April 20 – April 24
The UNIgreen Summer Festival is organised in the framework of the BIP: Student-led Community for Sustainable and Democratic Participation
Will it be you this year?
- Language: English
- Dates physical mobility: 20 to 24 April 2026
- Location: Reggio Emilia (Italy) – Polo Didattico-Capannone 15C – Reggiane Parco Innovazione Piazzale Europa 1 Reggio Emilia
- Dates virtual mobility: Early April 2026
- Number of ECTS: 5 ECTS
- Maximum number of participants: 40 (5 by UNIgreen Institution)
Target Participants
The programme is designed for students from UNIgreen member universities who are interested in sustainable and democratic participation, student representation, and civic engagement within higher education and society. It is also suitable for students motivated to work in interdisciplinary and international teams and engage with local actors and applied contexts.
Undergraduate and graduate students from UNIgreen Institutions.
Subject
The UNIgreen Festival brings together students from all the Higher education Institutions of the UNIgreen Alliance to share ideas, experiences, and perspectives on what it means to participate actively and responsibly in university life and society.
At its core, the festival is about students taking ownership. It invites them to move beyond attendance and become contributors: to question, to propose, to collaborate, and to reflect on how sustainability and democracy can be practiced every day within higher education. Rooted in the principles of active citizenship, inclusion, and social responsibility, the initiative encourages students to see themselves as part of a wider European community.
By connecting academic dialogue with practical experiences, the festival supports student involvement in governance, civic engagement, and international cooperation, in line with Erasmus+ priorities and the broader mission of the European University Alliances.
This is a unique course in which the core activities take place directly in the field, allowing students to gain hands-on experience in real conservation settings. It offers an exceptional opportunity to combine scientific knowledge with practical skills, teamwork and direct contact with European wildlife and conservation professionals.
Objectives
The festival is designed to:
- Encourage students to engage confidently in democratic processes
- Create space for student-led initiatives and shared decision-making
- Promote campus communities that are inclusive and sustainable
- Strengthen intercultural dialogue and a sense of European belonging
- Develop transversal competences that support future employability
- Connect university learning with local and regional innovation ecosystems
Skills
- Thematic sessions on Student Leadership and Democratic Participation, including representation, co-governance, deliberative models, transparency, accountability, and student-driven institutional innovation
- Focus on political communication and transformations of public opinion and the public sphere in the digital age
- Sessions on democratic innovation
- Activities on Sustainable Student Communities, including environmental, social, and cultural sustainability; universities as living labs; inclusion, equity, and well-being; and local initiatives
- Focus on European Citizenship and Transnational Cooperation, including mobility, intercultural dialogue, peer learning, and European values
- Civic Engagement and Societal Impact, including engagement with local institutions and civil society, youth participation in public debate, and universities as drivers of social innovation
- Skills development activities:
- Public Speaking and Communication for Job Hunting and representative roles
- AI Tools for Job Hunting and Personal Assessment (tbc)
- Experiential learning through visits to UNIMORE
- Engagement with local democratic institutions
- Responsible use of AI tools for CV writing and job search strategies
- AI-supported self-assessment of skills and career development
- Opportunities, limits, and ethical dimensions of AI in recruitment
Programme
Day 1
9:00 – 9:30
Registration and Welcome
9:30 – 11:00
Introduction to the Programme and Presentation of UNIgreen Alliance
11:00 – 11:30
Break
11:30 – 13:00
Getting to Know Each Other – Icebreaking and Team Building
13:00 – 14:30
Lunch break (on site)
14:30 – 16:30
Visit to UNIMORE Research Laboratories
16:30 – 18:00
Free Time
18:00 – 18:45
Sala del Tricolore Visit – Reggio Emilia Municipality Welcome
18:45 – 19:30
Reggio Emilia City Center Walk
19:30 – 21:30
“Aperitivo Rinforzato” Welcome Party-Chiostri di San Pietro
Day 2
9:00 – 10:30
Class: Foundations of Democracy and Student Participation
10:30 – 11:00
Break
11:00 – 13:00
Workshop: Participatory Governance in Higher Education
13:00 – 14:30
Lunch break (on site)
14:30 – 16:30
Student associations time
Day 3
7:30 – 14:30
Field Trip to Consortium Parmigiano Reggiano – Cooperative Governance Model:
- Sustainability and Territorial Development
- Lunch
19:00 – 23:00
Earth Day Party
Day 4
9:00 – 10:30
Legacoop
10:30 – 11:00
Break
11:00 – 12:00
AI Tools for Job Hunting and Ethical Use in Recruitment
12:00 – 13:30
Public Speaking
13:30 – 14:30
Lunch break (on site)
14:30 – 18:00
Visit and Dialogue Session at Reggio Children Foundation
Day 5
9:00 – 10:30
Workshop: Civic Engagement and European Citizenship
10:30 – 11:00
Coffee break
11:00 – 13:00
Final Roundtable with the Rector and Evaluation Session-Closing Ceremony and Certificates
13:00 – 14:30
Farewell Lunch
How to apply?
The student’s home university may conduct an internal selection process for the BIP. Registration is possible only through the International Office (or the relevant mobility office) of the student’s home institution, and must be completed after the participant has received official confirmation of their eligibility to take part in the BIP.
Deadline for admission is 31 March 2026.
