Changing of the guard for CIVICA Ambassadors

Being an Ambassador for the CIVICA alliance, of which Bocconi is founding member, is an exciting and stimulating opportunity for students of the 10 partner universities - from undergraduate to postdoc researchers - with the chance to promote interaction and exchange within the alliance's communities, initiate projects, be part of civic engagement initiatives and be a first point of contact to CIVICA for peers.

At Bocconi it is a time of change, with Nóra Kovács leaving and Martino Cabassi taking up the post as one of the two new Bocconi ambassadors for academic year 2024/25, together with Federica Leaci. We talked to Nóra to hear about her experience in this last year and to Martino about what he is looking forward to...

-Why did you choose to be an ambassador? How is European cooperation relevant to your studies and interests?

Nóra:  I think that CIVICA is an amazing initiative to unite young thinkers who are deeply committed to the future of their countries and Europe as a whole. I aspire to work in the field of agriculture, which has countless problems, such as soil degradation, greenhouse gas emissions, and loss of biodiversity, which demand coordinated solutions at intergovernmental level. Addressing these challenges requires a profound degree of integration and trust to ensure that, in times of crises, we can collaboratively mitigate the food system disruptions. The spirit of CIVICA gives me hope that the leaders of tomorrow will be prepared to respond to these upcoming challenges united.  

Martino:  I have participated in several CIVICA alliance events and they brought me into contact with a vast network of people and projects from all corners of the European Union. CIVICA is a great practical example of how European cooperation can bring added value to the community. This is a key topic for me, as I am enrolled in a master's course in policy analysis and aspire to a career in European institutions. 

-How can you and your peers benefit from your university's participation in the CIVICA alliance?

Nóra:    CIVICA organizes amazing events and conferences, which broaden the horizon of curious students. Bachelor students for example can attend the European Week alongside peers and the futurEU competition provides a unique platform for brainstorming with fellow students and presenting solutions to experts. I believe fostering cooperation between students from institutions with different approaches is crucial for creating more comprehensive solutions.

Martino:    All of us students can benefit from CIVICA's initiatives. From being able to go on courses abroad at partner universities, to various competitions and workshops. Perhaps the top project is the European week, which gives students the opportunity to participate in a week of courses and workshops on European topics at a CIVICA university. And from now on, students associations can also obtain CIVICA funds to develop projects with an international scope. Moreover, for me it is invaluable to be able to expand your network by getting to know students from 10 other universities with the same ambitions, desires and projects as you.

Nóra, what were your main activities as an Ambassador and what was the highlight?

The most memorable part was certainly the Ambassador Conference in Paris. It was an incredible opportunity to meet ambassadors from the nine partner universities and the CIVICA team. Together we brainstormed ways to get the most out of the collaboration, developed new ideas and planned for the year ahead. The conference reminded me of the core values on which Europe is built: human dignity, solidarity, justice, freedom, and equality. In Hungary these values have not always self-evident and it is profoundly reassuring to be part of an environment where they serve as guiding principles. Being surrounded by the CIVICA community I could truly feel how these crucial values are driving CIVICA’s programs and proposals, shaping initiatives that are meaningful and impactful.

Martino, what are your aims in your role as ambassador?

Bocconi students are extremely interested in CIVICA's projects, but some miss out as they are not aware of all the many opportunities offered. I aim to make the Bocconi community even more aware of CIVICA, and that it is open to everybody, and further outreach communication of the various initiatives.