The Enriching Communities through Engaged Mobilities (ECEM) project is coming to a closure at the end of November. Over the past three years, the project consortium had organised a wide range of activities aimed at strengthening the connections between higher education institutions, students, and local communities. From the outset, the focus was on understanding community needs and exploring how universities can collaborate with local actors to address them through meaningful student engagement. It brought together a Community of Practice of practitioners committed to embedding civic engagement into the curriculum through Service-Learning. Along the way, the consortium worked closely with international students and student organisations, building their capacity to design and carry out impactful local initiatives in partnership with community stakeholders. 

You can find below an overview of resources that may support and inspire your ongoing work. 

For higher education institutions 

• Handbook for Service-Learning in Erasmus+  
• Defining Societal Mission of Universities: Good Practice Compendium  
• Connecting Community Engagement and Internationalisation: An Overview of Challenges and Opportunities 
• Inclusion and Engagement in Mobility through Volunteering 

For students 

• Volunteer on Exchange Actions Toolkit 
• Implementation Report on Impactful Volunteering on Exchange 

For policy-makers 

• Integration of Service-Learning Actions in Erasmus+ Mobilities: Policy Report 
• Fostering Inclusion and Integration in Student Mobility: Policy Recommendations 

All resources are available at the project website. 

Even though the project is coming to a close, the project consortium remains committed to strengthening the links between higher education and local communities, and it will continue advocating for enhanced civic engagement within international higher education.