The University of Parma has launched the first EU GREEN Student Conference, United by Learning, Committed to Change, organised by the University with the patronage of the Municipality of Parma and as part of Parma’s European Youth Capital 2027 programme.
The EU GREEN Student Conference is taking place at the University’s Kennedy Campus until tomorrow, 7 March. After two months of remote collaboration, students are coming together to complete the process by drafting the document A Road to Your Ideal University.
“We are hosting around 150 students from the member institutions of the EU GREEN European Alliance at this Student Conference, which places students at the centre as agents of change within the University. The document they will produce is entitled A Road to Your Ideal University,” - said the Rector Paolo Martelli “Its purpose is to provide suggestions and guidance for transformation and development, framed within the broader European context. This is also an important step in Parma’s journey towards 2027, the year in which our city will be European Youth Capital.”
“This event is significant because it reflects what Parma European Youth Capital is and will continue to be: an initiative to build European communities and identity, fostering dialogue and engagement among young people,” observed Beatrice Aimi, Councillor for Youth Community of the Municipality of Parma. “These are the kinds of occasions that can truly cultivate a sense of community, ensuring that Europe is experienced not as a distant institution, but as a shared experience—just like today.”
Opening remarks were also delivered by Francesco Carpena, President of ESN ASSI Parma; Francesco Sansone, President of the Local Youth Council; Alessandro Bernazzoli, EU GREEN Project Manager at the University of Parma; and Marco Bartoli, Rector’s Delegate for EU GREEN Work Packages Coordination.
The conference programme continued with various sessions and panels. In the first session, contributions were made by Giorgio Pelosi, Vice-Rector for the EU GREEN Network (Shaping a student-focused European University Alliance); Claudia Peritore, Head of Unit at INDIRE National Erasmus+ Agency (The future Erasmus+ we know so far and the contribution of the European University Alliances); Dominika Guzik, Coordinator for Education and Youth Policies at ESN International (The Erasmus Generation perspective on the future of sustainable student mobility); Emil Kindl, President of the EU GREEN Student Council (Student empowerment and EU GREEN from a student perspective); Agneta Morelli, Leader of WP8 EU GREEN (From Awareness to Collective Agency: Learning to Navigate Sustainable Futures Together); and Frances Lucy, President of the EU GREEN Senate (The door opens both ways: Students as actors in external engagement).
The Student Conference marks the first stage of a broader initiative aimed at strengthening the Alliance as a student-centred European University. Its objective is to bring together students from all EU GREEN universities to contribute to shaping the future of the Alliance and to foster lasting connections. Fully integrated into the Parma European Youth Capital 2027 programme led by the Municipality, the conference is designed by students for students, highlighting their central role in the development of Alliance activities.
The outcome will be the publication of a document outlining shared objectives, alongside proposals for student-led projects on sustainable mobility and well-being across EU GREEN campuses.
The conference is structured into two working groups: a Strategy Group and a Promotion Grant Group.
The Strategy Group aims to support the development of the EU GREEN University Alliance as a European University focused on students. Selected students are divided into six thematic panels, with the results of each panel contributing to the Student Declaration, entitled A Road to Your Ideal University.
The six thematic panels are:
- Inclusion and Diversity
- Universities and Local Communities
- Mobility and Opportunities
- Making Sustainability Concrete and Measurable
- Innovative Teaching
- European Values and Civic Participation
The Promotion Grant Group, consisting of 18 students from different EU GREEN universities, supports students wishing to promote sustainability, inclusion, and collaboration within the Alliance through project proposals. Whether organising a local event, launching a new student initiative, developing an educational innovation, or collaborating with external partners, the group helps turn ideas into concrete actions.
Official Student Conference Page
E-mail: studentconference@unipr.it
