From Dialogue to Co-Design: CIVICLab Advances University–Community Collaboration at UNICAM

29 June 2026 – Abbadia di Fiastra, Italy

How can universities become long-term partners in addressing societal challenges?

This question guided "UNICAM Territorio Condiviso", the co-design workshop organised by the University of Camerino on 29 June 2026 within the CIVICLab initiative. Building on the participatory pathway launched through previous events, the workshop marked an important step from dialogue to action, bringing together representatives from universities, Third Sector organisations, local authorities, researchers, students and community stakeholders to collaboratively design new models of territorial cooperation.

Moving from participation to collaborative action

Rather than serving as a traditional conference, the event was designed as a working laboratory. Its purpose was to transform the evidence collected during previous participatory activities into concrete proposals for collaboration between the University and local communities.

The workshop focused on two complementary objectives:

• exploring Research Service-Learning as a mechanism for connecting teaching, research and community needs;

• co-designing a new University–Town Hall Meeting, envisioned as a permanent space for dialogue, co-programming and collaborative decision-making between universities, public institutions and civil society.

A growing territorial ecosystem

The event involved 39 participants representing 28 organisations, including 21 Third Sector organisations, local authorities, regional representatives, university leadership, researchers and students. This broad participation reflected the growing collaborative ecosystem that UNICAM is building through CIVICLab and aligned with the wider objectives of the EPiCS Project to strengthen civic engagement in higher education.

Throughout the day, participants worked across institutional and organisational boundaries, recognising that complex territorial challenges require shared knowledge, shared responsibility and shared action.

Service-Learning as a bridge between universities and communities

One of the central themes of the workshop was the strategic role of Service-Learning in connecting academic learning with real societal needs.

Participants recognised Third Sector organisations not simply as recipients of university initiatives but as essential knowledge partners, bringing valuable expertise about local communities and helping identify priorities for collaborative research and educational projects.

At the same time, the University was envisioned as a civic infrastructure: facilitating participatory processes, supporting evidence-based decision-making, activating students and researchers, and providing methodological tools for co-design and impact evaluation.

Designing the University–Town Hall Meeting

The afternoon workshops focused on imagining a new institutional format capable of transforming dialogue into long-term collaboration.

Participants proposed a University–Town Hall Meeting that combines elements of a public Town Hall, a deliberative citizens' assembly and a Service-Learning laboratory. Rather than relying on traditional presentations, the proposed format would guide participants through successive phases of evidence sharing, priority setting, public deliberation, collaborative project design and shared commitments.

A particularly innovative proposal emerging from the discussions was the creation of a Civic Mandate for the University: a shared document through which communities identify priority challenges, research questions and collaborative project areas, providing a clear agenda for future university action.

Building a permanent civic infrastructure

Beyond individual projects, the workshop highlighted the importance of creating stable mechanisms that connect listening, research and action over time.

The proposed annual cycle begins with community listening and evidence collection, continues through participatory deliberation and Service-Learning project development, and concludes with public reporting and impact evaluation before starting a new cycle. This approach transforms participation from isolated events into an ongoing collaborative process.

Contributing to the EPiCS vision

The CIVICLab workshop illustrates one of the core ambitions of the EPiCS Project: helping universities become active civic partners capable of co-creating knowledge with their territories.

By integrating participatory methodologies, Research Service-Learning and institutional innovation, UNICAM is demonstrating how universities can evolve into spaces where research, education and civic engagement reinforce one another to generate lasting public value.

As the report concludes, the pathway is built on a simple but powerful sequence:

Dialogue becomes project. Project becomes learning. Learning becomes impact for the community.