U!Talks: Students across Europe unite to inspire change
Last February, students from all nine universities of the Unite! network gathered in Barcelona to launch the first edition of U!Talks, a student-led initiative inspired by TED Talks. Supported by Unite!’s Seed Fund, which finances innovative student ideas, the event gave speakers the chance to share their experiences, passions, and projects with peers and academics alike.
Broadcast live to all nine partner universities, U!Talks connected a diverse European student community, offering a unique platform for shared inspiration and collaboration.
The event kicked off with four short but impactful presentations. Alexander Stjernberg from KTH opened by addressing gender inclusivity in computer science through his initiative, “Project Dive.” Encouraging students to actively tackle issues around them, he urged, “The problems you see in your life are opportunities to lead, to take charge, to create change.”
Maria Giulia Ballatore from Polito then highlighted strategies to close gender gaps in STEM education, emphasizing the value of spatial skills training from an early age. Pau Maza from UPC shared insights into effective student advocacy, describing how collective action successfully led to reduced tuition fees in Catalonia. Lastly, Armin Ernst from WroclawTECH fascinated attendees with his experiences combining architecture and space exploration, including the design of Martian rovers and participation in simulated space missions.
Following the presentations, a dynamic roundtable moderated by Matteo Cicilloni (Polito) further explored innovation and student entrepreneurship. Panelists included Gerhard Dorn (TUGraz), who shared insights into his experience founding educational startups; Alex Jackel (TUDa), who highlighted how student-led innovation thrives through practical mentorship and collaboration; Jakub Staudt (WroclawTECH), who spoke about digital marketing and building successful brands using AI; and Vaëa Tesan (Grenoble INP), President and co-founder of IAESTE France, who shared personal experiences about building student initiatives from scratch. She emphasized the importance of students recognizing their power and potential, concluding, “Your voice matters. Creating something that will change and something that you believe in is what makes a difference.”
The enthusiasm generated by U!Talks showed the powerful impact of giving students a platform to share their ideas openly and authentically. Due to its success, organizers envision making U!Talks a regular feature of future Unite! Dialogues, further empowering students across Europe to lead positive change.
The full event replay is available here:▶️ U!Talks Replay
Article written by Laura Armando (Polito), Rúben Calvinho (ULisboa) and Vaëa Tesan