Over the last few weeks, UNIC universities across the alliance hosted the first UNIC Dialogues: special student-centric events under the common theme of an “Inclusive Campus”. The events took on an incredible array of forms, from interactive games and stand-up comedy to collaborative roundtables and zine making.

Read on for special on-site reports from each of these events, alongside photographs and unique insights!

Koç University: Inclusivity and Representation on Campus

The UNIC Dialogues at Koç took the form of a transformative half-day workshop dedicated to addressing inclusivity challenges and enhancing representation within campus. The event, which opened with an inspiring speech by Vice Rector Funda Yağcı Acar, brought together students and administrative staff to foster meaningful dialogues. In the first session, students worked in small groups to identify key issues related to diversity and inclusion in campus life, exploring their causes and real-life impacts. Problems that have been identified represented various fields ranging from international students to gender inequalities. In the second session, these groups developed innovative solutions—ranging from practical steps to long-term institutional changes—and shared their ideas during collaborative roundtable discussions with administrative staff coming from different offices such as Gender Equality or International Community.

This unique format allowed students to voice their concerns while providing administrators valuable insights into problems which student encounter. The day concluded with presentations of actionable strategies and a shared commitment to driving meaningful change. By promoting mutual understanding and empowering collective action, UNIC Dialogues successfully laid the groundwork for a more inclusive and representative campus community.

Malmö University: Re-Imagining the Inclusive Campus

The students at Malmö University helped us to imagine our campus as a more inclusive space by joining in a Re-imaginatorium.

The student dialogue started with a lunch and presentation of the concept. As a warm-up exercise to melt the ice and open up the imagination the students were asked to redefine the University based on a list of adjectives like, brave, colourful, fragile and dizzy and the questions, who and how and where. “I thought this would be more of a lecture, I’m excited for this, it seems like so much fun” said a student from the masters programme in Global politics about the Re-imaginatorium concept.

“We just have to embrace chaos and be creative,” said another student.

After the warm-up the students were asked to explore “what-if” questions to find possible ways to make the campus more inclusive. The group ended up focusing on a meta-question: what if we found the right what-if question?

The discussions in the group covered a wide range of topics, such as diversity and how minorities in themselves carries minorities, intercultural competencies and how active listening and being curious is key to finding the right questions. The results will feed into the work with our new campus area that is currently being planned. Instead of focusing on the physical buildings, the re-imaginatorium focused on the sense of belonging as a way to move towards a more inclusive campus at Malmö University.

University of Deusto: Game of the Goose 

On November 28, the UNIC Students Dialogue brought 15 Deusto students together to explore inclusive campuses through a fun and thought-provoking activity. The activity consisted of a team-based "Game of the Goose" with test questions, reflections, taboo, miming, and debates focused on diversity and inclusion—covering topics such as religion, culture, gender, abilities, accessibility, and more. Students had the space to learn about the University of Deusto's diversity, accessibility, and inclusion strategies, propose their own ideas for institutional improvement and reflect on individual actions to foster an inclusive environment. The activity was organized by the UNIC Student Board members in Deusto in cooperation with its UNIC Office and the support of the different departments of the university.

According to Olaia Mujika and Lucía Marijuan-Requeta, representatives of Deusto in UNIC Student Board, "the UNIC Students Dialogues provided us with the opportunity to understand the diverse realities of individuals in the university and reflect on how we can change our own attitude and behaviours to contribute to a more inclusive community. Additionally, this experience has allowed us to learn about the initiatives undertaken by the university to become a more inclusive institution and think about further needs to be tackled".

University of Oulu: Intersectionality Manuals 

The UNIC Dialogues event was held at the University of Oulu on Monday the 25^th of November as a “Society Club” by the Student Union of University of Oulu - OYY. The event was hosted by UNIC Student Representative and OYY Vice Chair Eveliina Tiusanen. The agenda for the event was to discuss ways that international students could be better integrated into the university’s student societies and their activities.

After an introduction by UNIC staff member Anca Teodosiu, attendees discussed a new “intersectionality manual” that the OYY had produced for student societies and international students. The point of the manual is to give advice and insight to student societies about the kinds of events they could organize that are better suited to international students also and how to have better communication about the events to English speakers. The manual also gives directions on how to contact new international degree students and exchange students, and includes a section explaining Finnish student societies (the heart of student social life here) to international students, and offering different resources.

Discussions at the event went over the challenges of getting international students involved with, and ideas on how to overcome these challenges. With discussions unfolding for well over three hours, there were many suggestions for improvement, and good advice to reflect on and work towards.

University College Cork: Getting Creative

How can we use creative approaches to foster an inclusive campus? This was a question posed by UNIC’s University College Cork student reps Ella Barrett and Maddalena Fortune-Brandi, who delivered a student-facing creative workshop on November 20^th 2024.

Ella and Maddalena brought in creative and educational expertise from across the campus to shape this event for students, consulting staff experts from the Glucksman gallery; the UNIC Thematic Line of Arts, Culture and Creativity; the Centre for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning. Students attended from across campus and a range of university societies.

The event took the form of a creative workshop which invited students to ‘warm up’ their creative approaches and then to share ideas on how to develop inclusion on campus, develop creativity in students, and deliver new creative spaces.

