Germany
Gabriele Gien, the vice president of the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Klaus Stüwe, and a group of professors and students developing service-learning (SL) received Uniservitate Coordination
The Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, known as « Germany’s most popular university, » has campuses across the city. It is also a key Uniservitate hub in Central and Eastern Europe and the Middle East region. In mid-June, Maria Rosa Tapia and Candelaria Ferrara from the Uniservitate Coordination, alongside hosts and regional specialists Christiane Hoth and Olya Mykhailyshyn, visited the university.
The visitors were welcomed by the university president, Gabriele Gien, the vice president, Klaus Stüwe, and a group of professors and students developing service-learning (SL) initiatives. Gien and Stüwe highlighted the recent legislation promoting the Third Mission of Universities, which stressed using knowledge to benefit the community, as an opportunity to strengthen the SL institutionalization process in Bavaria.
The Uniservitate Coordination together with members of the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, who carry out the service-learning projects.
The Uniservitate delegation learned about the « Citizenship Office, » a joint initiative between the KU Eichstätt-Ingolstadt and the city and district of Eichstätt to promote sustainable development, among other things. Intended to be close to the community, the office is located on the main square of Eichstätt, opposite the town hall.
One of its projects is « Mensch in Bewegung » (German for « people on the move »). It focuses on artificial intelligence and digitalization, sustainability and the future, and transformation. They also offered a « Green Classroom » providing information and proposals aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Additionally, the university provides a « Sustainable Development » supplementary studies programme, which enables students to connect academic subjects with their future careers.
The Uniservitate Coordination attended to meetings in which the students and educators from Eichstätt-Ingolstadt presented their service-learning projects.
Professors Rowena Roppelt, Marina Tsoi and Maria Müller-Pulsfu briefed the visitors on the training programme offered to 138 students from eight countries living in marginalized areas. The Jesuit Worldwide Learning programme aims to develop their democratic skills. One student even stated that doing service-learning projects was the most significant learning experience she has had in her degree.
The delegation then visited a neighbourhood with a large immigrant and elderly population, where the Social Work students carry out guidance activities. Afterwards, they visited the community and school garden workshops run by other students in the « Capuchin Garden » as part of a fair trade project engaging Eichstätt.
Professors Simone Birkel and Martin Schneider from the School of Transformation and Sustainability: Religious Education, Moral Theology and Social Ethics, along with a group of students, shared their SL experiences at the « Open Air » festival. For the second time, the KU offered a space dedicated to accompanying the audience during this popular music event —an initiative showing their engagement to « go where the people are, be there and take care of them ».
There was particular interest in the Department of Economics initiatives at the Ingolstadt campus. André Habisch, Dean of the School of Management, described a project where students support African women’s businesses in health and agriculture through the « Social Impact Start-Up Academy » (SISTAC). They have already collaborated with 80 projects and plan to create a global network of educators interested in promoting and strengthening such initiatives.
Ulrike Brok explained their efforts to increase community interaction through « Citizen Campus ». This open space showcases activities at the university and the University of Applied Sciences and fosters joint knowledge expansion. They also offer a « Future Barometer » to identify current needs.
The Uniservitate delegation’s programme included a workshop by María Rosa Tapia on key service-learning concepts and SL institutionalization aimed at deans and faculty of various degrees. Following her presentation, she and Candelaria Ferrara had an enriching discussion with the participants, sharing numerous experiences and recommendations to support and spark their interest and motivation.
The present, past and future initiatives all demonstrate KU Eichstätt-Ingolstadt’s engagement to build more and more bridges with the community; they aim to strengthen the service-learning institutionalization process, which could integrate many existing initiatives, and provide guidance to faculty and students seeking a more solidarity-based education closely connected with the community.
