CEU Science for Society Hub CEU Science for Society Hub The CEU Science for Society Hub promotes engaged social science, citizen science, and socially responsive research carried out with and for civil society organizations (CSOs). We collect ideas and requests from NGOs, communities, citizens, as well as international and national governmental organizations then match them with students’ interests. Together, we help transform these ideas into research questions and projects developed in a participatory, collaborative and mutually beneficial way. Our Goal To make social science and academic knowledge open, accessible and inclusive to the public and to people of all backgrounds. To promote engaged social science, citizen science and socially responsive research conducted with and for the society in partnerships with communities, civil society organizations and public agencies. To open up, share, and co-create academic knowledge and resources with schools, teachers, parents, youth, and adult learners in the local community. Our Approach Research projects and research questions are developed based on the experience and practical expertise of knowledge users. This means that we first collect ideas and demand-driven, bottom-up research initiatives from NGOs, communities, schools and citizens. The research questions are derived from the real needs of society and from the people who will put the results of the research into practice. We support the development of these initiatives into collaborative research projects between students, faculty members and the community, and assist in co-creating knowledge in a participatory and collaborative way. At CEU we support students and faculty members in integrating these activities into course assignments, internships, capstone projects, thesis work or independent research projects. The aim is to be of service to the community, support students and faculty members and especially provide experiential learning opportunities for the CEU students to develop practical and applicable skills. Open science, citizen science in social research, engaged and service-learning, civic engagement and community-based participatory research are the flagship practices that define the ethical and pedagogical framework of our work and guide our efforts to build equal and mutually beneficial partnerships. Read the academic article about our model: A framework for Science Shop processes: Results of a modified Delphi study For Community We work in collaboration with NGOs, schools, and cultural and public sector institutions in Favoriten, Vienna and Austria and beyond. We open CEU to school children, teachers and the public. We support community ideas and initiatives. Find out more For Faculty We complement, expand, and support CEU's experiential learning, teaching, and research activities focused on citizen science and socially responsive research. We support faculty members in developing partnerships with civil society organizations and guiding students in experiential learning and participatory research. Find out more For Students We support and prepare students to undertake socially engaged research, whether as part of a course, thesis, internship, capstone or individual research project. Get involved in co-creating knowledge with civil society actors and contribute to solving real-world research challenges! Find out more The Collaboration Code Podcast Follow The Collaboration Code podcast that explores the collaborative projects between academic and civil actors. The series deals with engaged research, the questions of a changing academia and the future pathways for social sciences. Listen to the podcast Creator: Aron Szalay The theme music, ‘Mamele’ is composed and performed by Jano Nemes and Mizrahim. Recent News, Courses and Activities Featured News CEU Science for Society Hub Annual Poster Conference 2025 Explore the ways of collaboration through the 2025 Science with Society Poster Conference. View the 28 posters from 28 Academic-Civil Society projects with 21 partners in Vienna Photos from the event are available on the official CEU Flickr account, album "CEU Science with Society Conference 2025" Read more about the event March 12, 2026 Report on the 2025 Science with Society Conference October 31, 2024 Harnessing Academic Expertise for Community Impact: CEU’s Science for Society Hub August 23, 2024 Beyond Social: How Caritas carla Re-Use Shops are Saving Our Planet July 30, 2024 Potentials and Challenges of Experiential Learning and Teaching in Partnerships with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Austria June 5, 2024 What happens when communities are not involved in research? View all updates Report on the 2025 Science with Society Conference On December 2, CEU hosted the 2025 Science with Society Conference , which showcased 28 student-led projects developed jointly with non-governmental and international organizations. Read the report of the event written by Elina Silver CEU Science for Society Hub Events More Events May 27 Kick-off Event for the Favoriten Climate Festival 2027 May 15 Human Rights Conference 2026: Human Rights Alliance Austria April 29 From Study to Stay: International Students' Experiences and Reality of post-Graduation Visa Extension Pathways in Austria Partnerships and Memberships Past and Ongoing Partnerships Austrian Red Cross - International Department Caritas: Carla Caritas: Missing Link – Integration als Miteinander Caritas: Das Kulturhaus Brotfabrik Caritas: Stadtteilarbeit FlüWi Österreich / Refugees Welcome Austria Higher Education institutions and Civil Society Organisations together for community (via Caritas) Richtungswechsel StoP – Stadtteile ohne Partnergewalt toZOMIA Volkshilfe Favoriten WeltTellerFeld ZARA – Zivilcourage und Anti-Rassismus-Arbeit Memberships Citizen Science Network Austria Living Knowledge The International Science Shop Network How to Get Involved If you are interested in the development and answering of socially relevant questions like the ones below, please contact us! Research question developed by and with CSOs Outputs How can internally collected quantitative and qualitative data be used to strengthen and maximise the effectiveness of a non-profit organisation's fundraising efforts? Policy recommendation paper How can we increase the interaction between the people living in a safe house and the neighbouring community? A case study in Favoriten as part of Caritas IRINA pilot project Policy recommendation paper How to protect fair and just working conditions for seasonal agricultural workers and migrant carers who fall outside the protection of standard legislation. Policy recommendation paper Environmental impact of re-use: Life cycle analysis of second-hand items traded by the Caritas re-use shop Carla , Part I Literature review Data preparation Study protocol Should admission to more museums, theatres, concerts be free? Should taxes be used to make culture & arts accesable to all? Policy recommendation