Università degli studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia

UNIMORE’s UNIgreen Festival Takes Centre Stage at the European Parliament

A delegation from the UNIgreen Alliance, including representatives from UNIMORE, took part in the FOREU4ALL Community workshop, “From Campuses to Communities: Enhancing Engagement and Sense of Belonging in European Universities”. The event brought together over 140 participants from more than 65 European University Alliances to discuss strategies and tools aimed at boosting the involvement of academic communities and consolidating a shared European identity.

During the two days of work, some of the most relevant themes for the future of European Universities were addressed, including inclusion, international mobility, local visibility, the recognition of skills, and the empowerment of academic communities. Through plenary sessions, working groups, participatory activities, and presentations of concrete experiences, participants developed twelve project prototypes designed to transform the Alliances’ main challenges into opportunities for growth and engagement.

In this context, UNIgreen presented a poster dedicated to the UNIgreen Festival – Student-led Community on Sustainable and Democratic Participation, an initiative coordinated by UNIMORE and recently hosted in Reggio Emilia. The Festival was showcased as an innovative model of student participation, capable of integrating experiential learning, international collaboration, and active citizenship.

Organised as a Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) and under the scientific direction of Professor Massimiliano Panarari, the Festival involved students from the eight partner universities of the UNIgreen Alliance in a programme dedicated to sustainability, democratic participation, civic engagement, and the values of European citizenship. Workshops, visits to laboratories and local organisations, and meetings with institutions, alongside moments of intercultural exchange, allowed participants to experience first-hand models of participatory governance and collaboration between universities, communities, and citizens.

One of the most highly commended aspects of the initiative was the active role of the students, who were involved not only in the educational activities but also in the design and organisation of the event itself. Indeed, students from UNIMORE contributed to defining the Festival's content and activities, tangibly embodying the principle of active participation, which represents one of the core pillars of the UNIgreen Alliance.

Another distinctive element of the project was its strong link with the Emilia region. Key local organisations, such as the Reggio Children Foundation, Legacoop, and the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium, offered students opportunities to engage with real-world examples of collective responsibility, cooperation, and shared governance.

The presentation of UNIMORE’s experience in Strasbourg confirms the value of the path developed within UNIgreen and the increasingly significant role that students play in building European Universities. Student engagement emerged as one of the central themes of the entire FOREU4ALL workshop, highlighting the need to develop participation models that empower students to become key players in academic life and decision-making processes.

Categorie: International - english, Notizie_eng