EUTOPIA for Students

What does EUTOPIA do for students?

As well as the curriculum-based Connected Communities, EUTOPIA also provides extra-curricular opportunities for students, ranging from short-term intercultural or research programmes to international conferences.

Join the EUTOPIA Student Network

There will be many opportunities to get involved in EUTOPIA activities in the upcoming year - sign up to the network and we'll keep you updated.

Work with students from abroad
Improve your CV and acquire new skills and competences
Build a student network across Europe
Develop your intercultural and employability skills
Have the opportunity to get experience in working in an international team

What is the EUTOPIA Student Council?

The EUTOPIA student council is a governing body of the EUTOPIA alliance. It consists of 30 students, three from each university, who discuss current projects and how they can be shaped to suit the needs of students from every university, background and degree. EUTOPIA is, at its core, the creation of a European University; the student voice is vital to its success and continued development.

How are Warwick students contributing?

The Student Council brings student voices and perspectives to the management and governance of EUTOPIA and promotes their interests in this cross-university collaboration. Two Warwick students with a range of degree levels (Bachelors, Masters, PhD) share their perspectives of Student Council place during EUTOPIA Week at Ca'Foscari, Venice: Danae Macleod and Cyrine Mokrani.

Find out more about the student council

Skills and challenge

Cyrine: Participating in one of EUTOPIA’s flagship innovation challenges at CY Cergy has given me an incredible understanding of the skill development opportunities the alliance offers. It’s the best space for a student to grow both hard skills like problem solving, entrepreneurial acumen and cross-industry knowledge, and soft skills, working as a team leader, communicating with individuals from different cultures and presenting their findings in front of a crowd.

Danae: EUTOPIA is where opportunity becomes practical. There are possibilities to work in any field ranging from sustainability to entrepreneurial initiatives that bridge universities, disciplines, and languages. Skills are forged through collaboration with professionals and specialists, not observation. The real challenge is prioritisation: when everything is possible, focus becomes the skill that matters most.

Joining the EUTOPIA alliance

Cyrine: Joining the EUTOPIA alliance has been an incredible experience, getting to shape the future of European education through the student council and the many working groups. You really are at the forefront of education innovation, research excellence and intercultural cooperation at a global level! Our most recent EUTOPIA week at the Ca’Foscari university of Venice has highlighted the impact of the alliance, with so many paths to explore as an alliance!

Danae: Joining the EUTOPIA Alliance means entering a system built to create new opportunities for students. Projects are designed, connections brokered, and pathways opened across institutions. Whatever your interest, you are encouraged to stretch - intellectually, linguistically, and professionally. Curiosity is not just welcomed; it is quietly expected.

International networks

Cyrine: The access to a unique intercultural European and global network is incredible as a student, allowing you to connect with individuals that offer rich valuable diverse expertise and life experiences. This is the kind of environment that pushes you to grow and learn through every interaction, an experience that has proven to be fundamental in any student’s academic and personal journey.

Danae: Representing the EUTOPIA Student Council in Venice brought the network into sharp focus. Discussions moved seamlessly between languages, cultures, and academic instincts, turning abstract cooperation into lived experience. Ideas gained depth through disagreement and diversity. It became clear that international collaboration is not symbolic here - it is operational, demanding, and deeply energising.

EUTOPIA Innovation Challenge for Students

The EUTOPIA Innovation Challenge for students is a programme of week-long hackathons, hosted in turn by the different partners of the EUTOPIA alliance, in which students work in teams to solve challenges set by local SMEs. Below, we showcase testimonials from Warwick students and staff who have participated in challenges hosted by Babeș-Bolyai University, CY Cergy Paris Université, Universitat Pompeu Fabra and Vrije Universiteit Brussel.

Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Nov 2025)

From 17 to 21 November, 78 students from EUTOPIA and beyond gathered in Brussels for the VUB Innovation Challenge on the theme of “Challenges and innovations in multilingual societies".

Participants were put into small cross-institution and cross-disciplinary teams to work on a challenge of their choice and reflect on possible solutions.

Throughout the week, students benefitted from lectures and interactive sessions delivered by EUTOPIA academics members of the Connected Communities 'Multilingualism and Diversity' and 'Text and Discourse Analysis', who were able to provide insights into the opportunities that multilingualism affords but also the challenges it can pose.

