Bringing together representatives from 58 European University Alliances, the event provided a unique opportunity to exchange ideas, share good practices and collectively reflect on one central question: how can European University Alliances foster engagement and a genuine sense of belonging among their communities?
UNIVERSEH was represented by Clotilde Lafaille, Communication Officer (Communauté d’universités et établissements de Toulouse), and Milan Grigull, Student Engagement Officer (Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf), who joined communication professionals, community engagement experts, academics and student representatives from across Europe for two days of discussions and collaborative workshops.
Building communities beyond campuses
Throughout the workshop, participants explored a range of topics related to community-building within European University Alliances, including student engagement, communication, multilingualism, inclusion and the long-term sustainability of alliances.
One key message emerged repeatedly: a sense of belonging cannot be created through communication alone. While visibility and awareness remain essential, genuine engagement is built through participation, shared experiences and meaningful interactions between students, staff and wider university communities.
The keynote discussions highlighted the importance of shared values,collaboration, diversity and co-creation as foundations for strong alliance communities. Speakers also stressed the need to involve students not only as beneficiaries of alliance activities, but as active contributors and co-creators.
Learning from good practices across Europe
The workshop showcased numerous initiatives developed by European University Alliances to strengthen engagement and belonging, including student ambassador programmes, student boards, mobility ambassadors, international weeks and community-building events.
Many discussions also focused on a challenge shared by most alliances: ensuring that students and staff are aware of the opportunities available to them and feel connected to the alliance beyond individual projects or mobility experiences.
For UNIVERSEH, these exchanges confirmed the relevance of several existing initiatives, particularly the strong involvement of students through ambassador programmes, mobility opportunities and participation in alliance activities.
Co-creating solutions for the future
A large part of the workshop was dedicated to collaborative design sessions, where participants worked together to develop practical solutions addressing common challenges faced by European University Alliances.
Among the many ideas proposed were initiatives aimed at improving awareness, strengthening participation, creating informal meeting spaces and fostering stronger connections between students, staff and local communities.
Looking ahead
The workshop demonstrated that European University Alliances share many of the same challenges and ambitions when it comes to community engagement. While each alliance has its own context, participants agreed that creating a genuine sense of belonging requires long-term commitment, active participation and opportunities for meaningful connections.
UNIVERSEH is proud to have contributed to these discussions and looks forward to continuing its efforts to build an inclusive, engaged and connected European university community.
