Imagine it. Film it. Shape it.
The Una Europa Student Award 2026 invites students from all partner universities to imagine the future of higher education through a short and creative video.
This edition encourages students to reflect on how university life may evolve in a world shaped by uncertainty, social change, and technological transformation, and on the role students can play in shaping the university of the future as active contributors to academic life.
The call is open from 21 January to 8 March 2026. Submissions must be completed by 23:59 CET on 8 March 2026, and the results of the selection process will be communicated by 23 March 2026.
The call is open to Bachelor’s and Master’s students, as well as doctoral researchers, currently enrolled full-time at one of the 11 Una Europa partner universities. Each applicant may submit one entry only.
Participants are invited to imagine the future of higher education by choosing one of two thematic directions.
The first focuses on the core values of higher education, exploring what makes education meaningful in 2040, how universities can nurture critical thinking beyond exams and degrees, and how student voices can be genuinely included in decision-making processes.
The second theme addresses the evolving role of the university, asking how institutions should prepare students for professions that do not yet exist, what it truly means to be “future-ready,” and how universities can enable balance, wellbeing, and sustainable student life rather than burnout.
These themes are also central to the work of the Future UniLab, Una Europa’s think tank dedicated to reimagining the university of tomorrow.
Submissions must take the form of a video lasting between 30 seconds and 2 minutes. The format is intentionally flexible and does not require a traditional on-camera presentation. Applicants are encouraged to experiment with storytelling through visuals, narration, animation, spoken word, or speculative scenarios such as a day in the life of a student in 2040.
Technical production quality is not assessed. What matters is the clarity, originality, and relevance of the idea. The use of AI tools during the creative process is permitted, provided that it is clearly declared in line with the submission guidelines.
Submissions will be evaluated based on the creativity of the approach, the coherence with the selected theme, and the originality and meaningfulness of the vision presented. The selection committee will also take into account diversity across universities, study backgrounds, and video formats.
Five students will be selected as winners. The prize includes fully funded participation in the Una Europa Student Congress 2026, which will take place in The Hague from 9 to 12 June 2026, covering travel, accommodation, and basic costs. Winning submissions will be showcased within the Una Europa community, and the selected students will have the opportunity to present their ideas during the Student Congress, as well as to take part in a preparatory meeting linked to the Future UniLab.
Before submitting their entry, students are required to carefully read the Submission Guidelines, which provide detailed information on eligibility, video format, duration, submission procedures, and the declaration of any AI tools used during the creative process.
The guidelines can be downloaded directly from this page and should be consulted before uploading the final video.
Once the video is ready, applicants can submit their entry by sharing a link to their video via the official submission form. Videos may be hosted on YouTube (public or private) or uploaded to a Google Drive or OneDrive folder, in accordance with the guidelines.
All submissions must be completed by 8 March 2026 at 23:59 CET.