Conference Agenda

Service-learning is widely recognised as a pedagogical approach that can foster civic responsibility, democratic competences, and socially engaged learning (Bringle & Hatcher, 1996; Furco, 2010; European Commission, 2017). Yet its implementation often remains fragmented and dependent on individual academic initiative. Faculty members face challenges identifying partners, initiating collaboration, and navigating institutional procedures, while civil society organisations often lack clear entry points to universities, limiting opportunities for sustained engagement. As highlighted in research on universities’ “third mission” and civic engagement (Benneworth et al., 2018; Watson et al., 2011), these structural barriers hinder the institutionalisation of service-learning and constrain efforts to systematically link teaching, research, and engagement.

This contribution addresses Track B by reflecting on the development of the UNIC Centre for City Futures (CCF) as an institutional response to these challenges. The CCF, established across the UNIC European University Alliance functions as an intermediary “one-stop shop” that connects universities with urban stakeholders and supports co-creation of responses to societal challenges through teaching, research, and innovation. In doing so, it creates structural conditions for embedding service-learning and civic engagement more firmly within institutional practices.

Drawing on experiences from Ruhr-Universität Bochum and University College Cork, the presentation illustrates how such intermediary structures enable the institutionalisation of service-learning across different national and organisational contexts. The cases show how the CCF reduces access barriers for instructors and community partners, facilitates sustainable collaborations, and supports the integration of community-based learning into diverse disciplinary settings.

Empirically, the contribution is based on a reflective analysis of teaching formats developed in collaboration with the CCF. In these settings, students work with civil society organisations and municipal actors on real-world urban challenges, such as developing concepts for local initiatives or research addressing societal needs. These learning environments foster democratic competences by engaging students in collaborative problem-solving, negotiation of perspectives, and socially responsible knowledge production.

Conceptually, the CCF is framed as a boundary-spanning structure that mediates between academic and civic spheres (Boyer, 1996; Watson et al., 2011; Benneworth et al., 2018) and enables universities to operationalise their third mission. The transnational dimension of UNIC extends this approach into a European community of practice, creating opportunities for mutual learning and joint development of solutions across cities and institutions.

The contribution concludes by discussing opportunities and challenges of institutionalising service-learning through intermediary structures and outlines how such models support universities in strengthening democratic culture and civic engagement in a sustainable and scalable way.