The EUC Engaged Citizens Programme (ECP) is an immersive, year-long extracurricular Honours programme designed for students passionate about making a difference in society.
Through interdisciplinary modules focused on personal growth, urban ecology, and documentary making, students will gain hands-on experience and develop critical skills in personal leadership, teamwork, and creative expression.
The ECP empowers participants to tackle real-world challenges (in Rotterdam region), particularly in the areas of well-being and environmental sustainability, by connecting their academic learning with impactful community projects. This programme offers a unique opportunity to grow as individuals and become effective, responsible change-makers.
Here are a few key points to note:
• The program is the EUC Extracurricular Honours Programme.
• 5 sessions per quad: 4 masterclasses with invited guest speakers and one group meeting dedicated to tracking project development and peer coaching
• Sessions take place on Wednesday afternoon 15.30-18.00
• Students will receive the certificate at the end of the ECP
Considering the turbulent world we are currently living in, and the resulting implications on both the personal and societal levels, the ECP focuses on the broad concept of well-being and environmental sustainability. Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR)'s Strategy 2024 focuses on making a positive impact on society by “Taking Responsibility on Sustainable Development”. An essential part of that positive impact is creating a sustainable world. It comes from the realisation that the pace at which we need to restore our environment for our own survival must be faster than we realised until recently. In the coming years, EUR will embark on an accelerated sustainability programme. In line with this ambition, we believe it is essential to support our students and create space to take action towards accelerating sustainability.
In light of EUR Strategies, the ECP is an interdisciplinary programme designed to experience, reflect, and act on the whole spectrum from the individual to the global space. The ECP aims to provide students with a platform upon which they can create awareness and knowledge in the field of well-being, environmental sustainability, and nature conservation. One of the main goals of the ECP is to expose students to different aspects of well-being and sustainability from different angles and levels through initiating and participating in City Engagement Projects in the Rotterdam area. It will allow students to actively act on a chosen aspect and implement their newly acquired knowledge and skills for the benefit of our community.
The goal of the programme is to help students see how personal context, community engagement, and world perspective are intertwined and connected. By understanding the interplay between these factors, students can develop a deeper understanding of the complex issues facing society today and become more effective agents of change through student initiated projects focusing on urban ecology. This includes turning knowledge into action in the form of innovations and solutions for a sustainable way of life on the personal, local (community) and global level. Understanding the connection between these three levels, i.e. (1) personal growth, (2) community engagement, and (3) global social impact, is essential for students to become responsible, engaged citizens who are committed to taking meaningful actions toward accelerating sustainability and preserving the natural environment.
The Engaged Citizens Programme integrates three modules:
(1) Personal Growth Trajectory
(2) Student-led Initiative (a City Engagement Project)
(3) Documentary Making & Visual Arts Module
The general structure of this year-long programme is designed to allow the three modules to run in parallel, meaning that they will happen simultaneously throughout the duration of the programme. By running in parallel, the programme aims to provide a holistic learning experience for the students, allowing them to acquire knowledge cumulatively and develop professional skills while positively impacting their community.
(1) Personal Growth Trajectory: This module is designed to support the personal and professional development of Honours students. Through a dynamic combination of workshops, interactive sessions, and collaborative activities, students will enhance their skills in goal setting, peer coaching, self-reflection, communication, and teamwork. Spanning the academic year, this module provides a structured yet flexible approach to personal growth, fostering personal ownership, and a deeper understanding of individual and group development.
(2) Student-led Initiative (initiating a City Engagement Project): The Student-Led Initiative module focuses on active engagement in a City Engagement Project, where students collaborate to identify and address urban/societal challenges in the Rotterdam area. These challenges may relate to sustainability, well-being, social engagement, human-nature interaction or urban ecology.
Through hands-on learning and practical experience, students will take on leadership roles, working together to design, plan and implement meaningful community-driven solutions. This module provides an opportunity to explore themes such as the global health model, social engagement, human-nature interaction, and sustainable food systems, equipping students with the knowledge and skills to create sustainable and long-lasting change in their community.
(3) Documentary Making & Visual Arts Module: This module offers students the opportunity to explore documentary making, visual arts, and storytelling. Through hands-on experience, students will develop creative and technical skills in videography and editing. Students will have the chance to create a short documentary that captures the story of their student-led initiative (a City Engagement Project) and tell their story to the outside world. The module culminates in the production of a final documentary, which will be presented during the Closing Event, showcasing their learning, creativity, and experiences throughout the programme.
These three modules are designed to complement each other. The personal growth trajectory provides a foundation for the other two modules and the student-led initiative provides a real-world context for the documentary-making and visual arts module. Documentary making and visual arts can be powerful tools in City Engagement Projects, helping to raise awareness, inspire action, and engage communities in sustainable practices.
The Engaged Citizens Programme is open for committed and inquisitive (current) first- and second-year EUC students. In the selection process, we put a high premium on motivation, curiosity, and explicit deliberation on how the programme can contribute to students’ personal learning goals. The programme runs for the duration of an academic year (parallel to the regular coursework) and consists of 5 sessions per quad (Wednesday afternoons).
How to apply?
All first and second-year EUC students can apply to the programme.
Your application should consist of the following:
- A video of up to 7 min in which you:
- Present who you are and why you would like to participate in the Engaged Citizens Program.
- What do you think you could learn from the ECP and what can you bring to the ECP?
- Present an idea you would want to explore related to the urban ecology and sustainability issues in the connection between the individual and the global scales;
- Present one idea for an event, workshop, or excursion that you could co-organize in the program;
- Briefly present the latest book, film, or exhibition that truly captivated you and explain why;
- or Briefly mention a potential action you would want to execute to contribute to our community’s well-being.
2. Your CV (as a pdf file, with your full name as the document’s name).
You can submit your video by sharing a link to it in an email. Please make sure that everything works before sending.
Please send your application to the programme coordinator Dr. Anastasia Moiseeva moiseeva@euc.eur.nl with the following subject line:
Engaged Citizens Programme Application before April 27th 2025, 23:59.
Students that will be offered a spot in the programme will be notified via e-mail by May 6th 2025
Kick-Off Meeting will take place on May 14th 2025 and will be combined with The Closing Event for the Honours Cohort 2024-2025