CIVICA is proud to announce the selected projects for the 2025–26 Student Engagement Fund, an initiative that empowers students to develop cross-campus collaborations addressing Europe’s most pressing societal challenges.
The Student Engagement Fund supports student-led activities that promote civic engagement, democratic participation, interdisciplinary dialogue and policy innovation across the alliance. This year’s selected projects reflect CIVICA’s mission to foster a vibrant transnational community committed to public value and social impact.
EU AI Hack: Policy Hack for Strategic EU Governance
Led by students from the Hertie School, IE Madrid and SNSPA, EU AI Hack is a six-month, multi-campus initiative tackling critical challenges in European AI governance. Through collaboration with policymakers, EU institutions and civil society, students will develop digital prototypes and policy briefs on algorithmic bias, data governance and transparent AI systems. Designed for real-world adoption, the project aims to create a scalable model for student-driven policy innovation and will engage more than 2,500 CIVICA students through open resources and knowledge-sharing.
EUWISE 2026 – Women in Social Sciences: A European CIVICA Summit
Hosted at the Hertie School with hybrid participation across the alliance, EUWISE 2026 is a one-day summit advancing gender equality in the social sciences. The event features a keynote, expert panels and a foresight hackathon where students design evidence-based EU gender policies across sectors such as economics, climate, finance and AI. With gender parity still estimated over a century away, the initiative seeks to accelerate progress by driving actionable commitments across CIVICA campuses.
AI and Democracy: How to Tackle Misinformation in the Digital Era
This interactive project brings together students and experts to address how AI can be governed responsibly within democratic systems. Using Model EU and UN formats, participants will simulate negotiations among governments, civil society and digital platforms on issues such as AI-driven misinformation, algorithmic bias and digital accountability. The project culminates in a policy paper with concrete recommendations for ethical and transparent AI governance in Europe.
Voices of CIVICA
Voices of CIVICA is a student-produced series of video podcasts and debates featuring faculty, researchers and practitioners from across the alliance. Designed to strengthen interdisciplinary dialogue, the series will explore key social challenges from multiple academic perspectives. Episodes will be shared on YouTube and other platforms, supporting CIVICA’s commitment to open knowledge, inclusion and student-led communication.
STRIK: Strengthening Democratic Resilience through Inclusive Knowledge Practices
This two-day interactive conference explores how universities can help strengthen European democracy by bridging gaps between academia, policymakers and citizens. Through workshops with experts from six CIVICA universities, the conference will examine how inequality, marginalisation and public mistrust affect democratic resilience. Participants will co-develop strategies for inclusive knowledge practices that rebuild democratic participation and empower underrepresented communities.
Information Wars: Disinformation and Manipulation in the 21st Century
Organised by student groups from SGH Warsaw School of Economics and Bocconi University, Information Wars focuses on combating misinformation in an era of AI and digital manipulation. Through workshops, media-based educational tools and conferences, the project aims to create a student-driven information channel amplifying informed debate across Europe.
BRIDGE
Developed jointly by SASSE Sustainability Group (Stockholm) and Sciences Po Environnement (Paris), BRIDGE confronts rising social and political polarisation by fostering constructive dialogue on sustainability. Through a panel series bringing opposing viewpoints into the same room, the initiative seeks to rebuild trust, empathy and common ground—key ingredients for collaborative climate action.
Inter-Collegiate Policy Summit
Hosted at the London School of Economics in partnership with student groups from IE University and Sciences Po, the Inter-Collegiate Policy Summit will unite students to debate key challenges for Europe’s future. With roundtables led by professors and policy experts, the summit will explore European defence, liberalism and reform in a rapidly changing world. The event aims to inspire pragmatic, forward-looking policymaking.
The CareKit Initiative
The CareKit Initiative educates young people about the structural causes of homelessness while engaging them in assembling and distributing CareKits with essential items in Vienna, Paris, and Madrid. Through seminars, hands-on collaboration with NGOs, and reflective discussions, the project challenges stigma and fosters empathy, social responsibility, and continued engagement with social inequality.
The CIVICA Student Engagement Fund continues to strengthen cross-campus collaboration and empower students to shape Europe’s future. Through innovative, inclusive and impact-driven initiatives, this year’s selected projects demonstrate the energy and creativity of the CIVICA student community.
