UNIversity COmmunity leaRNing
The Erasmus+ project UNICORN (2019-2022) aimed to design and test a new mobility scheme for higher education students.
This new model links international student mobility to a service-learning experience. Students on an Erasmus exchange at one of the UNICORN universities have the opportunity to participate in a service-learning project at one of the participating civil society partners.
An international service-learning experience
Gives higher education students new, unprecedented learning opportunities for developing so-called ‘democratic and civic competences’: civic engagement, cooperation skills, intercultural skills, openness to cultural differences, flexibility and adaptability, knowledge and critical awareness of self and others, etc.
These competences are more than ever necessary to face the challenges in our society and to function as active citizens and competent professionals in today’s complex and diverse society.
Goals
Set up a new international mobility scheme for higher education students integrating the service-learning approach.
Enhance the third mission and civic engagement of European higher education institutions.
Reinforce the collaboration between universities and community for the benefit of both students and of the local/global communities.
Encourage the professional development of academics and contribute to foster the adoption of more effective, innovative teaching methods based on experiential/practical/work-based learning.
Contribute to further encourage international mobility in higher education (especially in those disciplines in which it is not yet properly widespread/developed).
The consortium
The UNICORN project was coordinated by the University of Bologna.
The project consortium consists of eleven partners: five universities with five corresponding community partners and the University of Pretoria, representing a country were the service-learning methodology is widely adopted since many years.
UCSIA was involved in the UNICORN project as community partner linked to the University of Antwerp.