International collaboration plays an important role in enhancing the student experience across the CIVIS European University Alliance. So, exploring how other member universities support belonging, wellbeing and inclusion within its international student community is a very important way of improving mobility. In this spirit, David Shiftan, Assistant International Student Adviser at the University of Glasgow, visited the Université libre de Bruxelles, to exchange ideas and good practice with his peers.

As a fellow member of CIVIS, Université libre de Bruxelles has a solid reputation for inclusive student support, multilingual communication and effective collaboration across services - perfect qualities to qualify for an experience exchange. ULB’s student population is also similar in size to that of the University of Glasgow, offering a valuable opportunity to explore how a large institution delivers responsive, student-centred support while managing the needs of a diverse international community. David built his visit on shared priorities around civic engagement, inclusion and student wellbeing, creating an environment for open and meaningful professional exchange.

From the moment I arrived in Brussels, I was warmly welcomed by colleagues across ULB’s international services. Over three days, I followed a carefully curated programme that offered both breadth and depth, giving me real insight into how their services work in practice. The programme also allowed me to position myself not just as a visitor, but as an active CIVIS colleague, exchanging approaches, challenges, and solutions that could inform work at both institutions David Shiftan, University of Glasgow The Highlights From The Visit Include spending time with the International Welcome Desk, a centralised one-stop service supporting visas, integration and student communications;

shadowing colleagues within the Social Service to learn more about the financial, legal and wellbeing support available to students;

observing Registration Services, including ULB’s electronic student card system and streamlined digital onboarding processes;

visiting the Refugee Welcome Desk,



which provides tailored support and pathways for asylum-seeking and refugee students;

meeting with CIVIS and PolyCIVIS colleagues to discuss civic engagement, European projects and opportunities for future collaboration. Together, these experiences demonstrated how close collaboration between services helps ensure students receive joined-up support throughout their university journey.

Photo David

Shiftan, UofG. One of the standout examples of good practice was ULB’s flagship wellbeing initiative, Fighting November Blues. The week-long programme brings together wellbeing workshops, talks, creative activities and ESN-led social events to support students during the pre-examination period.

The initiative offered valuable inspiration for considering how similar preventative wellbeing programmes could be adapted within the University of Glasgow, taking into account the University’s academic calendar, student demographics and existing support services. Turning ideas into action The way ULB integrates wellbeing, inclusion, and community-building and their commitment to multilingual communication and strong cross-service coordination attracted David’s attention. The visit strengthened his confidence in adapting ideas across institutions rather than replicating them - thus ensuring they remain appropriate to the local Glasgow context. photo David Shiftan The exchange has already informed discussions within the University of Glasgow about several areas of future development, including: Developing a Glasgow version of a pre-examination wellbeing series, building on the University’s existing exam-period communications and stress reduction initiatives.

Exploring opportunities to expand multilingual communications for international students,



complementing existing support such as the 24-hour student helpline and the Mandarin Wellbeing Matters programme.

Considering enhancements to booking systems and digital onboarding tools as part of ongoing work to improve students’ digital experience.

Strengthening collaboration between services supporting vulnerable student groups, building on the established partnership between Wellbeing Services, Security and other frontline teams. These discussions demonstrate how engagement through the CIVIS alliance can directly influence local service development, enabling successful ideas to be adapted to meet the needs of individual institutions. Importantly, the conversations didn’t end when the visit did.

Both teams have continued to exchange ideas, and we’re now exploring future collaboration opportunities, including a potential adviser-to-adviser virtual exchange David Shiftan, University of Glasgow This ongoing relationship reflects one of the key strengths of CIVIS: fostering lasting professional partnerships that encourage continuous learning, innovation and capacity building across member universities. It also demonstrates how collaboration between member universities can help shape and strengthen student support services. Looking ahead The visit provided a fresh perspective on the University of Glasgow’s existing strengths while identifying new opportunities inspired by ULB’s inclusive, student-centred approach.

It also underlined the value of my own role within the CIVIS network, both as a learner and as a contributor to shared practice David Shiftan, University of Glasgow The insights gained are already helping to shape future discussions around wellbeing initiatives, student communications and cross-service collaboration. More broadly, the exchange highlights the value of the CIVIS European University Alliance in enabling universities to learn from one another, share expertise and adapt successful approaches to local contexts. By creating opportunities for meaningful professional exchange, CIVIS is helping member institutions continually enhance the support they provide to students while strengthening collaboration across the alliance.

📌 Strengthening student support through CIVIS collaboration (Raver)
🏢 CIVIS Student Council
📍 Raver