Interview with partner organisation: Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu

By piloting new methods and digital platforms, we hope to enhance the impact and visibility of science in the community  

Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu (ULBS) has a mission to teach and conduct research that fosters excellence, innovation, and meaningful community engagement. Within the EPiCS project, ULBS contributes through the Teacher Training Department Team and the ULBS D-School team, promoting interdisciplinary collaboration between academia and society.  

Our mission aligns closely with EPiCS’s goals by integrating Citizen Science, Research Service-Learning, and Civic Engagement into teaching and research practices. Through these approaches, ULBS aims to empower students and local stakeholders to co-create knowledge, address real community needs, and participate in deliberative arenas that encourage dialogue, shared responsibility, and sustainable social innovation.  

ULBS has strong experience in coordinating and participating in projects funded by Erasmus+, Horizon Europe, UEFISCDI, and national grants, focusing on innovation in education, participatory research, and the inclusion of underrepresented groups. Notable examples include projects that foster active citizenship, educational equity, and student-centred learning models.  

The university actively collaborates with schools, NGOs, local authorities, and civic actors in Sibiu and across Romania to develop impactful interventions and inclusive educational strategies. It promotes open science through the Research and Development Department, transdisciplinary research through 24 research centers and collaborative ways of working, by using science shop conceps, service learning and design thinking through ULBS D-School. 

In EPiCS, ULBS seeks to deepen its institutional commitment to transforming education through democratic engagement, co-creation, and real-world problem-solving.  

Since 2019, we have been organising events that democratise access to science and promote science communication to the wider public. We started through a partnership with the British Council to organise FameLab, followed by the Games of Science competition in collaboration with Sci Public Forum, and most recently the Researchers’ Grand Prix, as part of the FORTHEM Alliance, of which ULBS is an active member.  

Additionally, ULBS is one of the Romanian universities that annually hosts the European Researchers’ Night, a large-scale event reaching over 10,000 participants, with interactive activities and workshops organised by all faculties to engage citizens of all ages in scientific dialogue.  

Beyond public engagement, ULBS has implemented service-learning projects in teacher education, empowering students to co-design educational interventions in partnership with local schools and NGOs. These projects reflect our long-term commitment to integrating academic learning with real-life societal needs through participatory approaches.  

“Sustained engagement with local communities requires trust-building over time, not just one-time participation.

One of the key lessons we’ve learned from past projects is that sustained engagement with local communities requires trust-building over time, not just one-time participation. Success has come when we involve stakeholders from the very beginning of the process, especially in co-design phases — giving them a clear role, space to contribute, and feedback on how their input shaped the outcome.  

Another important insight is the need for flexibility in participatory research: while structure is necessary, too much rigidity can limit creative input and responsiveness to community needs. This became especially clear in service-learning projects, where real-life challenges required students and staff to adapt to research goals and methods based on emerging feedback.  

We also learned that interdisciplinary collaboration adds value but requires careful facilitation — particularly in aligning expectations and balancing academic rigour with accessibility for non-academic participants.  

Finally, communication is critical: simplifying scientific language, offering multiple channels of interaction (online, in-person, visual), and celebrating small milestones publicly can significantly improve both visibility and community motivation. These lessons directly inform our approach to EPiCS, particularly in engaging stakeholders meaningfully through deliberative arenas and research service-learning actions.   

“By piloting new methods and digital platforms, we hope to enhance the impact and visibility of science in the community, especially among underrepresented groups.  

Through our participation in EPiCS, we aim to strengthen the culture of civic engagement, co-creation, and participatory research at Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu. We hope to empower both students and academic staff to work alongside citizens and community partners in identifying real-world challenges and addressing them through research, service-learning and deliberative processes. This is an opportunity to institutionalise citizen science practices in higher education by developing sustainable models of engagement, integrated curricula, and digital tools that remain in use beyond the project’s lifetime.  

Moreover, we aim to expand our local and international networks, building bridges between academia and society that foster trust, inclusiveness, and innovation. By piloting new methods and digital platforms, we hope to enhance the impact and visibility of science in the community, especially among underrepresented groups.  

Ultimately, our goal is to contribute to a university ecosystem where research, teaching, and civic responsibility are deeply interconnected, aligned with European values and priorities for open and engaged science.