At the University of Sassari, Italy, from 30 September to 3 October 2025, meetings of the working packages WP4 – Community Engagement Commission and WP7 – Impact and Dissemination Commission were held within the framework of the European university alliance EUNICoast, funded by the Erasmus+ programme.

This initiative connects universities from coastal and island regions in order to jointly develop innovative models of education, research, and cooperation with local communities.

Representatives of the University of Dubrovnik also took part: Assoc. Prof. Meri Šuman Tolić, PhD, Assist. Prof. Romana John, PhD, and Prof. Mato Brautović, PhD, who actively contributed to discussions on strengthening universities’ capacities for community engagement, stakeholder mapping, and student employability strategies, as well as on shaping the impact framework and a joint dissemination plan. These activities laid the foundations for further work on developing universities that will respond to the social and environmental challenges of island and coastal communities.

EUNICoast brings together partners from several European countries, focusing on islands and ports as places of encounter, exchange, and sustainable development. The alliance is committed to linking universities with their local territories and communities, promoting multilingual and multicultural education, and empowering young generations to be prepared for global challenges.

“The participation of the University of Dubrovnik in the EUNICoast alliance confirms our strategic orientation towards international cooperation and social engagement. It is particularly important that through this project our researchers and students actively contribute to shaping solutions that have a direct impact on local communities, but also on the European framework for the development of coastal and island areas”, said Prof. Mato Brautović, PhD.

By participating in these meetings, the University of Dubrovnik further strengthens its role in shaping the European model of socially engaged and internationally connected universities.