Behind every CIVIS Open Labs activities are people whose experiences, collaborations, and commitments bring civic engagement to life. This exhibition presents portraits and personal testimonials from researchers, students, and community partners who have taken part in Open Labs initiatives across the CIVIS Alliance. Through their stories, you can discover how collaboration beyond the university strengthens learning, fosters personal and professional growth, and creates meaningful societal impact.
The people behind CIVIS impact
As CIVIS celebrates seven years of collaboration, innovation and transformation, Faces of Civic Engagement shines a light on the individuals who bring CIVIS Open Labs projects to life.
Originally designed as a photo exhibition, presented during CIVIS Days 2026 at the University of Bucharest, this collection of portraits and personal testimonials showcases the experiences of researchers, students and community partners from across the CIVIS Alliance. Their stories reveal how collaboration beyond the university creates opportunities for learning, personal growth and meaningful societal impact.
Rather than focusing on statistics or project outputs, the exhibition highlights the human side of civic engagement. Each portrait is accompanied by a short reflection on what participation in a CIVIS Open Labs initiative has meant to the individual, offering a unique insight into the value of academic and community partnerships.
Why this exhibition?
CIVIS Open Labs connect universities with local communities to address societal challenges through collaboration, participation and shared knowledge. The exhibition demonstrates how these experiences:
- Strengthen civic engagement and social responsibility
- Foster personal and professional development
- Encourage collaboration across disciplines, institutions and communities
- Create lasting connections between academia and society
- Generate meaningful impact beyond traditional project outcomes
A celebration of shared impact
By bringing together voices from different backgrounds and perspectives, Faces of Civic Engagement celebrates the shared values that define CIVIS: openness, collaboration, inclusion and engagement with society. As part of the “CIVIS is News: Seven Years of Shared Impact” theme, this exhibition offers a powerful reminder that behind every project are people, relationships and experiences that make change possible. Through their stories, the exhibition captures the lasting value of CIVIS Open Labs and the collective achievements of the CIVIS community.
Discover the faces behind the projects and the stories behind the impact.
Other resources
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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
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Building a Bridge to Africa and the Mediterranean Region (2021)
This briefing paper presents CIVIS’ approach to developing strategic partnerships with universities in Africa and the Mediterranean, supporting collaboration in education, research, innovation and civic engagement.- European Universities initiative
- Global partnerships
- Research & Innovation
- Civic engagement
- education
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- Report
- Academics
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