BBU Cluj Summer Institute 2026 Outcomes

Meet the Network 2026

From 10 to 14 May 2026 the GCTE network met at Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, for the Summer Institute From Shared Grounds to Collective Responsibility: Reflecting on Shared Journeys and Cultivating Sustainable Bonds. Researchers, lecturers and students from our partner universities spent five days between the university campus, the Cluj-Napoca Youth Center and Zbor Hub Cluj – presenting research, walking the city together and strengthening the bonds that carry the project forward.

Sunday, 10 May

The Institute opened at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences with an introduction to GCTE and first thoughts on The Invisible Architecture of Collaboration. The afternoon brought Jesper Heidemann-Langhoff (UoK) and Petter Øyan (OsloMet) with From Nature Connectedness to Community Engagement, Sydney Carroll and Quincy Dickens (UNCC) with Toward Healing-Centered Interventions, and Bibbi Omtveit (OsloMet) on The Gap Between Legal Requirements and Practice. The day closed with the theatre play Beyond Oz at Feroviarilor Park.

Monday, 11 May

At the Cluj-Napoca Youth Center, Bianca Mereuță, founder of Signatura Publishing House, asked How can a story build a community? in a presentation and hands-on workshop. Anastasia Proctor (UNCC) followed with Auditing the Ecology of Teaching, before Monica Tang, Sonia Lewis and Hilarius Kofi Kofinti (YU), moderated by Nombuso Dlamini (YU), took the group on the Cluj Community Walk with local guide Tania Munteanu.

Tuesday, 12 May

Zbor Hub Cluj hosted the day, opened by community manager Adrian Man. Rudy Hawley (UNCC) presented Project Harmony and Camilla Hegsbro (OsloMet) spoke on Sustainability in Norwegian Upper Secondary Education. After the strategic meeting on the focus publication, Mara Niculescu and Andrada Pricope from Teach for Romania Cluj led an afternoon presentation and workshop.

Wednesday, 13 May

Back at Zbor Hub, Abigail David (APU) and Erik John Byker (UNCC) presented Mapping Childhood Geographies through Children’s Theatre in India. While the project partners met for their strategic meeting, the students worked on international group projects. The afternoon brought Madeline Grimes (UNCC) with This is my body, given for you and Santoshi Halder (UC) on Social Enablement and Participatory Development of Marginalized Communities, followed by student reflections and an outlook on GCTE.

Thursday, 14 May

The week ended with an excursion to Sighișoara, the medieval town in Transylvania whose historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.