A joint meeting of the Steering Committee and the Executive Committee of the DEFEP project took place on December 22, 2023 in an online format. Representatives of the partner universities joined the event to discuss the results of the first year of the project and identify key tasks for the next year. The DEFEP project coordinator Olena FILIMONOVA presented a brief report on the implementation of tasks of the second package and, partially, of the first and third packages, demonstrated the current reflection of the DEFEP project in the EU Project Management System and confirmed the timeliness of reporting on the results. The meeting also saw the final approval of the Project Management Plan, which is one of the deliverables of the first package. On the eve of the Christmas and New Year holidays, we congratulate all the participants of the DEFEP project, a large and well-coordinated, inspired and productive team! We sincerely wish you happiness and joy, peace and harmony, well-being and prosperity. And may the next year bring creative ideas for new projects, and may the existing ones be successful!