The third mission of universities is becoming an essential part of higher education, highlighting the growing need for developing and improving collaboration between academic and local communities.
From the start, the YUFE Alliance has been evolving into a truly socially responsible European university, a mission reflected in most YUFE activities. Local communities and partners are integral to the YUFE Alliance, and the desire for meaningful and concrete collaboration with these communities was the main motivation behind organizing the YUFE CommUNIty Conference: connecting universities and communities. The conference resulted from the work of the Community & Civic Engagement work package.
The first edition of the YUFE CommUNIty Conference took place on November 14-15, 2024, in Rijeka, and what better venue to host a conference on civic engagement than My Place Under the Sun, a space that holds significant value within the Rijeka community.
The conference gathered over 40 participants from eight YUFE countries. In addition to academic representatives, 13 organizations and institutions from YUFE local communities participated.
Keynote speeches included an address by Rector Snježana Prijić Samaržija on the topic “What Does It Mean to Be an Engaged University”, as well as talks by Thomas Farnell from the Institute for the Development of Education and Zoran Grozdanov from the CeKaDe Association. The event also featured two panel discussions exploring the question “What’s in it for me (WIFM)?” from two perspectives: university and community.
The central part of the conference showcased best practices of YUFE socially engaged initiatives, with ten initiatives presented:
- My Place Under the Sun: Bojana Ćulum Ilić, University of Rijeka
- RaProChe: Caroline Masson, Sorbonne Nouvelle University
- Disconnected Yet in the Spotlight: Energy Poverty in Cañada Real Galiana: Ulpiano Ruiz-Rivas, Universidad Carlos III Madrid
- Death Care: Building the Framework for a Sustainable Funeral Industry in a Superdiverse Society: Katrien Schaubroeck, University of Antwerp
- Refugee Project Maastricht: Mohanad Salloum & Azia Lafleur, RPM
- Community Relations in Bremen/Germany: HERE AHEAD Academy
- University’s Senior Citizen Community: Thomas Neumann, Bremen
- Pilot for Refugees or Asylum-Seeking Women: How Can Universities Train and Foster Integration: Silvia Gallart Paramon & Victor Gros, Universidad Carlos III Madrid
- YUFE Volunteering at the Business Support Centre in Toruń: Piotr Zariczny, Business Support Centre in Toruń
- Biobanking and the Cyprus Human Genome Project: Constantinos Deltas, University of Cyprus
- ECOProd: Laurent Creton & Laurence Allard, Sorbonne Nouvelle University
The presentation of these practices, along with the subsequent discussions, highlighted the significant untapped potential in the context of social engagement. Needs, ideas, and opportunities require mutual openness to be effectively exchanged. Nearly all participants emphasized the importance of continued dialogue and collaboration between communities and universities, where YUFE can play a pivotal role for the benefit of society as a whole.
For more information about the program and a streaming recording of the conference, visit here.