About Community Engaged Learning

Utrecht University aims to embed student civic engagement in every degree programme. Community Engaged Learning (CEL) is encouraged and supported as a form of education to fulfil this objective. The CEL programme was established to facilitate the development of CEL education, including through grants and training for lecturers. On the UU intranet, lecturers can find all information about the support available. 

What is CEL?

Community Engaged Learning (CEL) is an experiential form of education in which students, lecturers and external partner organisations work together on social issues that are important to them all or in which they are interested. This is a broad definition, so what does it mean in practice to ‘put CEL into practice’? At Utrecht University, we have defined a number of minimum components that make an activity qualify as CEL. These activities can be further developed over time.

Striving for reciprocal and long-term relationships

Striving for reciprocal collaborations and an equal relationship, in which the contributions (knowledge, experiences, etc.) of all involved are seen as equally valuable, is a key feature of CEL. In addition, UU aims to build long-term relationships with its external partners, so that mutual trust can grow and cooperation can be further deepened over time. 

In all faculties

At UU, we believe that CEL can be developed and applied in many different ways, making it employable in the more exact sciences as well. With our approach, we encourage the development and embedding of CEL courses in all faculties: from Humanities to Beta Sciences and everything in between.

Various partners

CEL may involve different ‘communities’ outside the university, depending on the specific public good being pursued:

  • Less fortunate or disadvantaged groups, with possible advocacy for them as well
  • Communities centred around a specific place (neighbourhoods, streets, etc.)
  • Professional organisations (such as NGOs, government agencies) seeking insights to better understand their own social mission  
  • (Commercial) research institutes where joint (ethical) reflection and the pursuit of a public good are the main goals