On 15-17 April, the pilot Changemaker Ambassador Programme gathered more than 40 students and staff from all ACE universities, who learned the fundamentals of systems thinking and design thinking, and practised change facilitation and promoting meaningful dialogue methods to build constructive conversations. They focused particularly on the “Dialogue Circle” method, a structured approach to conversation specifically designed to foster mutual listening, respect, and openness to different perspectives, creating, all in all, a safer space for participants to share their experiences and opinions. The programme and methodology are described in more detail on the ACE²-EU website. Following this pilot, 18 editions of the Changemaker Ambassador Programme will be rolled out before October 2028, two at each ACE²-EU partner university.
Ten days later, on 27-29 April, LAC hosted this time the pilot Social Impactors Knowledge Creation Team Workshop (SI KCTW) on Gender Equity. The first event of one of the four Social Impactors consortia, the general goal of this event was for university experts, interested students and staff, and external stakeholders to collaborate in designing activities to address challenges participants brought themselves and that are particularly relevant to their context. Using a design-thinking approach, the concept of this workshop was co-developed by the CUAS & LAC teams, with Marika Gruber & Mélissa Pebayle from CUAS as facilitators. Particular effort was made to make this event a safer and more inclusive space, to foster deeper and more meaningful cooperation. Participants worked particularly on topics such as gendered power imbalance, gender pay gap, gender-based violence, imbalanced access to services, and gender recognition in institutions and culture. Five activities were identified for further implementation, on which the groups will continue working remotely. Similar workshops will be implemented for all four Social Impactors, with the first series in Santarem, Portugal, in September 2026, and at CUAS in March 2027.
Three CUAS students and one staff member participated in the Changemaker Ambassador Programme, and the SI KCTW welcomed one student, one staff member and an external stakeholder from Austria. Some of them agreed to share their experience below.
On the Changemaker Ambassador Programme:
Sonia, student from the Faculty of Management & Chair of the ACE²-EU Student Advisory Board
“I feel that I learned some critical skills necessary for having a successful dialogue with other individuals or in a group setting. I truly enjoyed the experience of speaking with other inspiring individuals (both students and staff of other alliance partners), and I am grateful to my home institution for the opportunity to explore as an added value to my current studies.”
Hannah, student from the Faculty of Management:
“This programme was a beautiful opportunity to get to know new people and talk about different perspectives and solutions on actually making a change. As future intercultural leaders, we now have the skills to be great dialogue facilitators to make change happen.”
Marika Gruber, lecturer & researcher at the Faculty of Management, Social Impactors conceptual lead:
“The Changemaker workshop not only promoted methodological development but also encouraged personal reflection. Knowing how to facilitate a dialogue circle and understanding the impact this has on social relationships among participants is an important skill that I can directly apply to other workshops I’m facilitating within the framework of my research projects.”
On the Social Impactors Knowledge Creation Team Workshop on Gender Equity:
Romina, student from the Faculty of Health Sciences & Social Work:
“Overall, the workshop stood out as a highly impactful experience, effectively transforming theoretical insights into concrete projects through collaborative exchange”
Christine Dullnig-Pichler, degree programme director at the Faculty of Health Sciences & Social Work & head of department at the IARA Research Centre:
“The onsite meeting at LAC gave us the possibility to strengthen new networks for working on gender equity and equality”
Verena Tschlatscher, Ombud for Equal Treatment, Regional Office Carinthia (Gleichbehandlungsanwaltschaft Regionalbüro Kärnten):
“For me, as an external stakeholder, the most valuable aspect of the workshop is the exchange of different perspectives from various viewpoints. It encourages us in our work to see how many people are committed to gender equality and equity.”
Mélissa Pebayle, internationalisation commissioner at the Faculty of Management & European Universities Office, Social Impactors operational lead – workshop facilitator:
“I am grateful for the diversity of our participants, both in their roles, academic and professional background, and personal experiences, which enriched the workshop. It was inspiring to watch them build trust and personal relationships. I look forward to seeing the jointly developed activities take shape and to witnessing how the launched cooperation evolves. Their feedback will guide us to improve the workshop concept for future editions”.
