ECIU University is a novel European university that unites twelve innovative and entrepreneurial EU universities. For the students, it offers an opportunity to gain relevant skills for the future, work in international teams, and get in contact with business companies and public organisations.

Challenges and micro-modules are the main ways to experience ECIU University. Challenges enable students to work on creative solutions to real-life problems that cities, companies and communities face at this very moment. During a challenge, teams practise a practical method of challenge-based learning (CBL). Moreover, business and public organisations are involved in the learning process.

More than 300 students have already participated in ECIU challenges. Their lessons learned? A new set of skills, an international network, and a new way of working and learning.

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A variety of offers

For the ECIU University Autumn semester, students can choose from variety of challenges, ranging from:

• Smart cities to sustainable pet-friendly environments.
• Energy transition to synthetic biology solutions.
• Tanning industry challenges to food and housing problems.
  

Next to challenges, micro-modules help learners fill the knowledge gaps. For the Autumn semester, ECIU university offers more than 40 different micro-modules, ranging from:

• Creating digital objects to introduction to entrepreneurship.
• Empathy and innovation to intercultural competencies.
• Negotiation skills to games and gamification.
• Lithuanian to Irish languages.

Explore all ECIU challenges and micro-modules offered in the Autumn semester 2022.

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Why participate?

The practical side of learning. Working in the ECIU challenge is similar to the experience in a real job: working in teams, using innovative models and tackling real-life problems. During the process, participants exchange practices and ideas, develop problem-solving, team-work, communication skills, and, practice English language.

Connections for the future. Students work with other learners, teachers, experts, representatives from business and public companies. All participants come from different backgrounds and areas of expertise; it gives a unique opportunity to grow a network of connections.

Freedom to develop ideas. Challenge-based learning (CBL) is unconventional: there is no pre-fix solution to a problem. Teams engage in the problem, investigate the situation and develop their own solution with a help of a team facilitator or a teacher.

International experience, for example, the problem comes from city of Tampere in Finland but students and experts gather from all over the EU to work together.

Europe online and onsite. Challenges are held online or in a blended format, providing the students the possibility to go abroad. For information on funding possibilities for travel, please contact home university, write to learnersupport@eciu.org or see ECIU University Practical information.

Recognition and innovation. After successfully completing the challenge, learners receive a Certificate of Participation. In some cases, there will be an opportunity to develop solutions further, resulting in new services, products, research questions or start-ups.

A real impact. Working on a challenge means a tangible contribution to a societal change. ECIU University challenges are provided by business companies and public partners and include problems that communities and organisations face now.

How does it work?

1. Explore the challenges and micro-modules in the challenge platform. They can vary in length, from two-day up to the semester length.
2. Register to the challenge platform and apply to the challenges and micro-modules that suit you.
3. Students from ECIU member universities can apply. Check the requirements and look for important Q&A. Some of the challenges might also be open to life-long learners and university staff members.
4. After your application is approved, join a team that includes other learners and a team facilitator, called a teamcher.
5. Work with the challenge provider, engage and investigate the challenge using the challenge-based learning method, and, finally, propose the solution.
6. Choose the micro-modules that help gain additional knowledge or skills.
7. Receive a Certificate of Participation and grab a chance to further develop the proposed solutions with your team.

Any questions? Write us challenges@eciu.org.

Explore and apply to the challenges and the micro-modules.

Find out more about ECIU University for learners.