Course description

Recognition & Reward Webinar Series

The Young Universities for the Future of Europe (YUFE) is a dynamic European University Alliance with the mission of becoming a successful, socially responsible European university. It brings together 10 academic institutions from across Europe.

Leadership is increasingly recognised as a key factor in institutional performance, with recognition and rewards serving as an important mechanism to support and strengthen successful university operations. Within the YUFE cooperation, we are working together to discuss and further develop recognition and reward systems for both academic and professional service staff. To share insights and foster discussion, we are launching a series of four webinars dedicated to this important topic. 

1. Open, Transparent and Merit-based Recruitment – from Policy to Practice (24 October 2025, 9:00–10:30 CET)
2. Recognizing and Rewarding Societal Engagement and Impact (21 November 2025, 10:00–11:30 CET)
3. Universities’ Career Models for Recognition and Rewards (12 December 2025, 9:00–11:00 CET)
4. Work Well-Being in Academia (23 January 2026, 10:00–12:00 CET)

The experienced speakers, drawn primarily from YUFE institutions, will share their expertise by highlighting best practices and effective approaches from their own universities.

Webinar no 2: Recognizing and Rewarding Societal Engagement and Impact (21 November 2025, 10:00–11:30 CET)

Join us for the YUFE Recognition and Rewards webinar on Recognizing and Rewarding Societal Engagement and Impact. In the webinar, we will explore how universities acknowledge contributions that extend beyond academia. The session will highlight approaches to valuing research and activities that benefit society, drawing on examples from different institutions. The webinar discusses how universities reflect societal engagement and impact in recognition and reward practices. 

Speakers:

1. Jouni Kekäle, University of Eastern Finland: Introduction 
2. Magdalena Stremplewska, Nicolaus Copernicus University: Community Engagement in YUFE
3. Saša Zelenika and Bojana Ćulum Ilić, University of Rijeka: Integrating Community Engagement into Career Structures at the University of Rijeka
4. Kirstii Badcock, University of Essex: Supporting Staff to Engage with Society at the University of Essex

Registered participants will receive the link to the webinar one day before the webinar via e-mail.

Admission criteria

There are no admission critertia. This webinar might be especially interesting for university staff in HR positions, leadership roles, and those involved in evaluation processes.

Intended learning outcomes

• Understand the importance of societal engagement and impact as a dimension of academic work and university missions.
• Explore examples of institutional practices for recognizing and rewarding contributions that extend beyond traditional academic outputs.

Apply here!