The UNICOMM Project (University Community Active Participation Project) is an EU-funded initiative launched to strengthen students’ sense of belonging and agency within higher education institutions (HEIs) across Europe.
The project stems from the belief that universities are much more than just a sequence of academic courses and research labs—they are living communities. The initiative was heavily motivated by the need to re-establish community bonds for student cohorts who spent large portions of their studies online and isolated due to global disruptions. 👥 The Project Consortium
The UNICOMM project brings together a specialized European consortium:
University of Warsaw (Poland) – Led by the University Volunteer Center.
European Students’ Union (ESU) – Representing the student voice on a European policy level. Palacký University Olomouc (Czech Republic). University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria. 🎯 Core Objectives
The project focuses on three distinct pillars to systematically alter how universities handle student life:
Identifying Drivers: Researching the precise patterns and environmental factors that promote inclusive, active participation in non-academic university activities.
Skill Building: Developing essential competencies and confidence in both students and university staff to help them actively co-create community life.
Structural Guidelines: Formulating resilient organizational recommendations for HEIs to maintain strong student communities even during times of rapid external changes or hybrid learning. 📦 Key Project Outputs and Results
The project engaged nearly 800 participants and delivered over 150 hours of workshops. Its findings are compiled into several free, publicly accessible resources: 1. The “University as Community” Report
This foundational research paper evaluated a survey of 465 students across more than 20 European nations. The report maps out students’ current perceptions of belonging, what drives them to get involved, and what barriers hold them back. 2. The UNICOMM HintBook & Toolbox
These resource packs offer functional advice for university administrative units (like Student Life, Wellness, and Volunteer Centers). It outlines strategies to avoid institutional silos, encouraging cross-departmental collaboration with Student Councils to build safer, more responsive campus spaces. 3. Co-Created Video Tutorials UNICOMM NEWS – Uniwersyteckie Centrum Wolontariatu