Central European University and European Humanities University together facilitated collaborations that integrated higher education teaching and research with the efforts of civil society organizations, providing experiential and engaged learning programs for students while helping to address real-world problems. OSUN Science Shop made higher education resources accessible to wider audiences in Austria, Belarus, Hungary, and Lithuania, where faculty, students, and civil society co-created knowledge that was fueled by the diverse experiences and perspectives of everyone involved. Working directly with civil society organizations, students acquired important skills and competencies through real-life context.