The Summer School “Circle U.nited for Sustainability” was supported and funded by Circle U. and the CENTRAL Network (of which Humboldt-Universität and the University of Vienna are members) – and its academic content and organisational management was entirely in the hands of students. We, the student-led sustainability office at Humboldt, wanted to provide guidance, facilitate exchange, and strengthen the visibility of sustainability-related issues within the European higher education landscape.
Through my voluntary involvement in organising the programme, I gained three key insights that have had a lasting impact on my perspective on student-led projects in higher education. Overall coordination was almost entirely my responsibility, ranging from the conceptual design and selection of topics to the recruitment and coordination of speakers, the selection and support of participants, and communication with national and international partners.
I learned that our scope for action as students is often greater than we might assume: Our small team was able to independently organise the programme and successfully implement an international initiative!
Manuel Klein, student at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
From topical relevance to strong support structures: My key learnings
1. It became overwhelmingly clear to me how significant the interest in sustainability-related topics is among European students. More than 200 participants attended the online sessions, while only 30 places were available for the in-person week in Berlin. Participants came from across Circle U. and CENTRAL universities. This demand, in my opinion, highlights not only the relevance of the topics themselves, but also the need for structured formats of exchange that extend beyond institutional and national boundaries. For me, this was and affirming and rewarding thing to see: Our project really mattered to other students.
2. I learned that our scope for action as students is often greater than we might assume: Our small team was able to independently organise the programme and successfully implement an international initiative! At the same time, I also understood that we were fortunate: time resources, institutional affiliation, language skills, and existing networks all play a significant role in determining who is actually able to do something like this. Our project was only possible because the necessary conditions were in place and the university, Circle U. and CENTRAL all supported us at crucial moments.
3. The experience showed me the importance (and challenge, I should say) of coherent academic and organisational implementation. In particular, the careful coordination of topics, the targeted selection of speakers, and a well-structured programme together led to the success of the programme. And I know this from the feedback we received from participants: the consistently positive responses, the appreciation for the academic content, and the enthusiasm expressed by participants all underline that the programme was not only organisationally effective, but also intellectually compelling. Yay!
My recommendations – to universities and other students
Ultimately, the success of “Circle U.nited for Sustainability” showed me that sustainable and effective networks exist within the European higher education context to advance these issues. The key challenge I see is that these structures must not be treated as temporary initiatives, but strengthened in the long term.
I think that universities should continue to expand their cooperation while also sticking to clear thematic priorities in order to anchor sustainable transformation effectively within politics and society. If you are a student and thinking about organising your own Circle U. activity, I would say do it! It is a lot of work, but extremely rewarding.
