On 26–27 June 2025, the University of Genoa (Italy) hosted a coordination meeting of the UNICOM project “Universities and Communities: Strengthening Cooperation”. The event brought together project partners from Ukraine, Italy, Latvia, Germany, Sweden, and other countries to reflect on progress and collaboratively develop evaluation criteria for the implementation of the third mission of universities.
Participants explored the regulatory framework of higher education in Italy, with Guido Amoretti and Diana Spulber presenting the integration of the third mission as a formalised element within the national system. German colleagues contributed by introducing a practical evaluation guide for assessing third mission activities, already in use at several institutions.
A significant part of the discussion focused on the functioning of the newly established UNICOM Centres within Ukrainian partner universities. These centres are envisioned as institutional platforms for embedding the third mission in the Ukrainian context, particularly in response to wartime and post-war needs. Participants also discussed the broader societal responsibilities of universities, including support for military personnel, their families, and war-affected communities.
An international roundtable on “The role of Education in Emergency Conditions” brought together diverse perspectives. Diana Spulber (University of Genoa) presented current research trends in crisis education. Professor Alessandro Figus (Fondazione Sicurezza e Libertà) discussed strategies for strengthening community resilience through university–community engagement. Oleksandr Svystun (Association of Invincible Communities, Ukraine) shared field experience on the integration of internally displaced persons. Irina Rovniakova and Dana Nigmanova (Sarsen Amanzhioov University,
Kazakhstan) described how Kazakhstani universities adapted the delivery of education in emergency conditions. Abilmazhit Baktiyar and Raushan Sadykanova (Karaganda Pedagogical University) shared research about Theoretical aspects of The formation of social values of primary school students based on national sports.
Further presentations were made by Tetyana Konovalenko on the outcomes of previous activities and Olena Melnyk on current steps to institutionalise the Third Mission Centres in Ukrainian universities. Diana Spulber also presented the evaluation methodology developed by the University of Genoa team.
The meeting included intensive group work aimed at developing a shared set of evaluation criteria for the implementation of the third mission, with a common emphasis placed on the importance of technology and innovation transfer.
Svitlana Shytikova, National Erasmus+ Coordinator in Ukraine, addressed participants online, underscoring the critical importance of the third mission for Ukrainian HEI’s operating under wartime conditions.
The meeting concluded with an agreement to organise a mechaton — an open event involving representatives of Ukrainian communities who will contribute to assessing how universities are fulfilling their third mission objectives.