Building Bridges for Civic Engagement: Reflections from the 4th HOME Project Meeting in Budapest
Last week, the HOME consortium gathered in Budapest for the 4th transnational meeting of the HOME Project — and it was much more than just a project meeting.
Being together in the heart of the city during the recent elections was a powerful reminder of why initiatives like HOME matter. Witnessing the resilience, commitment, and energy of civil society organisations and citizens on the ground reinforced something we deeply believe: fostering active citizenship and civic engagement within universities is not optional — it is essential.
Throughout these days, partners worked together to bridge the gap between research and real-life implementation, ensuring that the HOME project continues to grow both locally and across Europe.
What We Worked On in Budapest
Strategy & Scale
One of the key focuses of the meeting was exploring how to engage more students, university staff, and stakeholders in meaningful civic participation. Together, we reflected on how to make our formats more inclusive, accessible, and adaptable to different university realities across Europe.
From Theory to Practice
We also dedicated time to comparing the project’s A.2.8 Recommendation List with concrete case studies and experiences from partner countries. This helped us identify what is truly working “on the ground” and how research findings can translate into practical actions inside universities and communities.
Strengthening the European HOME Network
The meeting was also an opportunity to align on the next phase of European HOME activities. Our shared goal remains clear: building a stronger and more connected European network that promotes engagement, participation, and collaboration across borders.
Launching the European HOME Newsletter
To help our growing community stay informed and connected, we are excited to launch a new fortnightly European HOME newsletter.
Subscribers will receive:
- Upcoming European HOME events and webinars
- Stories and experiences from our six partner countries
- Insights and practical learnings from our research on student engagement and civic participation
We believe that sharing knowledge, challenges, and inspiration across countries is one of the most powerful ways to strengthen engagement ecosystems in higher education.
We are returning to our home cities inspired by the people we met in Budapest and motivated to continue opening doors for participation, collaboration, and active citizenship across Europe.
Stay Connected
- Join the European HOME LinkedIn group: European HOME Group
- Explore the HOME project and findings, here.
