu.cas.cz/erasmus2017/blog.html . We also presented our research in the form of a book written by expert authors from partner institutes, disseminating our project work to many new readers. Furthermore, we also disseminated our ideas through two summer schools which were organized for students from outside of the project. One took place at Stara Lesna, Slovakia in 2019 and the other was fully virtual due to pandemics of COVID-19 and it was organized from Brno, Czech Republic. Our participants gave more than 32 talks and lectures and we were also able to present a cycle of lectures on ""Life in the Universe"" for the general public which had more than 100000 views on Youtube channel. We pursued a unique pilot project with pre-schooler kids when we worked with the local kindergarten in Ondrejov, Czech Republic on the project ""Exoplanets in the Universe"". Kids aged 5-6 were present for video projection of pictures of the Universe on the roof of the Perek telescope dome and then they worked with their teachers on the presentation of their understanding of exoplanets. The results were presented to teachers and parents in the community session in the Astronomical Institute in Ondrejov in the library. Kids works were also left for a small exhibition. We recognize that every young kid has a huge potential and growth later in young peoples lives comes through initial stimuli which we hoped to achieve. Even if only one kid from the present group would go to study natural sciences, our goal was achieved. Astronomical research is about collaboration on an international scene. It is about high tech instruments and it unveils the greatest mysteries of the Universe we are living in. Our project contributed to scientific unveiling of these mysteries and also helped to boost careers of the young researchers (even perhaps the potential of the smallest ones). All our results are included in the Dissemination Platform and listed in the detailed report attached."

"Our novel project principally comprises mobilities which form the backbone of a programme for educating new leaders in astronomical research through international collaboration across old and new EU member states. This new project will make use of our previous successful partnership ""Per Aspera Ad Astra Simul"" which initiated these collaborations. We are a partnership of research institutes in astronomy and universities from Czech Republic, Slovakia and Spain. We include a new partner Charles University widening the expected impact of the project and bringing new possibilities for participating early career researchers. Other partners are Astronomical Institute of Czech Academy of Sciences (coordinator), Masaryk University in the Czech Republic, Astronomical Institute of Slovak Academy of Sciences and Comenius University on Slovak side and Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias in Spain. All partners have established track records in astronomical research.We aim at educating and fomenting the development of new leaders in astronomical research as achieved by international mobilities. Furthermore, we intend to educate our early career researchers in topics of astronomy which are active areas of research at partner institutes. In addition, we will disseminate our know-how to external audiences by organizing scientific seminars streamed live, by publishing scientific papers on hot topics in astronomy and by organizing international summer schools for early career researchers. We would like to include also an educational component by including pupils project work on selected astronomical topics which will implant a positive image of natural sciences and strengthen ties between scientific researchers and schools. Finally, the last component of our project will be a series of public lectures aimed at a broad audience, which will provide a valuable and rewarding connection between researchers and the general public. We expect a broad international impact from our project which will be mirrored by interest from the international astronomical community. Such impact can be measured by publication count and later by citation counts. The impact of seminars can be measured by online and in-person audience numbers. We also expect local impact from our educational activities of pupils and via public talks. Therefore, we will have impact from the top (not only) EU-wide level through to regional and local levels.Longer term benefits from the project will be lasting partnerships among research groups at partner institutes, new leaders which take up their appointments in next years and who will be directing new research groups and develop their own new research fields. Furthermore, we will also seed interest in pupils who hopefully acquire positive views on the natural sciences. The planned lecture series for the general public will have a long lasting effect of positive perception of astronomy on a non-academic audience."

The European Solar Telescope (EST) will be a revolutionary Research Infrastructure that will play a major role in answering key questions in modern Solar Physics. This 4-meter class solar telescope, to be located in the Canary Islands, will provide solar physicists with the most advanced state-of-the-art observing tools to transform our understanding of the complex phenomena that drive the solar magnetic activity. The principal objective of the present Preparatory Phase is to provide both the EST international consortium and the funding agencies with a detailed plan regarding the implementation of EST. The specific objectives of the proposed preparatory phase are: (1) to explore possible legal frameworks and related governance schemes that can be used by agencies to jointly establish, construct and operate EST as a new research infrastructure, with the implementation of an intermediate temporary organisational structure, as a previous step for future phases of the project; (2) to explore funding schemes and funding sources for EST, including a proposal of financial models to make possible the combination of direct financial and in-kind contributions towards the construction and operation of EST; (3) to compare the two possible sites for EST in the Canary Islands Astronomical Observatories and prepare final site agreements; (4) to engage funding agencies and policy makers for a long-term commitment which guarantees the construction and operation phases of the Telescope; (5) to involve industry in the design of EST key elements to the required level of definition and validation for their final production; (6) to enhance and intensify outreach activities and strategic links with national agencies and the user communities of EST. To accomplish the aforementioned goals, this 4-year project, promoted by the European Association for Solar Telescopes (EAST) and the PRE-EST consortium, encompassing 23 research institutions from 16 countries, will set up the Project Office