New perspectives and lasting connections after CIVICA's European Week
Students from across the CIVICA alliance recently gathered at IE University in Madrid for this year's European Week. Through lectures, workshops, policy discussions, and teamwork, participants explored the theme of European Competitiveness while building international connections.
For SSE student Fatma Qureshi, the week was both academically rewarding and personally inspiring.
"It was an incredibly enriching and inspiring experience. What made the experience especially rewarding was the opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions with students, academics and experts from across Europe. It was a unique opportunity to broaden my perspective, challenge my own thinking, and better understand the complexity of Europe's future," she says.
Throughout the week, participants examined some of Europe's most pressing challenges and the policies designed to address them. They also visited the European Commission Office in Madrid, where they gained insights into how EU policies are communicated and implemented at the national level.
"These experiences gave me a deeper understanding of the importance of cross-border collaboration and dialogue between people in strengthening Europe's future," Fatma says.
Collaboration across Europe
One of the highlights of the week was the policy case challenge, where students worked in international and interdisciplinary teams to develop policy proposals addressing real European challenges.
Fatma's team focused on how Europe can pursue multilateralism and enlargement in an increasingly fragmented world.
"It was incredibly rewarding to collaborate with students from different academic and cultural backgrounds and see how our diverse perspectives strengthened our final proposal. Beyond solving the case, we also learned from one another by sharing experiences from our universities, discussing different approaches to teamwork, and gaining insight into each other's cultures."
The collaboration proved successful, with Fatma's team receiving the Best Overall Presentation Award.
"It was a great reminder of how diverse Europe is and how much we can learn from working across borders," she says.
Rethinking European competitiveness
The discussions throughout the week also gave Fatma a new perspective on this year's theme.
"One of my biggest takeaways was that Europe's competitiveness challenge is not a lack of ideas or talent, but the barriers to scaling innovation across the continent."
She explains that three recurring themes stood out during the discussions: fragmented markets that make it difficult for companies to grow across borders, limited access to financing, and regulatory differences that slow innovation and entrepreneurship.
"The discussions made me realize that strengthening Europe's competitiveness requires not only innovation, but also deeper collaboration and a more integrated Single Market."
Learning beyond the classroom
Meeting students from across the CIVICA alliance was another defining aspect of the experience. Working alongside both business and political science students encouraged new ways of approaching complex policy questions.
"Our team consisted of both business and political science students, which meant we often approached the same challenge from different perspectives. Those differences led to richer discussions and ultimately stronger solutions. It was also a valuable opportunity to apply knowledge from my studies at SSE to real policy challenges."
Outside the classroom, exploring Madrid together and learning about one another's universities and cultures further enriched the week.
"Visiting IE University also provided insight into another academic environment and highlighted the value of international collaboration between universities."
Looking back, Fatma encourages other SSE students to take part in future European Weeks.
"It is a unique opportunity to apply what you learn at SSE in an international and interdisciplinary setting while working alongside talented students from leading European universities. The combination of lectures, policy discussions, teamwork, and networking provides valuable perspectives that extend beyond the classroom."
For her personally, the experience also prompted a broader reflection on Europe's future.
"The week encouraged me to reflect on how my generation can contribute to addressing societal challenges, especially in our future careers, and reinforced the importance of working across disciplines and cultures."
