Learning beyond barriers: real stories of people who found their own path to university

OpenEU launches a new campaign that shares, every week, the story of a student, graduate or staff member from one of the OpenEU universities. The first story comes from Latvia.

Where you live, where you come from or who you are should never decide whether you can study. Yet for many people, the road to university is longer, harder, or simply invisible.

With Learning beyond barriers, OpenEU brings to light real stories from across the alliance. The serie shows how inclusive, flexible and accessible higher education opens up opportunities.

Every week until July 2027, a new person shares how they reached higher education and what it changed in their life. Their journeys speak of migration and new beginnings, of breaking the glass ceiling in science and technology, of living with a disability, and of studying far from big cities.

The first story: Inna Samuilika

The series opens in Latvia with Inna Samuilika, from Daugavpils University. Inna is a researcher in mathematical modelling, chaos theory and nonlinear dynamics. Her story is a reminder that science needs every talent, and that more women belong in STEAM.

Where to watch

All the stories are gathered on the campaign page, where the video playlist grows every week. Each story is also shared on OpenEU's Instagram and in the playlist on YouTube. The videos are in their original languages, with English subtitles.

• Campaign page: openeu.eu/learningbeyond

• YouTube playlist: Learning beyond barriers

Which story sounds like yours? Follow the series and discover a new path every week.