Make Some Waves: CIVIS Launches New Podcast Series

CIVIS is launching a brand‑new podcast series, and its first edition dives into one of the most transformative trends in higher education today: participatory science.

A New Space for CIVIS Voices

CIVIS Waves is the new spot where stories, conversations and debates from our European University Alliance meet… and expand.
Each series of tne new CIVIS podcast will bring together diverse voices—across disciplines, cultures and even languages—to share science‑based knowledge and lived experiences from academics, researchers, students and professional staff shaping the future of higher education in the living ab of our alliance.

With 17 universities, 17 cultures and countless perspectives, Europe’s Civic University Alliance brings together 11 research‑intensive universities in Europe and 6 associate member universities in Africa, forming a vibrant community. CIVIS Waves invites listeners to join the journey—and become “civizens” too.

CIVIS Waves also becomes a new pillar of the CIVIS Newsroom, our growing ecosystem of storytelling and community features. It complements our special features, monthly member highlights, social media channels and newsletters, offering an additional way for our diverse community to stay informed, inspired and connected. With this podcast, we expand how we share the work, ideas and people shaping our alliance every day.

“We’re very excited to launch CIVIS Waves and to propose a new format to communicate and disseminate what we are learning as we develop CIVIS Alliance”, said María Isabel Soldevila Brea, Head of the CIVIS Communication Unit.

We will work on expanding the podcast's content, from civic engagement and participatory research in this series, to topics such as the European Degree Label, research within European Alliances, collaboration beyond Europe, student life and more, bringing in academic, policy and human perspectives

Launching the First Series: CIVIS Connect

CIVIS Connect is the new podcast series dedicated to participatory research, an approach that is profoundly transforming how universities collaborate with society. Through stories, voices and concrete examples from across the alliance’s universities and territories, the podcast highlights how researchers and citizens can work together to better understand today’s challenges and co-create solutions grounded in real life. 

Each episode showcases inspiring projects from within the CIVIS network and beyond, and illustrates how these approaches strengthen inclusion, build connections and generate concrete and applicable knowledge. The series also explores the challenges, ethics and impacts of these collaborations between universities and society. 

Hosted by Christèle Aubry and Robin Lebrun, the first episode of CIVIS Connect focuses on air‑quality initiatives. The episode explores how citizens and researchers join forces to generate data, question their surroundings and make science more accessible, grounded and democratic. This approach—where research is done with people rather than on them—captures one of the most significant evolutions in the role of universities today.

Why Participatory Research?

CIVIS Alliance, through its Open Labs, chose to open the series with participatory research because it exemplifies the growing commitment of universities to engage directly with society, fostering more inclusive and collaborative forms of knowledge production. Reflecting on this evolution, Christèle Aubry explains:

Participatory research offers a powerful framework to open up laboratories, connect universities with the public and recognise the value of experiential knowledge. It is a concrete way of building responses to major societal challenges—together

Producing the episode in French also reflects the desire to reach local communities in the regions of the participating universities—those most closely involved in and affected by such initiatives.

Featuring Voices from the Field

The episode includes insights from:

• Pierre Dornier, founder of Les Chercheurs d’Air, who works with citizens to monitor air quality.
• Nolwenn Bühler, anthropologist of science and technology and gender studies specialist at the University of Lausanne, who presents a project focused on indoor air.

Their experiences highlight both the transformative potential and the practical challenges of participatory approaches—such as building trust, aligning different timelines and ensuring equitable collaboration.

Why Surf the CIVIS Waves with us?

Whether you are a researcher curious about new methodologies, a student eager to get involved, or a citizen interested in how science can become more open and inclusive, this first episode of CIVIS Connect offers an inspiring introduction to a rapidly evolving field.

CIVIS hopes that this series will encourage more members of our community—and beyond—to explore participatory research and recognise the value of the knowledge and experiences each person brings

CIVIS Waves wants to be an open door to discovery, dialogue and collaboration across disciplines and experiences in Europe, Africa and beyond.