On the last day, student teams presented their project through a 5-min pitch aimed at tackling the challenge they had chosen to work on. Topics ranged from multilingualism in healthcare or education to multilingual poetry and music.

"Visiting the Autumn School in Brussels was a wonderful experience, it was so well organized, and it was an amazing opportunity to hear from speakers from across the world. I loved the group work with students from other universities and getting the chance to explore a new city. Thanks to EUTOPIA I now have lots of fresh perspectives to apply to my university work!" (Harriet Pickering, MA in Translation student)

"It was an enriching week, full of people from all over the world. You can instantly gain different perspective from talking to people just like you. You will make new friendships and expand your knowledge through lectures, seminars and various open discussions. I highly recommend!" (Applied Linguistics student)

For more information on the Innovation Challenge in Brussels click here

Universitat Pompeu Fabra (May 2025)

‘Our group’s user research showed that people generally don’t think AI or deepfakes could affect them, so we designed an interactive booth to demonstrate how easily your image can be manipulated and provided users with a digital toolkit to recognise and be safe against deepfakes. This was a real-life application of what I study, and the organisation that set the challenge were really impressed by our pitch. The whole event was so good – UPF have set the bar very high! There were ten universities represented, everyone had such diverse points of view and experiences, and the way they approached these topics was so different from us. It was very exciting to experience a different culture and see how students live in Barcelona.’ (Shaina Sharma, Behavioural and Economic Science).

‘I would never have thought I was a person who could have this kind of experience, but now I’m thinking about studying and working abroad in the future. I made so many friends from other countries. Watching their presentations, I kept thinking, “These ideas could really be implemented, I hope someone develops this!” We weren’t just exploring questions, we were trying to do something that would have a real-world impact.’ (Fiyinfolu Thomas, Philosophy & Psychology)

‘I went into this event having never worked in an intercultural team, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. But I enjoyed it so much, it was genuinely so much fun, and our team was amazing. There were STEM students and Social Science students mixing together, coming up with different ideas. I really saw the benefits of working in different cultural contexts, and would be interested in exploring that direction in terms of future employment. I made so many friends in Barcelona - it was an incredible experience, and I still can’t get over it!’ (Serena Cai, Sociology)

‘It’s great that Warwick is part of this programme! It was so much fun to think about something that isn’t directly related to my degree: I’m always so focused on my discipline and the career I want to pursue, but it was really inspiring and provoking to explore something different. It made me realise there are so many other topics I’m passionate about. I felt very grateful for the support we received from Warwick, and Charles Turner did a great job of looking after us while we were in Barcelona.’ (Katrin Hirtenlehner, Health & Medical Sciences)

‘I loved the format of the competition: having to create an idea in such a short time meant we had to work well with our team-mates, do research and learn on the spot, think about real-world applications… It teaches you the importance of a design mindset. I’ve always wanted to work in Europe, and that intention has intensified thanks to this event: cross-cultural collaboration really is everything it’s cracked up to be. The month after the Innovation Challenge, I participated in the Council of Europe's Hackathon, Democracy's Firewall, with EUTOPIA students I met in Barcelona (see Ca' Foscari's interview with two of these students). I wouldn't have been able to attend this event without the EUTOPIA Innovation Challenge.’ (Alasdair Emmett, History)

‘This was a very well organised event. The overall challenge was well defined and broken down into more concrete problems that the students took on with alacrity. In so doing they showed enthusiasm, good humour, and, in their final presentations, no little skill. They also took every opportunity to meet people from different countries and learn something about a major European city.' (Charles Turner, Reader in Sociology)

CY Cergy Paris Université (November 2024)

‘My experience in the EUTOPIA Innovation Challenge in Paris allowed me to apply the skills and knowledge from my course in a real-world example enhancing my product, deepening my understanding of the field. The experience not only allowed me to collaborate closely with others from different countries and universities but also gave me a glimpse of what it would be like to live and work abroad, broadening my perspective on both professional and cultural levels.’ (Kayla René Pascal, Education Studies).