How can currently and formerly incarcerated individuals be supported into employment during and after their incarceration? What are the best practices for social (re-)integration in justice systems around the world? Literature review Terrorism prevention and conflict management initiatives in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. A mapping of relevant training programmes and courses aimed at different public services and small organisations. Mapping exercise with policy implication Can social media campaign (Instagram and LinkedIn) contribute to changing public and target groups' perception of prison? If so, how? Pre-post impact assessment How can high school students learn theories and concepts used in university courses and relate them to the current climate change crisis? Understanding the governance of commons through the Ostrom simulation exercise in high schools in Vienna. Simulation in high school classroom and its report Open source online teaching materials for high school teachers How to measure and visualise the impact of social work intervention aimed at protecting parent with children who needs shelter. Analysis of small sample of pre-post intervention study. Data visualisation that demonstrates impact. How can geospetial technologies applied in community-based water and sanitation projects in resource poor countries. Impact of community-based Water Sanitation and Hygiene project on gender. Recommendation paper How can the memory, history and politics of guest workers in Austria be explored, preserved and communicated in a public space through a cultural artefact/museum? Exhibition concept Developing the social impact indicator of the “Tandem projefct” funded by the Austrian Federal Chancellery (Bundeskanzleramt). Sustainability and cost-benefit analysis of communit work. The impact of community engagement in reducing lonliness. Set of indicators Wir arbeiten mit NGOs, zivilgesellschaftliche Organisation, Schule, Kulturelle Einrichtungen  und öffentlichen Einrichtungen in Favoriten, Wien, Österreich und darüber hinaus zusammen. Wir möchten von Ihnen über Ihre Ideen, Initiativen und Programme hören. Wir möchten mit Ihnen zusammenarbeiten, um Daten und Informationen zu sammeln, zu analysieren, zu präsentieren und zu produzieren, die für Sie sinnvoll und nützlich sind. Building on CEU's experience and expertise in socially responsive teaching and learning CEU has a wealth of experience in experiential learning and teaching, working with a wide range of non-academic institutions and civil society partners. These are implemented through capstone projects, internships, the Applied Policy Project and Policy Lab, the KIKO-lab, Community Engagement Track and the Experiential Learning Track of the undergraduate program, practice-oriented courses (environment, culture, history, media-hub, etc.,), Civic Engagement Fellowships and Summer Schools (CIVICA), Student Think Tank, and third-party funded projects. The CEU Science for Society Hub builds on these experiences and expertise, and aim to: Promote, complement, expand, support and consolidate CEU's experiential teaching, learning and research activities that focus on citizen science and socially responsive research. Support faculty members and programmes in developing targeted partnerships with civil society organizations, NGOs, schools, cultural institutions and local public authorities. Make citizen science and socially engaged and responsive research at CEU visible, transparent, and understandable to internal and external communities. Bridge and strengthen CEU's strategic partnerships with national and international institutions engaged in citizen science and participatory collaborative research. Actively seek external funding for CEU citizen science and socially engaged research activities. Please contact us if you are interested in: Making your citizen science and socially engaged research activities visible, transparent, and understandable to internal and external communities. Establishing partnerships to conduct socially responsive research with and for local civil society organizations, especially in the 10th district and other Viennese districts, but also beyond. Transforming or integrating the above partnerships into experiential learning opportunities for students, including coursework, research-oriented internships, capstones, and thesis projects. Accessing real-world data (quantitative and qualitative) collected by and with civil society organizations for use in coursework or assignments. Introducing students to research questions developed by and with civil society organizations as potential thesis topics. Preparing students interested in community-based participatory research or research conducted with and for civil society organizations through professionally organized mentoring, training, lectures, and workshops. Implementing the citizen science or citizen engagement components of the externally funded projects. Applying for research grants that include community engagement components or require collaboration with civil society organizations. Learning about past and ongoing initiatives in socially responsive research with Austrian NGOs. Do you want to do research that responds to real social needs and challenges? Are you interested in developing, asking and answering questions that matter to society? Do you want to develop applicable skills that can bridge theory and practice? Then become a Community Partner We can help you with: finding a partner for your experiential learning or capstone project or research-oriented internships connecting you with civil society organizations and local communities preparing you for conducting community-based participatory research supporting your research idea, thesis work or capstone project Please first write to us via email to make an appointment. Our office hours are on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10 am to 4 pm . If you cannot come on these designated dates/time, please indicate so in your email. We look forward to seeing you! Contact Yuki Seidler - Hub Manager, SeidlerY@ceu.edu Gabi Gőbl - Hub Coordinator, GoblG@ceu.edu Room B306 (3rd floor), Quellenstrasse 51 | A-1100 Wien | Austria |+ 43 (0) 676 886 49222 The CEU Science for Society Hub is part of the Educational Outreach Office Download Our Brochure CEU Science for Society Hub Deutsch CEU Science for Society Hub English Download Our Report Civic Engagement and Engaged Research in Social Science Education and Scholarship - Co-creation workshop Report The OSUN Science Shop Initiative The CEU Science for Society Hub grew out of the OSUN Science Shop Network. Between August 2021 and July 2023, the European Humanities University (EHU) and CEU implemented a two-year Science Shop pilot initiative in Austria, Belarus, Hungary and Lithuania, supported by the Open Society University Network (OSUN) . It promoted engaged and experiential learning through student projects embedded in the course curricula.