8ECSLHE: EASLHE Gathering 2025
Thursday 16 & Friday 17 October 2025
On Thursday 16 and Friday 17 October 2025, EASLHE organized the 8th edition of the European Conference on Service-Learning in Higher Education. Instead of a traditional conference, EASLHE introduced a new concept to bring together members of our association. The gathering was divided in two days, a member-only event on Thursday 16 October focussed on strategic collaboration to further develop the activities of the association, and a Capacity Building Event for service-learning practicioners focused on training and in-depth exploratin of specific topics in service-learning.
EASLHE Strategic Collaboration Sessions
On Thursday 16 October 2025, EASLHE organized a series of strategic collaboration sessions for her members. Members of the association could join in conversations on service-learning challenges in European higher education and contributed to the development of the associations’ activities and publications.
TOPICS:
- Developing the first European Service-Learning Research Agenda: During this collaborative session, EASLHE members contributed to the finalization of the first European Research Agenda on Service-Learning. Based on input from over 500 contributors across 28 countries (gathered between March 2019 and December 2023) as part of the global initiative led by the International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement (IARSLCE), the session focused on reframing the items collected in European forums and previously analyzed and prioritized during a 2-day EASLHE workshop held in November 2024. At the 8ECSLHE, participants engaged in a collaborative process to refine key items, laying the foundation for a shared European vision and future research directions within the EASLHE network.
- Building an EASLHE community through Dissemination & Art: The central question that was discussed in this collaborative session was ‘How can we increase member involvement in EASLHE through the creation of a ‘sense of community’ within our association?’ Participants were invited to explore the use of art-based approaches and dissemination methods to answer this question, as these are two key tools to build and expand the EASLHE community. The collaboration resulted in the creation of an Action Plan for EASLHE Member Involvement, with an emphasis on the use of art and dissemination.
- Seizing the Moment: Service-Learning and the Shifting Mission of the University in light of the European Universities Alliances: As Europe faces increasing social, political and economic pressure from new challenges, universities inevitably will be drawn into addressing them by having ‘impact’ on society. Their ‘third mission’ will become more important than ever. But with whom should universities engage – to what kind of campus-community partnerships should they commit to and to what terms of engagement? And in this process of engagement, what is it that students should learn in order to fulfill their own future roles in society? During this collaborative session, EASLHE members discussed strategies of social outreach for European higher education institutions and university alliances, with a focus on engaged learning and teaching.
EASLHE European Service-Learning Capacity Building Event
On Friday 17 October, EASLHE organized the first European Service-Learning Capacity Building Event. The event focused on the empowerment of service-learning practicioners, facilitating training activities and in-depth exploration of specific topics in service-learning.
TOPICS
- Knowledge exchange sessions on service-learning research & practice (including sessions for PhD students)
- Interactive introductions to relevant service-learning tools & resources
- Workshops on ongoing service-learning research in Europe & the world
- In-depth exploration & discussion on specific topics in service-learning, ex. reflection, assessment, university-community partnerships, etc.
