Student organisations strengthen community across the Faculty of Health Sciences

The purpose was simple – and important: to create a space where student organisations could share experiences, challenges and ideas with one another. How do you motivate more students to volunteer? What do you do when participation begins to decline? And how can you strengthen the sense of community across different programmes?

The event opened with a talk by consultant Henrik Mikkelsen, who has more than 17 years of experience working with associations and communities in his own company and with DGI.

He emphasised why relationships are the very foundation of engagement:

— Meeting like-minded people enriches everyday life – but so does meeting people who offer new perspectives. When we become part of communities where we are both reflected and challenged, we grow. It creates energy and meaning – and that energy is what drives voluntary engagement.

He also highlighted what ultimately motivates people to get involved:

— Personal relationships are what make it exciting to engage in student life – and in life in general. You do not stay in an association because of an agenda or a set of minutes. You stay because you feel seen, missed and appreciated. It is the relationships that make the difference.

A need for stronger collaboration

The day clearly showed that there is a strong desire for greater collaboration and knowledge sharing across the organisations. In the subsequent discussion, participants highlighted the need to share experiences, build bridges between associations and actively use one another as resources.

This reflects both a high level of engagement and a shared ambition to strengthen student life at the Faculty of Health Sciences together.

PULS as a focal point

The event was organised by PULS Studentermedie, the faculty’s student media platform that communicates from students to students.

— It is really rewarding to meet across programmes and associations like this. Personally, I gained insight into how much we actually have in common, even though we are different. I believe that exchanging ideas across organisations like this will strengthen what each association can achieve in the long term. Participants also seemed genuinely pleased to have the opportunity to meet the other associations once PULS brought them together, says Pernille Bahne Jensen, who was PULS’ main organiser of the event.

In its future work, PULS will try to help build bridges between the different student organisations, including by facilitating a shared communication platform where representatives can exchange ideas and support one another.

More than just a single event

When 38 students spend an afternoon and evening discussing community, volunteering and collaboration, it is about more than planning events. It is about well-being, belonging and creating environments where students feel they are part of something bigger.

Strong student organisations help create life at the faculty – and the relationships formed during university years often extend far beyond the university itself.