9th European Conference on Service-Learning in Higher Education

Hosted by: University of Bamberg, in cooperation with the European Association for Service-Learning in Higher Education (EASLHE), the German Higher Education Network “Education through Responsibility,” and the Erasmus+ project “Service-Learning to foster Competences for Democratic Culture (SL4DC).”

Theme: Strengthening Democracy through Service-Learning and Civic Engagement

Dates: 7–9 October 2026

It is our pleasure to invite you to the 9th European Conference on Service-Learning in Higher Education, hosted by the University of Bamberg, Germany. This conference will take place 7–9 October 2026.

In times of growing social polarization and challenges to democratic institutions, higher education has a crucial role to play in fostering civic responsibility and democratic innovation. The 9ECSLHE provides a forum to explore how service-learning can connect academic theory with societal needs, enabling students to engage in meaningful social action while developing critical thinking, empathy, and agency.

We warmly invite academics, teachers, practitioners, and community partners to join us in sharing experiences, insights, and best practices on the theme “Strengthening Democracy through Service-Learning and Civic Engagement.” Together, we look forward to reflecting on current approaches, addressing challenges, and inspiring new initiatives in higher education, classroom teaching, and community engagement.

Scientific committee:

·      Prof. Dr. Karl-Heinz Gerholz (University of Bamberg, Germany) 

·      Prof. Dr. James Kennedy (Utrecht University, the Netherlands) 

·      Prof. Dr. Berta Paz Lourido (University of the Balearic Islands, Spain) 

·      Dr. Irene Culcasi (LUMSA University, Italy) 

·      Dr. Carmen Heckmann (University of Frankfurt, Germany)

·      Dr. Rolf Laven (University College of Teacher Education in Vienna, Austria)

·      Dr. Nicolas Standaert (KU Leuven, Belgium) 

·      Dr. Johannes Weber (University of Bamberg, Germany)

·      Dipl. - Päd. Jörg Miller (University of Essen, Germany)

·      Tim Sydlik (University of Halle)

·      Kaat Somers (University Centre Saint-Ignatius Antwerp, Belgium)

·      Francesca Taronna (University of Bamberg, Germany)