ENLIGHT project to empower learners of 9 European Universities
The nine ENLIGHT universities will not only work together but also with their city and region, to identify social challenges and tackle them through education and research.
Rik Van de Walle, Rector of Ghent university
ENLIGHT project brings together nine research-focused universities sharing a deep commitment to their social responsibility from nine European countries University of Ghent (Belgium), University of Bordeaux (France), University of Uppsala (Sweden), University of Groningen (Netherlands), University of the Basque Country (Spain), University of Göttingen (Germany), the National University of Ireland in Galway, the University of Tartu (Estonia) and Comenius University Bratislava.
The project aims to develop new models and methodologies of education and research to address global challenges, exploring sustainability issues that cities and communities face today. The mission is to contribute to the transformation of higher education by empowering learners as globally engaged citizens.
The main five areas that ENLIGHT is focusing on are climate change, health and well-being, inequality, digital revolution, energy and the circular economy.
The partnership will facilitate free movement of students and staff among its nine-member institutions allowing them to share resources, structures of quality assurance, international outreach and global engagement, talent recruitment and joint research.
The programmes are beneficial to both students and university staff with students being able to engage in virtual courses, webinars, Living Labs, short-term programmes, student networking and having the opportunity of mobility to any of the nine partner universities.
The employees can get involved in mobility programmes, join in conferences and cooperate in educational activities.
Initially, the project is to create and operate actions over the next 3 years with future extension beyond that.
Rik Van de Walle, rector at Ghent university said about the project: “With ENLIGHT we are adding yet another dimension. In a structural partnership, the nine ENLIGHT universities will not only work together but also with their city and region, to identify social challenges and tackle them through education and research. In this way, we wish to create, for example, new forms of education in which students work alongside researchers, citizens and companies in tackling real social issues, and in doing so work beyond the borders of their discipline and their university.”
