On 26 September 2025, the final conference of the ECEM (Enriching Communities through Engaged Mobilities) project brought together participants from across Europe to discuss how civic engagement can be meaningfully embedded in higher education internationalisation. Hosted in Brussels, the full-day event featured insights from higher education institutions, civil society, National Agencies, and European-level stakeholders. 

Neli Kalinova-Schmieder (ESN) presented a recap of the ECEM project, highlighting its ambition to make community engagement and service learning a structural part of Erasmus+ mobilities. She reminded participants that civic engagement is not an add-on, but a key learning opportunity and a driver of democratic participation. 

The Policy & Practice discussion, moderated by Martin Bogdan (ACA), featured Matteo Vespa (Civic Society Europe), Joana Freitas (SALTO PI) and Tomaž Deželan (University of Ljubljana). Speakers debated the positioning of civic engagement within EU frameworks, calling for clearer definitions, greater investment in service-learning models, and stronger links between the Erasmus+ and youth sectors. 

The case-study presentations offered diverse models in action: from local integration programmes in Białystok and Bari to peer-to-peer civic initiatives in Bucharest. These were followed by an implementation panel led by Ana Skledar Matijević (IDE), where Linde Moriau (VUB), Tereza Čechová (DZS/CZELO), and Simone Lepore (ESN) shared challenges in mainstreaming engagement practices, from staff recognition to structural constraints. 

In the afternoon, a fishbowl session featuring Elisa Gambardella (Solidar Foundation) and Nives Mikelić Preradović (University of Zagreb) provided space for dialogue between HEIs and civil society on the future Erasmus+ programme. 

Participants then divided into three parallel sessions focused on working with National Agencies, involving HEI leadership, and strengthening partnerships with civil society. The moderators' critical reflection afterwards revealed cross-cutting needs: clearer frameworks, flexible funding, and mechanisms to track impact. 

The day closed with reflections by Neli Kalinova-Schmieder who called for concrete next steps at institutional, national, and European levels. The ECEM project has made clear that fostering active citizenship through mobility is essential.