A community is formed when values, interests and responsibilities are shared by a group. When someone belongs to that space and exercises their rights and duties, they are citizens. In CIVIS, we work together to transform higher education, to build bridges between academia and society. We are civizens!
CIVIS is about building bridges between our countries. It's massive challenge, it's a lovely challenge... If there's ever been a time for building briges between countries and between continents, it's now", says Professor Alasdair Skelton.
A journey of self-discovery
Finding one’s path, step by step, growing and owning a new community is a life-changing experience that each should live at their own pace. Becoming a civizen, an active member of our University Alliance, has been for Leonie Röthler an opportunity to develop an understanding of others in their rich diversity. As CIVIS student ambassador, she embodies the idea of the civizen, a member of a community of shared dreams and values, that embraces the individual and promotes a path where each can contribute to a larger goal.
There are so many different opportunities to explore on your individual (CIVIS) journey, and such diversity..; I think that should be part of every journey to embrace and shape in a way that suits you", says Leonie Röthler, CIVIS Ambassador at the University of Salzburg.
Riding her way to the future of higher education
Providing excellent educational offers that are international, accessible, co-created and provided jointly by CIVIS member universities is the everyday work of our academics and administrators: real civizens in action!
For Professor Sophia Papaioannou, of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, all this work is laying the foundations to the future of education in Europe and beyond, allowing students to gain experience from different academic realities and embedded in society.
CIVIS is a destination with objectives clearly defined, explains Professor Papaioannou: Joint master's, doctoral and undergraduate programmes which our students will be attending in many countries of the European Union, earning a qualification with intra and pan-European validity.
Earning a University degree within the framework of CIVIS will enable the student to gain experience from the educational reality of three different countries and to have a qualification valid in those three different countries", she says.
A student film crew, a community project
In true CIVIS style, the Communication Unit recruited a student film crew at the University of Salzburg, where our annual CIVIS Days gathering took place. The student crew coordination was assured by Associate Prof. Alois Pluschkowitz (PLUS), cameras were handled by Tara Dirala, Leandra K. Sprenger and René Mehren while sound was managed by Katharina Kaser, Florian Mühlbacher and Verena Karl. The concept, interviews and general production were managed by CIVIS Communication Unit and Pop Productions. A shoutout to Georg Hauzenberger for making the Communication Unit awar of the civizen concept.
The civizen project would have not been possible without the help of Kerstin Fuchsberger, Petra Höpfner Petra and Eva Elise Lechelle from the University of Salzburg.
Also check our #civisness campaign, where our 'top chefs' give you the secret recipe to cook a CIVIS project.