The Erasmus+ UNICOM project's commitment to building stronger university–community partnerships within the Ukrainian higher education system continues.
The UNICOM project partners gathered in the historic city of Genoa, Italy, on 26–27 June 2025 for a coordination meeting hosted by the University of Genoa. The meeting brought together representatives from across the consortium and partner countries, including Ukraine, Italy, Latvia, Germany, and Sweden, to review project progress.
A key outcome of the meeting was the development of a shared framework for evaluating Third Mission activities. Partners exchanged European experiences and discussed practical approaches to assessing university engagement with communities, ensuring that the project's activities continue to support sustainable institutional development. The consortium also reviewed the progress of the newly established UNICOM Centres, which will serve as hubs for strengthening university–community cooperation in Ukraine.
As the project's Quality Assurance Partner, ACEEU contributed by introducing a practical evaluation guide for assessing Third Mission activities, which is already being used by several institutions.
The meeting further explored the role of universities in responding to societal challenges through an international roundtable on education in emergency conditions. Discussions highlighted how higher education institutions can contribute to community resilience, social innovation, and post-war recovery while strengthening their engagement with external stakeholders.
The development of shared evaluation approaches marks an important step towards ensuring that the implementation of the Third Mission in Ukraine is underpinned by quality, continuous improvement, and evidence-informed practice.
The gathering in Genoa signifies the consortium's shared commitment to embedding the Third Mission within the Ukrainian higher education system. ACEEU is proud to contribute to this shared vision and to support the future development of higher education in Ukraine.
Click here to read more about the project progress.