As a next step to this vibrant event, Ella and Maddalena are collating the ideas and identifying the potential for bringing some into reality – collaborating with other UCC students and staff. One of the many themes emerging from the workshop was that students identified they would like to see more representations on campus of the wide range of nationalities and cultures; whether through music, sharing food, a mural or collective collage. The existing UCC ‘rainbow walkway’ for LGBT+ pride was identified as a great existing example of expressing inclusion on campus.

University of Lodz: Voices for an Inclusive Campus 

On December 4^th, students of the University of Lodz, joined by their fellow Ukrainian and UNIC colleagues, took part in a workshop “Voices for an Inclusive Campus.” The event aimed to create a platform for students from diverse backgrounds to share their ideas, experiences, and perspectives on inclusivity within the academic community.

The workshop, lasting an hour and a half, was designed to foster discussions on what an inclusive campus means. The students discussed the barriers to achieving inclusivity in the academic community, as well as offered individual reflections on and how each member of the academic community can contribute to fostering an inclusive environment. “It was inspiring to hear students articulate the concerns they face within their respective universities while also proposing practical and workable solutions,” said Rumbidzai Hodzonge, student of the Faculty of Management at the University of Lodz, and former UNIC Board member.

UNIC Dialogues will continue with more important and pressing topics, to engage students in the co-creation of UNIC on a strategic level and shape the long-term vision of the Alliance.

Erasmus University Rotterdam: Comic Books, Comic Timing, and Connection 

 
“My work is about building new routes towards empathy, towards connection.” – B. Carrot

“If your work can bring together people who would normally never encounter each other, that is a gift.” – Double Dutch

There was art and zine-making. There were lively conversations and insightful questions. And there was plenty of laughter. The first UNIC Dialogue at EUR, organized in collaboration with the university’s IDEA Center, was a balm for divided times – an afternoon of discussions about building bridges, fostering connections, and creating meaningful work driven by empathy and solidarity.

The event was headlined by comic book artist B. Carrot and stand-up comedian Double Dutch, and moderated by UNIC Academic Lead Prof. Dr. Semiha Denktaş. This UNIC Dialogue presented two plenary presentations – one on comic books, the other on comic timing - before leading participants to breakout rooms to discuss ways forward for building a more engaged and inclusive campus life. Through this encounter with the work of two wildly different artists, attendees were inspired to notice a discernment to difference, to find commonality and resonance in what, on the surface, seemed like opposites. That spark led to engaged and passionate ideas in the breakouts, which UNIC will now take forward to create starting points for meaningful connection.

Ruhr University Bochum: Belonging and Support

At RUB's UNIC Dialogue, students from diverse cultural, linguistic, and ethnic backgrounds came together to discuss ways to make the university campus more inclusive and welcoming, brainstorming solutions as a united community. The atmosphere was warm, open and constructive as participants shared their experiences of navigating campus life at RUB, highlighting obstacles they encountered as internationals. Together, they explored practical approaches to fostering a sense of belonging and support, such as making "onboarding" easier and strengthening networking opportunities. 

As part of the preparation for the event, RUB Student Representatives Aizhana and Alex connected with the university’s Internationalization Strategy Board, aiming to implement these ideas and enhance campus inclusivity further. The event also featured a presentation by the RUB International Office, showcasing mobility opportunities for students to engage in multicultural and interdisciplinary learning experiences. The day concluded with a networking session over a shared lunch, where students continued their discussions and strengthened community ties. This initiative reflects RUB's commitment to creating a more international and supportive environment for its diverse student body.

University of Zagreb: Inclusive and Inspiring Campus(es) of the Future

On December 5, 2024, the University of Zagreb hosted its first UNIC Dialogue, a student-focused event exploring the theme of inclusivity in education. Students took center stage, sharing ideas and experiences about how UNIC can shape more inclusive and accessible campuses, both physical and virtual. Vice-Rector Prof. Jurica Pavičić and Prof. Goranka Lalić Novak opened the event, highlighting the importance of collaboration within the UNIC Alliance and the opportunities it offers to enhance student mobility and experiences.

Highlights included a presentation of the UNIC Virtual Campus by Dr. Ognjen Orel (SRCE), showcasing its potential to transform learning experiences through digital innovation. Current and former UNIC student representatives, including Karlo Kožina, Martin Lazić, and Pavao Škoko Gavranović, shared personal insights about UNIC projects, emphasizing the impact of cross-campus connections on students’ academic and personal growth. The “Campus of the Future” panel discussion, moderated by former UNIC student representative Dario Topić, brought together students and experts to discuss the development of inclusive educational spaces. Dario’s experience in UNIC projects added depth to the discussion, particularly in the context of student representation and involvement.

The event also featured a live contribution from Robert Jurčec, who participated remotely from Łódź, Poland, where he represented the University of Zagreb at the UNIC Student Week, "Students for Students of Ukraine - UNIC4U." Adding a creative touch, University of Zagreb students recorded a feature on the UNIC Dialogue for the student TV programme TV Student, contributing to a broader segment about UNIC and its initiatives. 

Photo Credits: Arie Kers (Erasmus University Rotterdam), Dorota Kudlicka (University of Lodz)