UBB Students at the Multilingualism in Contemporary Societies – Autumn School, Brussels
17–21 November 2025
Between 17–21 November 2025, a group of eight students from Babeș-Bolyai University, representing several faculties (Psychology and Educational Sciences, Letters, European Studies, Political, Administrative and Communication Sciences, Economics and Business Administration, and Mathematics and Computer Science), took part in the Autumn School “Multilingualism in Contemporary Societies”, hosted by Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB).
Now in its fourth edition, the event brought together more than 80 students from across the EUTOPIA Alliance and was part of the EUTOPIA Innovation Challenges for Students, a programme dedicated to international collaboration and the development of innovative solutions to contemporary societal challenges. The first edition of this series was hosted by UBB in Cluj-Napoca, strengthening our university’s role in shaping and expanding this educational format.
Activities during the Autumn School
Throughout the week, students participated in:
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lectures and thematic workshops on language policies, linguistic identities, social cohesion, translation and self-translation;
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discussions on English as a lingua franca, code-switching, and creativity in multicultural contexts;
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exploratory activities, including guided tours in Brussels and visits to European institutions, offering insight into how multilingualism shapes the city’s cultural and urban landscape.
Working in International Teams
In line with previous editions, UBB students collaborated with peers from EUTOPIA partner universities to address current challenges faced by multicultural societies. Through:
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practical workshops,
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guided reflection sessions,
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heuristic exercises,
the international teams developed innovative proposals, which they presented during a final pitch, summarizing their conceptual solutions.
UBB’s Commitment to EUTOPIA
UBB’s participation in this series of events reaffirms the university’s strategic commitment to the goals of the EUTOPIA Alliance and to preparing a new generation of specialists capable of thoughtfully engaging with the complexities of multicultural societies.
Visual materials kindly provided by the local photography team.