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Open Labs Without Borders: Why Cross‑border Collaboration Matters (CIVIS Days 2026)

  • Communication and Dissemination
  • Civic engagement
  • Audiovisual materials
  • Academics
  • Researchers
  • Civil society
  • Policy makers

While Open Lab projects usually start from local challenges, they can grow stronger when they connect across borders. This round table illustrated this through three concrete project experiences and will discuss the benefits, the hurdles, and the lessons learned.

During this CIVIS Days 2026 panel, speakers shared how they collaborate with each other and with communities, and we’ll explore how international cooperation can spark new ideas, boost local engagement, and inspire future initiatives.

Projects and speakers:

Veris — Voices of Palmyra

  • Patrick Michel, senior lecturer - University of Lausanne
  • Wasfi Al Nassef, intercultural mediator - JRS Romania

Ageing as a journey

  • Daniel Buhr, professor - Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen
  • Johanna Berglund, development officer - City of Stockholm

All year long CIVIS open lab Music Ensembles

  • Daniele Gorla, associate professor - Sapienza Universita di Roma

Moderator: Kenneth Skeldon, CIVIS Open Lab Coordinator - University of Glasgow

Learn more about our civic engagament projects on our dedicated pages.

Open Labs & Civic Engagement

Other resources

  • Challenge-based learning approach in course design (2026)

    This module is part of a broader upskilling initiative aimed at educators who wish to learn how to apply innovative methodologies to their teaching practice.
    • Challenged-based approach
    • Course, module or learning opportunity
    • Academics
    • Researchers
    See more
  • Imagining Homeland: Palmyra's (in)tangible heritage and the voices of displacement

    This volume is a monograph documenting the virtual reconstruction projects of the Temple of Baalshamin, one of the most significant forms of tangible heritage belonging to the Syrian community, destroyed as a result of terrorist attacks. Through a series of workshops with Syrian communities—including refugees, displaced persons, and individuals who have experienced either forced or voluntary migration—the virtual reconstruction is presented as a process that supports social inclusion and the reconstruction of cultural identity.
    • Communication and Dissemination
    • Cultural heritage
    • E-book
    • Students
    • Academics
    • Researchers
    • Civil society
    See more