Unite! Students Strengthen Communication and Collaboration Skills in International Workshops
Aalto Unite! students joined their peers in Wrocław, Poland, for the first-ever SURE! Forum. The event offered the opportunity to develop practical leadership and communication skills while reflecting on the role of universities in a rapidly changing world. SURE!, Students of Unite! for Representation and Empowerment, is the student association of the Unite! alliance.
Over five days, they attended workshops focused on communication within European university alliances (both internal and intercultural), as well as external communication, including students’ presence on social media. Workshops were led by experts from Wrocław Tech as well as leaders from global companies such as Craft, Santander and BNY.
During the workshops, participants explored topics such as team and project management, leadership in the academic environment and the art of communication in a global world. They debated ethics, power, and the role of universities in shaping technological change. They also attended a ‘critical design thinking’ workshop and examined their own assumptions about problem-solving and intercultural communication.
SURE! Student Vivi Bengs shares:
“Interactive workshops taught us useful skills, such as how to structure a convincing story and how to communicate and work together in international environments... One of the highlights of the week was the workshop where we discussed the different roles people take within teams... It emphasised how differently each of us work and, more importantly, how these differences can be used to build a stronger team. We discussed how to support team members in areas where they might be struggling, as well as the types of roles in which each person might excel. I am sure that I will be able to apply it in many teamwork situations in the future.”
The Forum also included the ‘Let’s Unite!’ fair and poster session, where SURE! students shared insights into academic life at Unite! partner universities. They presented the activities of their local student organisations and projects carried out within the Unite! network, with emphasis on initiatives funded through the Unite! Seed Fund programme.
“I think this was a great way to build new connections across the alliance and share information about Unite! with the students at Wrocław Tech. I hope this is something we can also implement at Aalto to bring the partner universities closer together and show students everything Unite! has to offer.” - Vivi Bengs
To find out more about the Unite! Alliance, check the Aalto Unite! page here. To see current educational and extracurricular offers, check the Unite! Catalogue for Students.
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