The Paris-London Engaged Learning Exchange is in its second year of partnership with the Learning Planet Institute of Paris. This exchange provides a group of UCL students with the opportunity to take part in an international Sustainable Development Goal summer school in Paris, to work with and learn from their international peers and work collaboratively in our London-based hackathon. Through this experience students develop key problem solving and intercultural competency learnings while taking their skills and knowledge from their academic studies to address real-world problems.

What will happen during the exchange? 

Part 1 - Welcome our LPI visitors to London life - 14 - 15 May 2025

Our LPI visitors will arrive first and you will be here to receive them! Join your international counterparts for a cultural exchange dinner to make connections and share experiences. On day 2 you'll get those brain wheels turning at our all day mega hackathon at UCL East. Work with a group of 20 UCL and LPI students to support a local charity to answer questions and create solutions to their organisational needs. Share back during our competitive pitching session and finish the day off with a celebration at  local river side brewery to mingle the night away with local voluntary sector experts, key student leaders, and the new friends you’ve made.

Read more about social hackathons here

During the 5 years since their inception, 56 Social Hackathons have been delivered by the Students’ Union UCL. 47 clients have worked with more than 300 student volunteers, solving problems like:
    • How can induction and training materials be made more engaging and consistent?
    • What could a presentation about immigration and refugees look like for an audience of young people?
    • How can gardening projects be improved to increase participation?
    • What are the best ways to attract student volunteers to a suicide watch project?
    • How can museum collections be made more exciting, informative, and innovative?
    • How can social media campaigns be designed and structured to increase awareness, engagement, and fundraising?

Part 2 - Tackle world challenges in the heart of Paris - 1 week in July 2025

Take in the sights and sounds of Paris through cultural immersion activities and site visits. You will be based at the Learning Planet Institute where you will take part in the LPI Sustainable Development Goals summer school. You will engage with a dynamic framework for engagement and training in sustainability issues through the prototyping of solutions to concrete problems. Finish your trip with a reflection dinner at a gorgeous French bistro to bring together all the insights and learnings from your experience.

 

Frequently Asked Questions
What are the eligibility criteria for the exchange?
  • Current full time or part time masters student at UCL
  • Able to make all of the following dates both in London and Paris
    • Evening 14 May 2025 in London
    • All day 15 May 2025 in London
    • Availability within 1st, 2nd,3rd week of July (date TBC)
  • Valid passport which will allow you to travel from the UK to France
  • Current Community Research Initiative Student OR a student from one of the following departments or programmes
    • MSc Health, Wellbeing, and Sustainable Buildings
    • Institute for Global Prosperity

 

What are the costs of the exchange?

While in London transport to events will be covered and the dinner on the evening of the 14 May will be covered up for £20 pp. Lunch will be provided on the 15 May during the hackathon.

Central costs will be covered while in Paris. This includes Eurostar train travel to Paris, metro, accommodation, and breakfast and a farewell group dinner up to £20 pp. You will be responsible for lunches and dinners during the trip.

Visa Information

Successful applicants will be responsible for checking the entry requirements for France for their passport and personal requirements. Entry requirements may include visa regulations, passport validity rules, and any additional conditions set by French authorities. If you’re unsure how these requirements apply to you, contact the French Embassy in the UK. If required for your passport, you will be responsible for organising and covering any associated costs before travelling.

About The UCL Community Research Initiative

The Community Research Initiative is a part of the Student Social Impact team at Students' Union UCL. We work to create ways for voluntary, community and non-profit organisations to collaborate with our top quality students. This is part UCL's commitment to working with and for its local community. We do this by empowering students to collaboratively carry out research with VCSE organisations. We offer students the opportunity to take on a co-produced dissertation or lend their research and study skills to make a social impact through research volunteering.

About Learning Planet Institute (LPI)

Since 2006, the Learning Planet Institute has been dedicated to reinventing learning for all ages (lifelong learning) through collective intelligence in order to build sustainable & inclusive learning societies able to rise to the complex challenges we face. The Institute’s mission is to explore, research and share new ways of learning and cooperating in order to respond to the needs of the youth and the planet. By encouraging and disseminating a culture, methods and tools for empowerment, it transforms organisations. Ultimately, it leads communities and supports “Learning Planetizens” to take care of themselves, the others and the planet. To achieve its goals, the Learning Planet Institute creates research and educational programmes based on interdisciplinarity, diversity and initiative. It encourages the development of learning ecosystems and communities, working together to find sustainable solutions and ways to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

 

Application

You can apply for the opportunity via the webform here, where we will ask you to submit a short video or written statement about why you think you would benefit from the opportunity, as well as some details about your previous experience. 

Application deadline

The deadline for applications is 10 April 2025 at 17.00 BST.