‘The EUTOPIA Innovation Challenge was a great opportunity to connect both personally and academically with students from different European universities, including my own. What made it stand out for me was its interdisciplinarity. As a student, these kinds of experiences are usually limited to your own field or department, but this challenge brought together people from all sorts of disciplines which was incredibly enriching. For example, I, coming from a social science background, was teamed up with a brilliant architecture student from Slovenia. Her distinct perspective, shaped by her field, was completely new to me and even months later, I try to approach projects with a more mathematical mindset, much like she did.’ (María Bobo Alonso, Politics & International Studies)

Babeș-Bolyai University (April 2024)

‘The EUTOPIA Innovation Challenge at Babeș-Bolyai was incredibly rewarding. Travelling to Romania, exploring a new culture, and meeting new lifelong friends, while also developing professional skills, was the best possible opportunity for my personal development and I would easily recommend it as one of the best opportunities at Warwick.’ (Arshia Tabatabaee, Politics)

EUTOPIA Connected Communities

What are EUTOPIA Connected Communities?

Connected Communities (CCs) are thematic hubs of activity that connect academic staff and students across our EUTOPIA partners. CCs regularly organise cross-university activities for students, either online or in-person. CCs add value to the student experience by providing opportunities for internationalisation. By participating in some selected CC activities, Warwick students can also earn points for their Warwick Award.

There are 60 Connected Communities and Warwick leads or is participating member in half of them. To view the different communities and related opportunities, please see HERE.

We also advertise CC activities through our EUTOPIA student network, sign up to keep up to date on current opportunities!

See below some testimonies from students who participated in activities organised by a CC:

Multilingualism & Diversity CC

VUB Autumn School on Multilingualism in Brussels

“LN325 represented my only opportunity to have an international educational experience before graduating, at a prestigious EUTOPIA alliance institution no less. […] Overall, I was very pleased with the programme as it covered a wide range of topics in an academically rigorous but interactive and engaging manner, serving to broaden my academic horizons and enhance my intercultural awareness by referencing many international contexts.” (Student on intensive Brussels week, November 2024)

Global Connections CC

Online Student Projects on Migration and the Environment

[I liked] "the multicultural aspect, we learned a lot about migration issues and it was very nice to be free to create our own format." (Participant in the 2025 Cross-University Migration Project)

"The experience was absolutely amazing and people I was working with were also amazing. I would definitely recommend this to my fellow student friends." (Participant in the 2022 Cross-University Migration Project)

Thinking through the Silk Roads CC

2024 Autumn School on Marco Polo and the Silk Roads

"I thoroughly enjoyed the Autumn School and found it to be a valuable and enriching experience. The program was well-organized and covered a diverse range of topics, providing a deeper understanding of how narratives like the Silk Road and cultural hybridity shape our current perceptions of cultural and historical relations. I also appreciated the engaging workshops, group discussions, and museum tours, which created a well-rounded and interactive learning environment. The Autumn School was a fantastic opportunity to connect with peers and scholars, exchange ideas, and gain fresh insights. Thank you for this opportunity, and I look forward to participating in the next programs in the future!" (Shuangting Chen, PhD Student)

The EUTOPIA Certificate of Internationalisation (EUCI)

EUCI brings together students from 13 different universities and gives them a space in which to reflect on their international experiences. Below are some highlights from Warwick students’ EUCI reflections – visit the EUTOPIA website to find links to the full portfolios.

Gah-Kai Leung

Coming from an immigrant family of Chinese extraction, I have long been fascinated by both Eastern and Western cultures, as well as the links between them. This fed my desire to study Mandarin [during] my MA degree in Transnational Studies at UCL. As part of this course, I wrote a project essay comparing Christmas and Chinese New Year. By putting these two festivals into conversation with each other, I acquired the linguistic skills needed to compare and contrast items in a foreign language. Furthermore, I gained an appreciation of the similarities and differences in the ways people in different parts of the world mark culturally significant dates in the calendar, thus enhancing my intercultural awareness. I was also able to use my own personal experience of both these festivals in order to bring out the connections and contrasts, thereby demonstrating the value of first-hand knowledge in explaining and interpreting cultural differences

Saumya Singh

As an international student, my time at the University of Warwick has been marked by a profound engagement with global perspectives, offering a comprehensive analysis of diverse business landscapes. My portfolio, presented in a video documentary format, encapsulates my journey and learnings across various domains, showcasing my growth into a global citizen capable of navigating and contributing to multicultural environments.

Ananyaa Ijjantkar Leah Tam Nandika Karunakaram

Delhi is a city where people from all over the country reside, and having people from culturally diverse backgrounds helped me comprehend the value of respecting cultures and traditions. I have always wanted to put myself out of my comfort zone, therefore after living in India for more than 18 years, moving to the United Kingdom was nerve-racking.

