CIVICA for society: Access to higher education

Jump to:

• Activities for high schools
• Peer to Peer (P2P) Project
• FYI (Find Your Inspiration) – Role Models in Higher Education Initiative

Activities for high schools

Part of our alliance's civic engagement mission, students, faculty and staff across CIVICA are collaborating with local high schools, offering activities focused on first generation students and other high school students (e.g. from disadvantaged backgrounds) to promote access to higher education. 

The aim is to give high school students a taste of the university experience and promote social diversity, so that they can gain a better understanding of what higher education has to offer.

Starting in the academic year 20/21, CIVICA is running events connecting alliance students and high school students on local campuses. The lively exchanges are focused on promoting access to higher education and, in particular, combating self-discrimination. 

Examples: 

• January 2022: Hertie School hosted an online discussion between high school students from Germany and CIVICA university students to help especially first-generation prospective students understand the benefits of higher education
• February 2021: Sciences Po ran a week-long programme of higher education preparation with high school students receiving needs-based scholarships at partner schools, with the participation of CIVICA students.
• Fall 2021 and spring 2022: Central European University is organising high school activities on both its Vienna and Budapest campuses, encouraging high school students from underprivileged backgrounds to think about the importance of higher education.

Peer to Peer (P2P) Project

Initiated and coordinated by PhD student in the CEU Medieval Studies department and CIVICA WP7 coordinator, Anastasia Theologou, the project helps students from underprivileged backgrounds make the most of available higher ed opportunities while gaining confidence in their own abilities and skills.

The aims of the project are:

• encourage and motivate students from disadvantaged areas to apply to higher education institutions, especially CIVICA universities
• engage students from CIVICA with societal stakeholders
• promote a sense of solidarity and empathy among university students and their younger peers from disadvantaged areas
• emphasise the importance of multicultural environments and diverse social statuses in higher education
• call attention to CIVICA and its social mission.

The project is based on video testimonies of CEU and CIVICA students who have had a successful path in higher education.

Watch video testimonies below:

CIVICA’s commitment to social inclusion, mobility and the fundamental values of Europe through higher education is at the heart of our common endeavour.

To overcome the limits of physical mobility and to provide young high school students throughout Europe the opportunity to identify and engage with positive and inspiring role models through an innovative format, CIVICA has developed the "FYI – Role Models in Higher Education Initiative," under the guidance of Bocconi’s digital learning lab (BUILT).

Six young alumni and alumnae of the CIVICA network who actively participate in shaping and supporting European common values and in positively impacting our everyday lives share their stories. Their contributions support CIVICA’s mission to raise high school students’ awareness of the importance of higher education and international mobility in promoting active citizenship and employability at the European Level.

Watch the video below to meet our role models:

• Anya Supurenko - Executive Director at the European Youth Parliament, Hertie School graduate 
• Andrei Apostică - Senior procurement administrator at the European Central Bank, SNSPA graduate 
• Petter Martinsson – Political Advisor to the Minister for EU Affairs in Stockholm, SSE graduate
• Domenico Carofiglio – Policy Assistant at the European Commission, Bocconi University graduate 
• Adelaide Mozzi - Economic Counsellor at the European Commission, Bocconi University graduate
• Remy Dick – Mayor of the city of Florange and VP for culture Department of Moselle, Sciences Po graduate  

… and to discover:

• the academic path that took them from high school to their current professional roles, shaping their way towards personal and professional development
• the main challenges they have faced along the way
• their advice to young students willing to step into their shoes

_{Credit for banner photo: Janos Posztos, CEU}