EC2U Student Event 2025: Over 70 European students in Pavia to build the future of Global Citizenship Education

  • EC2U Student Event 2025: Over 70 European students in Pavia to build the future of Global Citizenship Education
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How do you learn to become a global citizen? This was the central question of the EC2U Student Event 2025, which for three days brought in Pavia over seventy students from ten European universities. The event, held from October 7 to 9, brought together students from Poitiers, Coimbra, Salamanca, Jena, Linz, Turku, Iași, and Umeå, along with a delegation from Ivan Franko University of Lviv (Ukraine), an Associated Partner of the Alliance.

The theme chosen for the 2025 edition – “Global Citizenship Education” – guided three days of workshops, meetings, and labs aimed at understanding how the academic world can contribute to forming conscious and active global citizens. The goal? To generate concrete ideas to promote intercultural dialogue, solidarity, and civic engagement.

The event took place at the Pavia Technology Hub, where President Tommaso Mazzocchi welcomed the participants. Institutional greetings followed from the Mayor of Pavia, Michele Lissia, prof. Matteo Alvaro (Vice-Rector for International Affairs and delegate for International Alliances UniPv), prof. Stefano Ramat (President of CUS Pavia and Scientific Coordinator of the work package “Inclusive, Engaged and Mobile EC2U Community), Heloise Zilotti, President of the EC2U Student Council, and Alberto Forte, EC2U Local Coordinator (Center for Global Strategic Engagement – GLOBEC UniPv). The keynote lecture was delivered by Prof. Francesco Costamagna (University of Turin), who emphasized the crucial role of universities as places of transformation, where students can become protagonists of change in an increasingly complex world.

During the working sessions, students had the opportunity to engage with six key topics, each guided by an expert mentor in the field. Alessandra Fuccillo (City Councillor of Pavia) led the group on “Fostering new ways of youth participation in local democratic processes,” exploring innovative forms of youth engagement in local political life.

In the group “Community preparedness to climate change-induced disasters,” Marco Morandotti and Elisabetta Doria (University of Pavia, Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture) addressed issues of resilience and urban sustainability.

The topic “AI Literacy to protect human rights in a digitalised world” was guided by Maria Giovanna Ruberto (University of Pavia), encouraging reflection on the conscious use of artificial intelligence and the protection of human rights. In “Cross-cultural communication and understanding,” Emanuela Dal Zotto and Costanza Marini (University of Pavia) promoted intercultural dialogue as a tool for inclusion and cooperation. Paolo Marangolo (HR Manager, SEA Vision) led the group on “Workers’ rights in the labour market,” focusing on ethics and protection in the world of work. Finally, Chiara Zanchi (CUG/University of Pavia) guided the group on “Eradicating Gender-Based Violence,” an open discussion on how education and awareness can help prevent and combat all forms of gender-based violence.

Urszula Lis (European Students’ Union) and Flavia Raccanelli (4EU+ Alliance, University of Milan) shared their international experiences on how to create effective and inclusive learning opportunities, starting from networking among student organizations and European alliances.

Alongside the discussions and project work, there were opportunities for networking – such as the “Students meet companies” aperitif offered by Assolombarda – as well as activities dedicated to sports, culture, and fun: rafting and beach volleyball with CUS Pavia, “Aperisketch” with DadaLab, visits to the Kosmos Museum and the Botanical Garden, initiatives promoted by ST.E.P. ESN Pavia, and the Plastic Free Pavia social walk, highlighting how sustainability is an integral part of active citizenship.

The three-day event concluded with a public poster session, where students presented seven proposed learning activities: a summer school on artificial intelligence, “HEAT”; a three-day training on urban heat islands, “Beneath the Surface”; a workshop on cultural identity; a welcome week for international students with craft and cooking labs; “No Excuse for Abuse,” a week of activities on preventing gender-based violence; an online course on workers’ rights; and finally, “Artivism for Democracy,” a program to promote youth participation through culture. Different initiatives, united by a shared goal: transforming global citizenship education into concrete, everyday experiences.

The EC2U Student Event 2025 thus closes with enthusiasm and new perspectives. This is the true strength of the EC2U Alliance: a community where students bring energy, vision, and passion to make a real impact today and build a better future together.