Taylor Tao

One of my math teachers asked me about some Chinese customs of celebrating the Spring Festival, such as blessings, receiving pocket money, etc. The most touching moment was when he projected the Chinese words ‘Happy New Year’ on the big screen during the break, and wrote them on the whiteboard very carefully according to the words on the screen. This intercultural experience was not just an opportunity for them to learn about my culture but also for me to see my heritage from a new perspective.

Veronica Liu

My experiences as the Student Staff Liaison Chair at the University of Warwick highlighted these differences, demonstrating how cultural backgrounds shape students’ responses to academic policies and authority. Persistent efforts and cross-cultural collaboration can lead to positive changes, illustrating the potential for integrating diverse cultural perspectives to enhance the educational environment.

Wynn Kim

My record has 8 lines. In my lines, there are new school uniforms and countless self-introductions. The inked stepping stones were firmly rooted objective, but whoever crossed the paper sank in between, leisurely swimming in their own pool of subjectivity. ‘Leading that is too loose leaves too much pause between lines.’ It’s one of the lessons in typography; it makes me think if my leading was too loose, my gap too wide, their misstep foreseen. The more lines, the more leadings, the more interpretations.

Yuanting Shi

Studying in the UK has been an unforgettable and challenging journey. The cross-cultural learning experience prompted me to reassess my study methods and thought processes, constantly adjusting and optimizing my learning strategies. As a Chinese student, my time in the UK also made me more aware of the importance of cultural identity. When faced with cultural conflicts and competing opinions, I learned to build bridges through communication and understanding rather than simply holding onto my viewpoints. This process made me value my cultural background while also respecting the uniqueness of other cultures.

Yiwen Gao

After graduating from a law school in China, I spent four years working on different cultural projects and travelling to figure out what I wanted to do in my life. Since beginning my studies at Warwick, the Resonate Festival is the activity that has most influenced me: I have not only deepened my academic understanding of sustainable development studies but also gained practical life skills.

EUTOPIA Summer School, Ca'Foscari, Venice: Learning and Living in Venice: A Summer School Reflection

The Summer School at Ca' Foscari University, Venice, offers a range of individual summer courses and full summer school programmes designed to expand your knowledge, build your curriculum, and earn university credits.

Tailor your schedule by mixing and matching from a range of short and innovative 15-hour modules, delve into the Italian language, or apply to a comprehensive summer school programme offering full-time studies in a specific area of interest. Many of the courses are deeply connected to the cultural, historical, and artistic heritage of Venice, giving you the chance to study its unique example from different perspectives. From Art History to Tourism, from Geopolitics to Artificial Intelligence, our programme is open to everyone and anyone wishing to study in the heart of this city, surrounded by its beauty, history, and world-class education.

William Cannon

The Ca’ Foscari Summer School was one of the most unique and refreshing experiences I’ve had at university so far. It was a chance to step into a different academic and cultural environment, surrounded by bright, motivated people from across the world.

We explored topics like sustainability, innovation, and global citizenship, all whilst being based in the heart of Venice. The programme didn’t just stay in the classroom — walking through the city each day, seeing how history and modern life coexist, helped bring the topics to life in ways I didn’t expect.

What made it so valuable was the combination of ideas, setting, and people.

I had conversations that challenged my views and made me think differently.

It’s made me more ambitious, more open-minded, and more committed to doing something meaningful on a global scale.

Anna Revidiego

This July 2025, I had the privilege of attending the Ca’ Foscari International Summer School in Venice, where I participated in the ‘Geopolitics and Geostrategy’ module. The programme worked in collaboration with the Navy, and brought together students from around the world, along with lecturers and naval officers, to explore pressing global issues from both academic and practical perspectives.

Our morning classes covered a wide range of topics, offering a thorough and engaging introduction to both classical and contemporary geopolitical thought. We began by mapping and understanding global risk, exploring foundational theories like Mackinder’s “Geographical Pivot of History” and Mahan’s concept of ‘Sea power’, which helped us understand how geography has historically shaped global dominance. With Professor Zampieri, we examined the evolution of naval power and how maritime strategy still plays a key role in international politics today. Professor Moran guided us through debates on the role of the United States as a modern empire and whether it may be in decline, using texts such as Empire by Denial and recent commentary on U.S. global leadership. Finally, with Professor Browning, we looked at the crisis of the Liberal International Order and its challengers – including China and Russia – whilst also exploring new lenses like anxiety geopolitics and the use of humour in warfare narratives. Each session was paired with carefully selected readings, which encouraged us to critically engage with both historical and modern interpretations of power, conflict, and global order.

