UlySA Bootcamp 2025: Empowering Students to Shape the Future of Europe
Five-day event in Košice strengthens UlySA’s leadership, renews its steering committee, and sets a new two-year action plan for European student engagement
UlySA Bootcamp 2025: Empowering Students to Shape the Future of Europe
The UlySA Bootcamp 2025, held from 20 to 24 October at the Technical University of Košice (Slovakia), brought together twenty students from the Ulysseus Student Association (UlySA) for a week of training, collaboration, and strategic planning. As part of the Ulysseus Košice Week, the bootcamp aimed to foster a sense of belonging to a shared European community and to empower students to play an active role both within and beyond the Ulysseus Alliance.
Over the course of five intensive days, participants from five different countries deepened their understanding of the European Union, its values, and its mechanisms for civic participation. The programme combined interactive EU workshops, soft-skill sessions, and collaborative working groups, enabling students to reflect on their role in shaping European higher education and youth engagement.
Renewing leadership and setting a vision for the future
During the bootcamp, new members were introduced to the UlySA association, and the Steering Committee was renewed, ensuring a continued commitment to dynamic, inclusive student leadership. UlySA also prepared a presentation for the Ulysseus Summit, open to all participants of the Ulysseus Košice Week, to share their achievements, challenges, and future goals.
One of the key outcomes of the week was the development of a two-year UlySA Action Plan, designed to guide the association’s efforts in strengthening student engagement, promoting European citizenship, and enhancing the Ulysseus student experience. The plan was built on a thorough reflection of what has been achieved so far, the challenges encountered, and the strategies developed to overcome them.
“This bootcamp is vital for UlySA and for Ulysseus. We have discussed here things that matter for us: student rights, how to make a better Europe, and how to positively influence decision-making,” said Théo Bloemen, President of the Ulysseus Student Association.
Learning, reflecting, and co-creating Europe’s future
The bootcamp agenda featured workshops on EU democracy, the European Citizens’ Initiative, and youth participation, complemented by training in public speaking, critical thinking, problem solving, and personal branding. The final day culminated with an interactive session titled “Mobility Without Borders: Co-Creating the Future of European Student Journeys,” where participants envisioned new models of inclusive and flexible student mobility across Europe.
The UlySA Bootcamp is part of the Erasmus+ project “UlySA Bootcamp (KA152-YOU – Mobility of young people project)”, financed by the French Erasmus+ Youth & Sport Agency.
Inspiring the next generation: secondary school students join Ulysseus Košice Week
On Friday, 24 October 2025, Ulysseus European University welcomed secondary school students from across Europe to the event “Ulysseus European University – A New Way to Experience University Life.” Held in hybrid format at the Technical University of Košice, this international session invited young learners to discover science, research, and innovation through interactive presentations and workshops.
The highlight of the event was the launch of Ulysseus Young Explorers in Science (UYES), a new peer-reviewed journal dedicated to showcasing research by secondary school students aged 15–19. With its first call for papers officially announced, UYES offers young scientists the opportunity to publish their work and engage with the European research community.
Through talks on academic writing, research fundamentals, and a showcase of young innovators, students explored how curiosity, creativity, and collaboration can shape their academic and professional futures. This initiative reflects Ulysseus’ commitment to inspiring future generations and building bridges between schools, universities, and innovation ecosystems across Europe.
About Ulysseus
Ulysseus is one of the 73 European Universities alliances selected by the European Commission under its flagship initiative of the European strategy for universities, which brings together almost 650 higher education institutions of all types from across Europe. Led by the University of Seville, the Ulysseus European University Alliance encompasses seven other partner universities: the Université Côte d’Azur (France), University of Genoa (Italy), the Technical University of Košice (Slovakia), MCI | The Entrepreneurial School® (Austria), Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences (Finland), the University of Münster (Germany), and the University of Montenegro (Montenegro). In just a few weeks, Ulysseus will celebrate its fifth anniversary, marking half a decade of joint progress in education, research, and innovation across Europe.