INTERVIEW |
We spoke with Luís Ferreira, coordinator of the Book Club, and Susana Amante, leader of Work Package 3 at EUNICE, to better understand the impact, challenges, and future of student clubs in higher education.
Student clubs are far more than extracurricular activities. They are dynamic spaces where students connect, collaborate, and grow beyond the classroom. Within international alliances like EUNICE, these clubs take on an even greater role, fostering intercultural dialogue, strengthening a sense of belonging, and equipping students with essential skills for both personal and professional development.
Interview with Luís Ferreira, Student Club Coordinator
1. What has been the biggest challenge of leading a club?
The biggest challenge is, and I believe always will be, ensuring consistent active participation from club members. The best way to overcome this challenge is to create democratic operating strategies and offer dynamic experiences at every club session.
Even so, this is no guarantee of smooth running or high participation, as it is not possible to control voluntary participation. There are certain obstacles present in all clubs, such as language barriers — even when activities are conducted in a common language like English, they are not necessarily accessible to everyone.
Additionally, because clubs are voluntary, they often become the first activity students give up when they feel overwhelmed.
2. What is it like to work with students from different countries and universities?
It is a very enriching experience. In every session, we notice differences between students from diverse backgrounds, which often leads to discussions that not only deepen the topic being explored, in our case, literature, but also promote intercultural understanding.
3. How can student clubs improve students’ integration and participation in university life?
Student clubs are voluntary and focused on specific interests. When students join, they do so because they are genuinely interested in the topic and want to engage with others who share that passion.
This creates meaningful connections and helps students integrate more easily into the university environment, particularly within a broader European context.
4. In your opinion, how important are clubs to the personal and professional development of higher education students?
Student clubs help develop a wide range of transferable skills that are essential for young people but are not always part of formal education.
Because participation is voluntary and flexible, students can engage in ways that feel meaningful to them, making the experience more impactful and rewarding.
Interview with Susana Amante, EUNICE Work Package 3 Leader
1. How do you describe the role of student clubs in today’s higher education landscape?
Pan-EUNICE clubs can be understood as non-formal, experiential learning ecosystems where students voluntarily explore shared interests and develop competencies in specific areas.
They function as student-driven laboratories of initiative, experimentation, and collaboration, while also strengthening students’ sense of belonging — both to EUNICE and to Europe.
At the same time, they support emotional well-being by fostering friendships, peer networks, and community identity.
2. How do clubs complement traditional academic learning?
Student clubs transform theoretical knowledge into practical, experience-based learning. They allow students to take on real responsibilities such as project coordination, event organisation, and leadership roles, opportunities that are often limited in formal education.
3. What is the value of clubs within a European university alliance like EUNICE?
Within a European alliance like EUNICE, student clubs serve as social and collaborative infrastructures that strengthen transnational cohesion at the student level. They enable organic network formation based on shared interests rather than solely on institutional frameworks, thereby fostering more sustainable and meaningful engagement across partner universities.
Additionally, clubs contribute significantly to internationalisation at home by allowing students to experience intercultural collaboration without the need for physical mobility. They facilitate the rapid circulation of ideas, practices, and creative initiatives across institutions while providing access to shared resources, micro-funding opportunities, and collaborative digital platforms.
4. How do clubs promote interculturality and collaboration between students from different countries?
Pan-EUNICE student clubs promote interculturality primarily through sustained co-creation. By bringing together students from diverse cultural, social, and academic backgrounds around shared interests, clubs create spaces where intercultural learning emerges naturally through collaboration.
Participation encourages tolerance, empathy, and mutual understanding while providing opportunities for informal language development and exposure to different perspectives. Through collaborative tasks and other initiatives, students practice negotiation across cultural differences, develop inclusive communication strategies, and cultivate a deeper appreciation of diversity.
