Students become more conscientious, open and competitive when they spend time with peers or friends who also exhibit these traits, according to a study conducted at the University of Zurich. It is the first study to systematically explore how students’ personalities are shaped by their peers.

When formulating climate policy, too little attention is paid to social factors and too much to technological breakthroughs and economic reasons. Because citizens are hardly heard in this process, European governments risk losing public support at a crucial moment in the climate debate. This is the conclusion of several researchers from Radboud University in a paper published this week in Earth System Governance.

Refugees are more likely to suffer from mental health problems than the average person due to their migration experiences and socio-economic status. Psychosocial support helps, but it should not stand alone. Further investment is needed in the social lives of refugees and undocumented migrants, for example by giving them access to work and education. This is the argument put forward by social scientist Tessa Ubels. “People often come to see their psychologist as a friend. That is not a problem in itself, but it is if they have no other friends.” Ubels will defend her thesis at Radboud University on 2 June.

From next year, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) undergraduates can carry out meaningful community service and earn academic credits through Care, Serve, Learn, a new series of courses in the University’s mandatory Interdisciplinary Collaborative Core curriculum. Along the way, students will deepen social awareness and build essential skills such as active listening, advocacy, and project management – skills that will equip and inspire in them a lifelong commitment to serve the community in the private, public or non-profit sectors.