EDUC (European Digital UniverCity) is an alliance of eight universities in Europe, each committed to its own role and contribution to the local community. Their aim is to provide young people in their area with the tools they need to become active citizens, as well as a place where they can connect with other young Europeans. The concept of the Youth Integration Lab (YIL) was born out of this concern, which influenced the choice of themes, target groups and activity formats. Here's a brief look back at the first edition of the YIL, which took place in April 2024 at University Paris Nanterre (UPN).
EDUC Youth Integration Labs (YIL) are events, organized by the EDUC Alliance, where young Europeans meet stakeholders from the public and private sectors and learn about the "Science with and for Society" (SAPS) approach to analysing societal issues. They are also an opportunity to bring together research players and organizations active in various fields of general interest.
The first EDUC YIL took place at University Paris Nanterre (UPN) on April 12, 13 and 14, 2024, focusing on the themes of gender discrimination and disability. Seventeen professionals from universities and associations in the eight countries of the alliance presented the impact of these discriminations on educational pathways, mental health and access to aid. These professionals included speakers from the Fondation Santé des Étudiants de France (FSEF), the Handinamique association (round-table speaker) and the Institut national supérieur de formation et de recherche pour l'éducation inclusive (INSEI).
The event was made possible in particular by the work of UPN's Service Handicap et Accessibilité (SHA), which identified and invited organizations involved in these themes to take part in the round tables, as well as ensuring that young participants with physical disabilities were able to attend.
As a result, twenty-two young people from the alliance's universities took part in training workshops on the SAPS approach. At the end of the three-day event, these young people presented their ideas on using this approach to actively participate in projects involving scientists and professionals in the fight against discrimination.
This multilingual event, whose activities were organized in French and English, offered a comparative approach from different European countries on a topical societal issue and established contacts between young people and professionals that could lead to future cooperation initiatives.
We would like to thank all the participants in this first edition of the YIL and invite all interested people (professionals and students) to take part in the second edition of the EDUC Youth Integration Lab, which will take place at the University of Potsdam (Germany) from October 16 to 18, 2024, and will focus on urban spaces for young people.