Be the Voice of UGAL Students in Europe

Apply for the RUN-EU Student Council

The International Relations Department at "Dunărea de Jos" University of Galați is launching the call for applications for the RUN-EU Student Council @ UGAL, where UGAL students gain a direct voice in the RUN-EU alliance (Regional University Network – European University). We are looking for 15 motivated students ready to represent their peers across nine European universities, shape student-led initiatives, and help build the international dimension of UGAL.

Are you interested in international mobility, European projects, and student-led change?

Do you want to work alongside students from nine other European universities?

Maybe you've already done it all, or maybe you're just curious about what a European university actually feels like from the inside.

Either way, the Student Council is where you go next. No prior international experience required. Curiosity and commitment matter most.

What is the Student Council?

The RUN-EU Student Council brings students' voices directly into the RUN-EU European Universities Alliance, a network of ten regionally focused universities working together to shape what European higher education can be.

Through the Council, students contribute to alliance decisions on inclusion, multiculturalism, mobility programmes, and the development of new educational offers such as Short Advanced Programmes (SAPs), Blended Intensive Programmes (BIPs), Collaborative Online International Learning (COILs), Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), and European Degrees.

Each of the ten member universities has its own local Student Council. At UGAL, the Student Council brings together fifteen members; two of them will also sit on the alliance-wide RUN-EU Student Council Board. The local Council meets every four months, and members also participate in annual RUN-EU gatherings such as the General Assembly, Student Week, and other alliance-level events, where students from all ten universities meet, exchange ideas, and decide together.

Council members are not passive participants. They co-design events, give feedback on alliance strategy, and represent UGAL students wherever the alliance gathers.

How the Council is organized

The Student Council has fifteen members, organized into four strands. The first strand leads and represents the Council; the other three strands deliver its work.

The RUNners (2 members)

The RUNners are the steering strand of the Council. They build the bridge between UGAL and the alliance, represent the Council in the RUN-EU Student Council Board, and keep the Council moving in a consistent direction. The RUNners are made up of two roles: The Voice Lead, who carries the perspective of UGAL students into the alliance, and The Pace Lead, who keeps the Council organized, on schedule, and growing.

The Skaters (4 members)

The Skaters are the communication strand. They are UGAL's representatives in SKATE (Students Knowledge, Attention and Technologies), the alliance-wide structure where students help shape how RUN-EU communicates and measures its impact. At UGAL, The Skaters support the Council's communication, contribute to the International Relations Department’s channels (website, Instagram, Facebook), design content that brings RUN-EU activities closer to students, and gather feedback on alliance programmes. The strand is coordinated by The Digital Chair.

The Ambassadors (4 members)

The Ambassadors carry RUN-EU to UGAL's academic community. Each Ambassador represents one of UGAL's four academic domains:

• Technology and Engineering,
• Health and Life Sciences
• Humanities and Education
• Society, Economy and Internationalization.

Together, they promote alliance opportunities to peers across every faculty. The strand is coordinated by The Ambassadors Chair.

The Makers (5 members)

The Makers bring the Council to life on campus. They help organize and run events, welcome international students, support intercultural activities, and create the kind of community life that makes UGAL feel like a European university. The strand is coordinated by The Makers Chair.

What you will gain

Joining the Student Council is a commitment, but it is also one of the most concrete opportunities for international engagement available to a UGAL student today. Here is what you receive in return:

• Priority consideration for RUN-EU programmes: SAPs, BIPs, COILs, and the RUN-EU Ambassadors Programme
• Travel to partner universities for alliance events
• Hands-on experience working in English with students from eight other European countries on real alliance projects
• A certificate of Student Council membership, signed by the International Relations Department, recognizing your contribution to RUN-EU activities at UGAL
• Mentorship from the International Relations Department and a professional network at the European level
• The chance to shape decisions that affect tens of thousands of students across the alliance, not just at UGAL

Who can apply

We are looking for UGAL students who want to do more than study, and who are ready to take their engagement to a European level. To apply, you must be:

• A UGAL student currently enrolled in a Bachelor's or Master's programme
• Not in your final year of studies, so you can serve a full academic year as a Council member
• Comfortable communicating in English at B2 level or higher, in both writing and speaking
• Available to attend Council meetings every four months, plus alliance events throughout the year
• Not currently holding a role in another student organization. We would rather have all of you than half of you! 😀
• Open to working in a multicultural team and to representing students whose background may differ from your own

The Council welcomes all UGAL students who meet these criteria, regardless of nationality, mother tongue, faculty, or background.

It helps if you also have:

• Previous RUN-EU, Erasmus+ or other international mobility experience
• Volunteer work or involvement in student initiatives, including experience in event organizing, campaigns, or activities for the academic community
• Experience in content creation, social media, or graphic design
• Already follow the International Relations Department on social media: @international.ugal on Instagram and Facebook, international-ugal on LinkedIn

Calendar

About the RUN-EU Alliance

RUN-EU brings together ten regionally focused universities from nine European countries, recognized by the European Commission as a European Universities Alliance:

• Technological University of the Shannon (TUS), Ireland
• Polytechnic University of Leiria (IPLeiria), Portugal
• Polytechnic University of Cávado and Ave (IPCA), Portugal
• Häme University of Applied Sciences (HAMK), Finland
• NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences (NHL Stenden), Netherlands
• Vorarlberg University of Applied Sciences (FHV), Austria
• University of Burgos (UBU), Spain
• Howest University of Applied Sciences (HOWEST), Belgium
• Technical University of Liberec (TUL), Czechia
• "Dunărea de Jos" University of Galați (UGAL), Romania

Ready to begin?

If you recognized yourself in this call, we want to hear from you. And if you bring a cool superpower with you, even better. Apply by 31 May 2026 and become one of the fifteen students who will give UGAL a real voice in Europe and help build the university you want UGAL to become.

An initiative of the International Relations Department, "Dunărea de Jos" University of Galați, in implementation of the RUN-EU 2.0 European Universities Alliance. For questions, write to Această adresă de email este protejată contra spambots. Trebuie să activați JavaScript pentru a o vedea..