for European Studies
The Nanovic Institute’s flagship service learning program, Serving (in) Europe, seeks to engage Notre Dame students in pressing social issues facing the European continent today. From the war in Ukraine and the influx of Ukrainian refugees in neighboring states to widening socioeconomic inequality and poverty, this program invites students to accompany organizations, such as Caritas and AGAPE, across Europe in addressing complex and urgent humanitarian crises.
In the spirit of Pope Francis’ call to go to the peripheries, the Nanovic Institute, through this program, seeks to bring students to the geographic and existential “peripheries” of Europe. These may include rural or neglected urban communities or countries on the “edges of Europe,” drawing students into conversations about human dignity, the common good, and the reality of these ideals in our world today.
Through eight-week service-learning internships as well as pre-departure meetings, a required course, regular reflections, and a post-service retreat, students will accompany community members in achieving real objectives while gaining a deeper understanding of their culture and the issues they face. Partner organizations will serve as facilitators of the “transformative experience of being there” and will guide students in completing necessary and useful projects during their summer placements.
Applications for the 2026 Serving (in) Europe program have been collected.
Questions? Contact Program Manager of Student Research and Academic Affairs Roy Kimmey at rkimmey@nd.edu or Fr. Jim Lies, Senior Advisor for Faculty Fellow Affairs and Partnerships, at jlies@nd.edu.
The following details are most important as you consider whether Serving (in) Europe is a fit for you:
The Nanovic Institute partnered with four sites in summer 2024 and is adding additional sites in 2025:
Each site has different needs, but students can broadly expect to assist with project monitoring and evaluation, implementation, and service alongside community members and volunteers. Internships will take place over eight weeks during the months of June and July. Students must be able to commit to the duration of their programs.
Students will be selected based on their previous professional or academic experience, their commitment to understanding key social justice issues and humanitarian work in the world today, and any relevant language skills. Applicants are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the current work of the specific organization with which they would like to intern and, in their application, speak to how their skills align with the work being done by that organization. Students may only apply for one internship site.
Interns are expected to be fully committed to their assigned projects when on-site. Each group of interns will have a mentor from the host organization who will provide opportunities for reflection, cultural activities, and community engagement. Students should participate fully in these opportunities. Interns will also complete weekly written reflections and may contribute to the Nanovic Navigator student blog. Upon completion of their internship and at the start of the following academic year, students will meet for a half-day reflection retreat. The Nanovic Institute expects participants to assist with the evaluation and improvement of the internship program, as well as the recruitment of new student participants.
Bryan Fok ’25 is a junior studying global affairs and history at the University of Notre Dame. During the summer of 2023, he traveled to Milan, Italy, as part of the Serving (in) Europe program, supported by the Nanovic Institute for European Studies. This program offers opportunities for students…
