CIVICA

Editor’s Note

With the upcoming semester at SSE looming closer, you, as a student, are surely faced with the difficult choice between specializations and electives. One opportunity open to students is to engage with CIVICA, the pan-European universities organization that seeks to encourage civic engagement and promotes a cross-border view on European social problems. 

The following article offers a feeler for all potential students who would like to participate in one or more of the many initiatives available here at SSE and those given in conjunction with other leading universities around Europe. If you are interested in joining any of the upcoming courses, these are available for sign up until December 5th through the Portal. 

Sincerely,

Egor Hagberg, Editor-in-Chief

CIVICA - A New Pillar for European Education

The European University of Social Sciences, CIVICA, connects ten universities across Europe, one of which is SSE. Since 2019, its mission has been to empower researchers and equip students with the knowledge necessary to deal with the challenges faced by Europe and the world. 

In the words of Laurence Romani, who is responsible for the organization’s academic work with SSE: 

“CIVICA is much more than education, it’s the ambition to strengthen our societies with the knowledge gained from studying social sciences such as management or economics but also history or sociology. A key point of the CIVICA alliance is the will to make a difference and have an impact, and thus many activities are offered to students for projects that engage with public or private organizations.” 

So, what can CIVICA offer you, as a bachelors or masters student at SSE? 

CIVICA Engage Track and the European Week 

Every year, a few applicants are enrolled in CIVICA Engage, an interdisciplinary program that combines field work with the opportunity for exchange. The program focuses on civic engagement, and can be done either at the student’s own institution or on exchange. The courses revolve around societal change and involve working with local organizations and issues specific to the host country. 

The European week is a central part of the CIVICA Engage track. Each year, it is hosted by one of the CIVICA universities, including but not limited to: Sciences Po in Paris, LSE in London, CEU in Budapest. It is an opportunity for undergraduate students from different countries to meet and participate in projects together. Following a theme, the week combines activities and lectures by professors and experts from different universities. In June 2022, 40 bachelors students attended the event, which was hosted by Bocconi University in Milan and focused on sport and social impact. 

CIVICA also works as a platform for student-led initiatives, such as the European Student Assembly. 

“CIVICA encourages students to create their own projects with students from other universities, which is a fantastic opportunity,” says SSE’s student representative to CIVICA, Lovisa Bergdahl. 

Opportunities for Masters Students and PhD Students 

Every year, CIVICA brings together faculty from different universities to teach joint masters courses. Courses are taught by faculty from two CIVICA universities: past courses include Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship, Gendering Illiberalism, and Welfare States in Transition. 

There is also the possibility for a few masters students to participate in the yearly Europeanship multi-campus course. This course is taught in a digital format, also by a team of professors from different CIVICA universities. Integrated with the course’s four digital modules are local activities, with students from different countries encouraged to work together in developing policy solutions to problems at the EU level. 

For PhD students, CIVICA offers a number of events and opportunities to connect with researchers and experts from different member universities. Additionally, there is a large set of PhD and postdoc initiatives. 

The Future of CIVICA 

Following its three year anniversary, and having recently taken on board two new members in Spain’s IE University and Poland’s SGH Warsaw School of Economics, CIVICA is entering a new phase. After three years of initial cooperation and joint projects, the goal now is to strengthen the ties between universities in the alliance. This entails further development of the European Digital Campus, and improving mobility for faculty and postdoctoral researchers between universities. There will also be further efforts to support student projects, joint research, and links between the member universities’ libraries. 

According to Laurence Romani, SSE may have a special part to play in this next phase of CIVICA: 

“Compared to some other schools in the CIVICA alliance, SSE already has a strong network of partners and collaborators in the private sector. SSE’s strategic role can be to support the development of such partnerships for the entire CIVICA alliance.”