Skytte Institute Hosts Stakeholder Dialogue on Community Engagement

Lossi 36 Tartu Estonia
Author:
Ragnar Vutt

On May 12, 2025, the Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies at the University of Tartu hosted “Stakeholder Dialogues” event focused on advancing community engagement in higher education. The gathering, part of the Erasmus+ project Alliance for Community Engagement in European Higher Education (ACE), brought together a diverse group of stakeholders—including representatives from local government, civil society organizations, and university staff—to share insights and experiences.

As part of the project’s activities in Estonia, the Skytte Institute has been gathering and analyzing trends and examples of community engagement practices both in Estonia and Europe. These include collaborations between universities and NGOs or private sector partners, knowledge-sharing initiatives between academia and the third sector, as well as citizen-led projects that amplify community voices.

The event on May 12 served as both a showcase and a dialogue platform. Participants learned about a variety of inspiring initiatives from across Estonia, highlighting the innovative ways universities are working with communities. Examples included the participatory budget run by the Municipality of Tartu since 2013; the Opinion Festival in Paide; fundraising events organized by student organizations in Estonia to support Ukraine; the Researchers’ Night initiative; and the sTartup Festival in Tartu.

The event also provided an opportunity for attendees to give feedback on the case studies collected so far by consoritum partners, ensuring that the ACE Alliance reflects the needs and aspirations of those working in the field. “It’s essential to capture the richness and diversity of community engagement practices in Estonia,” said Anna Beitane, Head of Digital Educaiton Projects at the University of Tartu, emphasizing the value of stakeholder perspectives in shaping the project’s outputs.

Attendees appreciated the chance to network with others working on similar topics, exchanging ideas and forging new connections that could lead to future collaborations.

Looking ahead, the ACE project team at the Skytte Institute will continue refining its case study collection and sharing insights with partners across Europe. By facilitating exchanges like the Stakeholder Dialogues event, the project aims to empower universities to play a more active role in creating fairer and more resilient communities.

For more information about this event, please contact Anna Beitane, Head of Digital Education Projects at the Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies, University of Tartu, [email protected]

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