Date and Venue: June 2nd and 3rd, European Parliament, Strasbourg Organizer: EPICUR Alliance (as part of the FOREU4ALL initiative) Theme: “From Campuses to Communities: Enhancing Engagement and Sense of Belonging in European Universities”

On June 2nd and 3rd, the European Parliament in Strasbourg hosted a large-scale workshop organized by the EPICUR Alliance within the framework of FOREU4ALL—the umbrella grouping of all participants in the “European Universities” initiative. The forum highlighted the transition from a traditional “project approach” to a genuine “community approach” and brought together over 170 participants (more than 120 onsite and over 50 online), representing 58 European University Alliances.

The central question that united the attendees over the two intense days of the forum was: “How can we strengthen engagement and a sense of belonging within European University Alliances?”

The event provided an excellent platform for exchanging experiences and best practices. Participants discussed the critical need for European Universities to move beyond the framework of short-term projects and evolve into sustainable communities with a long-term impact on students, faculty, researchers, and society.

Key discussions emphasized:

• The essential role of communication teams in building communities;
• Promoting the alliance brands and joint initiatives;
• Enhancing student participation, overcoming barriers to mobility, and strengthening connections between universities and their local communities.
• Creating and sustaining connection and collaboration among alliance staff and academics
• European Universities can become a vehicle to promote European Values, including those around diversity, equity and inclusion

The ENGAGE.EU alliance was represented at the event by Dr. Ivan Valchanov, Coordinator of the alliance’s Dissemination Office, and Rianne Strijker-van Asperen from Tilburg University, Manager of the ENGAGE.EU Research Community Platform. Their active participation contributed to sharing valuable experiences and consolidating the collaborative network.

The forum’s comprehensive program featured plenary discussions, collaborative workshops, and a poster session. Moving from shared challenges to concrete solutions, the workshop yielded highly productive results:

• 26 new ideas were pitched during the sessions.
• 12 key proposals were further developed to specifically benefit students, faculty, and administrative staff.

As was powerfully noted during the event’s closing remarks: the workshop ends here, but the real work begins now. The immediate focus is on turning these shared ideas into concrete actions and continuing the vital mission of building stronger, more united European University communities.