The Una Europa Student Congress is an annual gathering of students from the Una Europa partner universities to discuss topics and themes relevant to student communities. In 2024, the Una Europa Student Congress took place from 17 - 20 September at the Freie Universität Berlin (FUB), where students had the opportunity to participate in workshops and micro-challenges addressing central questions about student life at European universities, focusing on topics such as being human in a digital world, the societal impact of universities, and future trends in higher education.
Abutalha Alam, a 3rd Year Computational Social Science student at the UCD College of Social Sciences and Law, participated in the Una Europa Student Congress, alongside five other UCD students. Read more about what Abutalha had to say about his experience below.
This September, I attended the Una Europa Student Congress at Freie Universität Berlin (FUB). I was privileged to represent my university with a few other UCD students at such a unique event. I was given a detailed programme before departure but that still didn't quell the mystery of this unknown new community that I was going into. I didn’t quite know what to expect. But my doubts were quickly dispelled with a week full of inspiring activities and workshops that encouraged students to think critically and engage in discussions about the future of higher education.
For context: Una Europa is an alliance of 11 leading European research universities, with the goal of bringing together students and experts through various disciplines to create a truly European inter-university environment. The Una Europa Student Congress happens every year at one of the 11 partner institutions (and with partner universities in Ukraine) with different themes. The Congress lasted for 4 days and was filled with a plethora of panel discussions, workshops and social gatherings.
Theme
This year’s theme was “Dis-/Assemble: Reinventing the University”, with the focus on:
- Being human in a digital world
- Why universities?
- Future trends in higher education
The first topic was what had drawn me to applying in the first place due to my background in tech and my personal research into the cognitive effects of technology on the human mind.
The first day, I got to know my fellow UCD students a lot better with a quick trip to a botanical garden near FUB. At kick-off time, we arrived at the campus and enjoyed a warm welcome from the rector of FUB and the Una Europa team with an informal meet and greet, allowing us to connect and share dinner in a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
Deep dive
The second day featured insightful workshops, including a deep dive into a workshop I chose with the Future UniLab, to engage critically in a discussion about how we foresee the future of higher education and how we can strive towards such a goal. Future UniLab is essentially a think tank based inside Una Europa that challenges the alliance to provide fresh insights in the medium term, with the long term goal of developing a University of the Future. This workshop was based in FUB’s International House building, which was a 15-minute walk away from the main building. I really enjoyed all the greenery. We participated in a few activities and discussed the general theme of democratising knowledge and the future of education. It was a pleasure to have conversations like this and hearing the perspectives of other students. I will have to say that this workshop was quite unforgettable as I had misplaced my bag in the main building and I had to quickly run back to get it, and the experience of being lost in such a big campus and building was quite thrilling!
The next day, there was a more general focus on the future of higher education, with panel discussions on student well-being, Eurocentrism and the evolving role of universities. Afterwards, the discussion was opened to the wider room, allowing students to raise challenges in the current university system, emphasising the need for a more student-centred approach.
Micro-challenge
Afterwards we had the opportunity to go to a micro-challenge. My micro-challenge involved a visit to K.I.E.Z. - the Artificial Intelligence Entrepreneurship Centre in Berlin (which I was super-interested in, coming from my experience in startups and entrepreneurship). Here, I worked with other students to do an improvisational theatre workshop where we explored the theme of “Being Human in a Digital World”, under the guidance of a very talented Aldo Spahiu. I do have to say that this micro-challenge was extremely fun, with an open environment within the space to explore the topic in a bias-free way, whilst being understanding of everyone's technical or theatrical knowledge. I have to admit, I really enjoyed doing improv theatre. The workshop was so engaging that it has inspired me to pursue improvisation and theatre here in Ireland. By far, my most favourite activity at Una Europa!
Later in the evening, there was a Student Award Showcase, where students got to showcase student visions, ideas, and creativity towards the aim of reinventing the university. Just like the Congress, the scope and theme of the award changes annually. This year’s award asked students to reimagine the University of the Future based on six themes. This can be done in any medium so people were allowed to get creative. My favourite had to be the poem that a student from Madrid presented.
Finally, we wrapped up on day 4 with a feedback session to reflect on our learnings and experiences, and said our goodbyes to all the wonderful people that we had met. UCD had kept us in mind and was happy to let us stay an extra day in Berlin. So we leisurely spent our time on a hop-n, hop-off bus through west Berlin with a friend from the Edinburgh delegation.
Social life
The social activities throughout this Congress were really the cherry on top for me. The social activities, workshops, lunches, and evening meetups and activities that the students themselves planned were truly amazing. The Congress allowed myself and other students an amazing opportunity to get to know one another, and gain insights and aspirations from one another. It has enabled me and all the students in the Congress to engage in quality discussions.
If anyone is considering applying to attend the Una Europa Student Congress or is thinking of getting involved in Una Europa in any capacity in the future, I would highly recommend you to take the leap and snatch the opportunity to open yourself to new experiences and just an exciting experience in general. Una Europa does not discriminate based on discipline and if you feel like you won't be welcome, I would ask you to think again. I study Computational Social Sciences and I come from an entrepreneur tech background, which is a very unusual combination, and this was an amazing experience for me. Una Europa needs people from diverse backgrounds. The more different everyone is, the more nuanced the Congress will become.
I would highly recommend it to anyone, and I am so glad I did it. I have fostered amazing friendships from taking part, and hopefully these relationships that we cultivate will pave the way for a more united Europe.
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