From 7 to 10 April 2026, the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Rijeka hosted the transnational meeting of the research team engaged in the project RE:LEARN – Liminal Pedagogy: Redefining Learning through Community Engagement, Reflection and Transformation, led by Prof. Bojana Ćulum Ilić, PhD, from the Department of Education. The project is funded by the NextGenerationEU programme. The meeting brought together project partners from the University of Rijeka (Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Academy of Applied Arts), Matej Bel University (Slovakia), and the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca (Romania).
During two intensive working days, participants engaged in advancing the project’s research framework, with a particular focus on the development of complementary quantitative and qualitative research designs. Key discussions addressed the conceptualisation of the (European) civic-minded graduate, as well as creative methodological approaches to exploring community-engaged learning and its biographical impact. The meeting also provided space for joint reflection on project progress and alignment of future research activities.
Beyond its formal agenda, the meeting reaffirmed the importance of collaborative, values-driven research in the field of higher education and community engagement. It highlighted the role of dialogue, mutual learning, and interdisciplinary exchange in addressing complex societal challenges and redefining the role of universities in contemporary society.
Importantly, the RE:LEARN project also represents a meaningful point of connection between the YUFE (Young Universities for the Future of Europe) and EMERGE European University Alliance, strengthening synergies between two European university alliances committed to innovation in teaching, learning, and societal engagement.
