from November 17, 2025 to November 21, 2025
Published on October 3, 2025 Updated on October 3, 2025

Innovation Challenges for Students at Vrije Universiteit Brussel - November 2025


Do you want to test your innovative mindset together with other students from Europe? Join us for five transformative days in Brussels at Vrije Universiteit Brussel on 17-21 November 2025 for the Innovation Challenges for Students event placed under the theme “In a multilingual society, what separates people, and what creates cohesion?”. 80 students from across our alliance will unite to tackle challenges multilingualism poses in our contemporary societies.

Some challenges students will focus on during this week include:​

  • What challenges do highly multilingual societies face? Which innovations emerge in such diverse societies?​
  • How do multilingual societies cater to the communicative needs of their population?​
  • Which innovative approaches have been developed in multilingual societies to address the challenges of communicative diversity? ​
  • How can language policy and planning remain manageable in a highly diversified linguistic setting? ​
  • How do speakers themselves navigate their multilingual environment?​
  • How do multilingual societies stimulate innovative cultural production in e.g. literature, music, film? ​
  • What challenges do artists face in multilingual societies? How do they find their public? ​
  • How does cultural policy address multilingual realities?​
  • In a multilingual society, what separates people, and what creates cohesion?

The autumn school combines lectures and interactive seminars lead by academics from the EUTOPIA partner universities on the one hand, and discussion formats with stakeholders on the other.

What can you expect?
 

If you participate in this challenge, you will have the chance to be in contact with companies and media to give you real-life context experience and to work on an entrepreneurial project together with students from 10 different Universities from the EUTOPIA Alliance, aiming to solve real problems.
 

Target

8 students from each EUTOPIA University will be able to participate. 

When?

17-21 November 2025


Where?

Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium


Programme



Download the complete programme here.

How to Apply?

Register through the link of your university or email the contact point below.

  • Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca (Romania): More information coming soon
  • Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Belgium): Participation is limited to students enrolled in the course ‘LIST Research Based Teaching Seminar – EUTOPIA' 
  • Ca’ Foscari University of Venice (Italy): Check the dedicated page on Ca' Foscari website
  • CY Cergy Université Paris (France): Apply by filling in this form
  • Technische Universität Dresden (Germany): Apply by filling in this form
  • University of Gothenburg (Sweden): Check the dedicated page on the University of Gothenburg website
  • University of Ljubljana (Slovenia): More information coming soon 
  • NOVA University Lisbon (Portugal): Apply by filling in this form
  • Universitat Pompeu Fabra Barcelona (Spain): More information coming soon
  • University of Warwick: Participation is limited to students enrolled in the modules ‘ET324 Multilingualism and Culture’ or ‘ET227/ET330/ET9D8 Multilingualism and Diversity’ 

Travel, accommodation, and meals will be ensured for all selected participants!


Don’t miss the chance to have an international experience!


Curious to know what the experience looks like? 

Here are testimonials from students who have attended recent Innovation Challenges for Students: