Social Challenges

The five societal thematic areas the Lab works on

The Lab's work is organised around five societal thematic areas — the real-world challenges its teams take on.

These areas were not chosen in the abstract. They were identified through more than 200 interviews with stakeholders across the ERUA partner regions, giving the Lab an empirical basis for the problems it tackles and a shared language across all eight universities.

Each area connects to pressing European and global challenges and to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The Lab's course, input sessions, and teams organise their work around them — and the case studies show what that looks like in practice.

Migration & Exile Movement across borders — by choice or by force — reshapes lives and communities. This area supports ideas that ease arrival, inclusion, and belonging for migrants, refugees, and displaced people. 7 case studies → Environmental Transition From climate change to how we use resources, the shift to a sustainable economy is one of Europe's defining challenges. This area backs ventures that cut environmental harm and build greener, more resilient communities. 17 case studies → Democracy, Human Rights & Inclusion Healthy democracies depend on participation, rights, and equality. This area supports work that strengthens civic life, defends human rights, and widens opportunity for people who are too often left out. 13 case studies → Interculturality & Multilingualism Europe's strength lies in its diversity of cultures and languages. This area fosters dialogue across them — preserving heritage, bridging communities, and turning multilingual, multicultural life into shared value. 10 case studies → Arts & Edges Creativity works at the edges — where art meets society, technology, and the margins. This area supports cultural and artistic initiatives that spark engagement and imagine new ways of living together. 7 case studies →
Explore all case studies