With academic experiences and objectives standing at the forefront of EU-CONEXUS origins, ongoing and emerging opportunities are also inviting students to reimagine collaboration and self-improvement in a broader context. The first-ever student projects call, which was announced within a package for supporting student engagement, marked a significant step in this direction.
Of the 10 applications received, the Executive Council evaluated the proposals and selected 6 for funding on January 15, 2024, acknowledging their potential along the lines of innovativeness, feasibility, impact, estimated improvement of the EU-CONEXUS community, stakeholder involvement, and other criteria.
Every project was allocated a sum of approx. 5.000,00 euros. Out of the 6 selected projects, 4 were successfully completed, and the remaining 2 were cancelled.
Traditional art meets technology: the European Augmented Reality Mural Project
The first funded project was led by Ines Broquaire from La Rochelle University, France, with participation of students from La Rochelle University, University of Zadar and Technical University of Civil Engineering of Bucharest. Its aim was to create a symbolic physical reminder of the connection between past wisdom, present growth, and future potential. The augmented reality mural came to life by combining traditional art with modern technology.
Created in two phases, the mural took three months to complete and is currently available to all students and visitors of the campus in La Rochelle.
Harnessing the power of awareness: the Coastal Conexus Project
Led by Luka Lešić, with participation of students from University of Zadar, LaRochelle Universite, Technical University of Civil Engineering of Bucharest, Agricultural University of Athens, Catholic university of Valencia. This project united 30 students in their mission to raise awareness on coastal tourism issues, as well as environmental, cultural, and economic challenges present in Zadar County, Croatia. Throughout the duration of this project, participants were invited to explore these issues and challenges in a series of expert-led lectures, interactive discussions, and a workshop aimed at identifying pathways toward sustainable tourism practices.
All lectures organised within the scope of this project were hosted by the University of Zadar. In addition, a live platform was provided for discussions and workshops focused on sustainable tourism.
Exploring wellbeing through movement: the Football Championship Project
Led by Ionita Alexandru-Ionel from the Technical University of Civil Engineering of Bucharest (Romania), and with participation of students from Klaipeda University, University of Zadar, this project inspired EU-CONEXUS students to participate in an international football championship. The aim of this project was to promote healthy living through sports and create a competitive and collaborative environment for students.
The championship took place in Bucharest (Romania) and Zadar (Croatia). Besides serving as a valuable opportunity for networking and cultural exchange, it also helped to identify key areas for improvement in future events.
Sensory exploration of cultures: the Taste EU-CONEXUS Project
The final project funded as part of the first call was led by Malte Cornelius Niendorf from the University of Rostock (Germany), with participation of students from University of Rostock, Klaipeda University, Technical University of Civil Engineering of Bucharest, La Rochelle Universite, University of Zadar, Frederick University. Its aim was to foster intercultural understanding through the sharing of European and Nigerian cooking cultures. Taking place in Cyprus, it invited students to take part in cooking tutorials and culminated in a final gathering.
The project successfully achieved its goal, enhancing participants’ understanding of diverse cultures and traditions.
Building on the success of our first call and the completion of its projects, we are pleased to announce the conclusion of our second call, focused on the theme of sport. Out of six submitted projects, three have been approved for funding, each receiving 10,000.00 EUR. We now look forward to their implementation in the coming months.
As the project progresses, the third call for proposals will open on March 1, 2025. The topic for this call is ‘Language, History, and Health.’ After evaluating the proposals, the Executive Council will approve four projects, allocating a budget of 10.000,00 euros to each successful project team.
