24 June 2025
Collaborative gatherings held at UC3M and NCU marked another successful year for the Civic Engagement Activities. These events offered a space to share experiences, showcase achievements, and present upcoming initiatives linked to Help Desks and volunteering programmes. These international examples show how universities across Europe are increasingly embracing their role as active, responsible members of society.
At the end of each academic year, an event is held at UC3M in which staff, students and external partners running civic engagement activities gather to reflect on their achievements, plan future collaborations, and stimulate their finest team-spirit in a relaxed atmosphere. A similar event also takes place in Toruń, gathering participants involved in Help Desks operating at Nicolaus Copernicus University.
In June, at each institution, more than 30 people gathered on this occasion, including 20 students.
Over the past academic year, students from Toruń and Madrid have hosted dozens of workshops and training sessions for citizens, answered numerous inquiries, and played a key role on the ground to successfully bridge the gap between academia and community. This meeting celebrated these achievements and confirmed that the collaboration between the university and the wider community is not only valuable, but essential and growing.
More than 150 volunteers and dozens of local stakeholders involved this year
Currently, 12 Help Desks operate at NCU and 3 at UC3M. Their mission is to strengthen ties between the university and society while promoting knowledge and education. Students, supported by academic staff, act as experts in their fields and engage in educational and informational outreach, particularly to children, youth, seniors, and caregivers.
Both universities also run a total of 12 community volunteering programmes with local entities. The Red Cross, Save the Children, as well as Getafe, Leganés and Colmenarejo City Councils cooperate with UC3M, whereas the Business Support Center, the Artus Court, the Court Watch Poland Foundation, the Regional Center for Cultural Animation and the Amicus Foundation in Toruń closely work with NCU.
This academic year, more than 150 students were involved in one of these initiatives. 60 of them were rewarded with the YUFE Civic Star: a certificate acknowledging their commitment to society and their community-engaged skills, after actively participating in a civic activity for more than 50 hours.
“Volunteering is also a form of professional training”
“Working at a Help Desk is also a form of professional training,” noted Dr. Katarzyna Kubiak-Wójcicka, coordinator of the Water Management Help Desk in Toruń. “Students respond to real questions from citizens, learning how to work with people and gaining experience that will benefit them in their careers.”
This statement was also part of the discussions in Madrid, where most of the students underlined the “eye-opening -and sometimes life-changing- impact of these activities on both your personal and professional life.”
“These meetings are crucial”, added Prof. Tomasz Oczkowski, coordinator of the Legal Help Desk in Toruń. “They allow students and coordinators to exchange experiences and better understand the needs of the communities they serve.”
“Our activities are especially important for seniors”, said Aleksandra Kuchta, an NCU student and an active member of the Information Verification and Cyberpathology Prevention Help Desk. “This year, we organized training sessions that help older adults navigate the digital space more confidently and make better use of information available exclusively online.”
Even though students bring priceless help to underserved citizens, Uxía, a student involved as YUFE Mentor for Refugees in Madrid, added “Now, I’m convinced that I learnt more from the people I was supposed to help than what they learnt from me! This is a valuable and unexpected experience.”
Read more about community engagement activities and check how you can grow by supporting others