One of the highlights of the week was studying for two days inside the Arsenale, a historic naval base rarely open to the public. We toured the site with Captain Pegoraro and navy personnel, who provided insight into Venice’s maritime history and how it still influences strategic thinking today. This unique setting helped bring the course content to life in a memorable and engaging way.

Beyond the classroom, we also visited ‘La Biennale di Venezia’s Architecture Exhibition’, which explored themes of climate change, sustainability, and global design. The installations pushed us to reflect on how the built environment reflects and shapes global priorities. One exhibit vividly demonstrated climate imbalance: we walked through a 40°C room placed next to a chilled, air-conditioned one; reminding us that progress for some comes at a cost to others.

Another memorable experience was the dragon boating activity organised by our supervisor Carolina, where we were joined by a team from the Ca’ Foscari sporting association who accompanied us in the boats. We navigated through the city's lesser-known canals, offering a unique and intimate perspective of Venice far from the usual tourist routes. We passed by traditional gondola workshops and heard stories from locals about the city's maritime heritage and way of life. It was not only a great cultural exchange, but also a moment of camaraderie with other students, blending physical activity, local history, and team spirit.

I’m deeply grateful for the funding support that made this experience possible. The bursary helped cover key costs, including travel, accommodation, and daily living expenses allowing me to participate fully without the added stress of financial pressure. Because of this support, I was able to say yes to every part of the programme: from academic sessions and cultural site visits to local experiences like rowing through the canals. It meant I could focus entirely on learning, engaging with my peers, and immersing myself in Venice’s unique environment, rather than worrying about budgeting or missing out. Without this funding, I would have had to significantly limit my participation or may not have been able to attend at all.

This opportunity was a meaningful and inspiring way to end my time at Warwick. It deepened my academic interests, introduced me to new global perspectives, and leg me with unforgettable memories. Beyond the classroom, I made lasting friendships with students from across the world — sharing stories over dinners, getting lost in Venice’s winding streets together, and bonding through activities like rowing and cultural visits. The experience was not only intellectually enriching, but genuinely fun and full of warmth, making it a perfect and joyful conclusion to my university journey.

EUTOPIA Ideas Club 2024 'Climate Change Challenges'

The EUTOPIA “Ideas Club”, a student-led debate program to raise awareness of European values through knowledge and awareness about intercultural differences, transcending local and regional and national identity-pegs, with the objective of developing and training European identity and inclusive citizenship competence and skills through knowledge about values, human rights, models of representation and participation, took place in Venice, between 23-24 April 2024.

The second edition of the Ideas Club, organised in cooperation with the EUSTT (Eutopia Students Think Tank), will delve around a core concern of our Century: “Climate Change Challenges”

"For Warwick’s role in EUTOPIA, the university supported a fellow student, Iman, and I, to spend a couple days in Venice for the Eutopia Student Think Tank (EUSTT) “Ideas Club” on the topic of climate change. During the trip we were able to explore freely as tourists when not in a timetabled event, we spent half a day at the stunning Ca' Foscari University, first sharing our ideas and thoughts on climate change, having a great lunch, then hearing a talk hosted by a local activist from Venice Calls, before walking through the heart of Venice to visit the Biennale Library; finishing by meeting the next day to reflect on our findings. The experience was a great opportunity, allowing myself to meet fellow students from all across Europe with different backgrounds, who gave great, insightful discussions around the topic of climate change. It was brilliant to be able to see the beautiful city of Venice with my European peers, having the free time to explore and enjoy the city together, whilst also offering a strong reminder of the topic we convened for. The event provided me with further knowledge on how climate change should be dealt with which will offer me greater depth for post-graduation work in the field of sustainability; at the same time, the trip improved my cross-cultural communication and debating skills, a strong asset for future endeavours. The trip has also provided me with an expanded lifetime network. Overall, the Ideas Club in Venice was a fantastic experience and I encourage all students to take part in the next EUTOPIA opportunity that comes their way!" Josh Smith, PhD Fellow, School of Engineering