Universities, Citizens and Collaborative Research: EPiCS Presented at the University of Palermo
On Wednesday, 15 April, the University of Palermo hosted the seminar "Università, cittadini e ricerca collaborativa: la piattaforma EPiCS per il co-design di esperienze di Research Service-Learning", an opportunity to reflect on how universities can strengthen their role as civic actors by connecting research, education and community engagement through Research Service-Learning (RSL).
The presentation showcased the vision developed within the EPiCS Project, highlighting how universities can evolve from places where knowledge is produced into civic infrastructures that facilitate dialogue, co-creation and collaborative research with citizens, public institutions and civil society organisations.
Research with communities, not only for communities
Using the experience of the University of Camerino (UNICAM) as a case study, the seminar explored how Research Service-Learning creates meaningful opportunities for students, academics and local stakeholders to work together on real societal challenges.
Rather than treating communities as recipients of academic expertise, Research Service-Learning positions them as partners in knowledge production, contributing to the definition of research questions, project design and the generation of socially relevant solutions.
Service-Learning as a democratic practice
A key theme of the event was the relationship between Service-Learning and deliberative democracy. Participants reflected on how co-design processes become spaces where different actors exchange perspectives, negotiate priorities and collectively shape responses to community needs.
This perspective places dialogue, mutual learning and public reasoning at the centre of educational and research activities, making Research Service-Learning both a pedagogical and civic practice.
From dialogue to collaborative action
The seminar also presented two participatory initiatives developed by UNICAM that exemplify this approach:
the COCO World Café, which gathered representatives from universities, public administrations, third-sector organisations and students to identify common challenges and opportunities for collaboration;
the CiviLAb, a full-day participatory event where more than 80 participants worked together to transform community needs into concrete Research Service-Learning project ideas through facilitated co-design processes.
These experiences demonstrate how carefully designed participatory methods can foster collective agency and generate projects rooted in local priorities.
The EPiCS Platform
The event concluded with a presentation of the EPiCS Platform, designed to support the entire lifecycle of Research Service-Learning projects.
The platform provides collaborative spaces for project co-design, repositories of educational resources, ethical supervision tools, competence validation mechanisms and digital recognition through micro-credentials and Open Badges. By integrating physical participation with digital collaboration, EPiCS helps make co-creation processes more visible, sustainable and transferable across universities and communities.
Looking ahead
The Palermo seminar reaffirmed one of the core ambitions of the EPiCS project: enabling universities to become long-term partners in addressing societal challenges through collaborative research and civic engagement.
By bringing together academic knowledge, participatory methodologies and digital innovation, Research Service-Learning offers a powerful framework for creating meaningful educational experiences while generating lasting value for communities across Europe.