Euniverse Meets the Erasmus Generation in Ancona

The Euniverse project consortium was proudly represented at the Erasmus Generation Meeting (EGM), held in Ancona, Italy, from April 3rd to 6th, 2025. Under the theme Empowering Youth as the Changemakers of Society, the event brought together over 1,000 participants, including students, ESN volunteers, and key stakeholders such as EU policymakers, Erasmus+ National Agencies, and university representatives.

The EGM serves as a platform for the Erasmus Generation to amplify their voices and actively contribute to shaping the future of international mobility. It fosters dialogue, influence, and innovation to enhance higher education mobility programmes across Europe.

In alignment with this vision, and the core objectives of the Euniverse project, consortium partners hosted two dynamic sessions during the event.

The first session, “International Exchange: A Human Rights and Values-Based Approach”, aimed to pilot interactive activities from an upcoming course on EU values currently being developed within the project. Participants were guided through reflective discussions, starting with the prompt “Where do I feel local?”, and gradually expanding the conversation to explore how students experience and embody European values during their exchange.

On the second day, partners facilitated a workshop titled “Empowering Student Voices:How to Listen to Students to Make Welcome Weeks More Impactful!”. This session followed the Student Dialogues methodology, a cornerstone of the Euniverse project, which brings together students, student representatives, and university staff. The discussion focused on the support exchange students receive during their initial arrival period, highlighting strategies to foster smoother integration into host communities.

Through these contributions, the Euniverse team not only raised awareness about the project’s goals but also used the opportunity to test and validate project activities. Feedback from participants will inform further development, ensuring that the project continues to respond to the real needs and voices of students.

• Date: 5 June 2025

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Student Dialogues for Improved Student Mobility Experience

One of the core objectives of the Euniverse project is to reflect on and improve integration measures for international students, empowering them to shape their own exchange experience, and supporting higher education institutions in adopting a student-centred approach to inclusion and engagement.

To this end, project partners hosted a series of Student Dialogue sessions, which aimed to create a safe and open space for discussions between students and the academic community (including staff, policy makers, student organisations, and refugee students). The objective was to gain an in-depth understanding of integration during mobility from the student perspective, while giving them agency in shaping institutional practices. Dialogue topics included students’ information needs prior to mobility, availability and accessibility of support services, types of integration activities students find useful, their experience in integrating into local student communities, and the extent to which they are involved in shaping integration measures.

Between December 2024 and April 2025 a total of 7 student dialogues have been held across partner universities: the Universities of Granada, Poitiers, Cologne, Pavia, Lviv, Utrecht and at the Jagiellonian University. The dialogues brought together over 90 exchange and degree-seeking international students, local students, and more than 25 university staff members from international offices, and other student services bodies.

While a detailed analysis of feedback is still underway, the preliminary results already demonstrate the value of the initiative. Project partners reported that these dialogues should become a regular practice at their institutions, highlighting the invaluable insights shared by students. Participants described the sessions as a meaningful opportunity to voice their experiences and challenges related to integration and inclusion.

A summary report and highlights from the Student Dialogues will be published soon. These findings will inform the development of the “Integration and Empowerment Manual” - a practical guide to help higher education institutions enhance their welcome strategies and support services for international students.

• Date: 5 June 2025

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EUniverse survey for university staff

Help us foster integration of internationals and refugees by contributing to this survey!

• Date: 12 December 2024

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Launch of the EUniverse survey

The E+ EUNIVERSE project, rooted in European values and civic engagement, strives to improve institutional frameworks for international student mobility, emphasizing inclusion, perseverance, and success. By facilitating exchanges among mobility stakeholders, including students themselves, the project aims to nurture an environment conducive to the adoption and implementation of best practices within higher education institutions and beyond. Within this context, one of the first challenges the EUNIVERSE consortium wants to tackle is that of better integrating international students into local student life. This implies defining what integration is for students and institutions, recognizing the several internal and external barriers that might be hindering full integration, identifying if research has been carried out on the topic and if best practices, innovations and projects dedicated to analyzing and/or solving this issue exist in European or international institutions.

To gather insights into individual or institutional perspectives and ideas regarding this challenge, we invite you to participate to one of the following EUNIVERSE surveys:

International Relations Staff

We invite you to share insights in this survey on integration challenges for students. Your perspectives will shape strategies to foster a more inclusive environment; potential research, studies or best practices will help stakeholders analyze their own contexts and situations. Your contribution will help the EUNIVERSE consortium shape methodologies and workshops that could be used in diverse fields of education to advance the issue of integration of international students within European institutions.

Students

Whether you are a local or international student, we invite you to share your views and experiences on integration challenges you face and ideas for improvement that you would like to suggest. Your contribution will guide initiatives to create workshops based on the needs you have expressed, to enhance the student experience in European institutions and to promote cross-cultural understanding, fostering a more cohesive and welcoming student community.

The results of the survey will be analyzed and shared on EUNIVERSE website and through several channels of communication. Follow us on social media to be informed about the results.

• Date: 06 May 2024

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