Abstract:

Introduction:
This research examines the participation of social and healthcare service users (often referred to 'experts by experience' or 'accompanied persons') in higher education programs for future professionals in the social, educational, and healthcare fields in Catalonia, Occitania, and Andorra. The study addresses the need to recognize experiential knowledge as a legitimate form of expertise that complements academic and professional knowledge, while also transforming traditional relationships between universities and society. The inclusion of service users in training spaces is presented as an emerging practice that challenges transmissive pedagogical models and promotes a more dialogical, inclusive, and transformative conception of higher education.

Methodology:
The diagnosis was approached from a collaborative social research perspective, inspired by participatory action research. The research was based on a territorial diagnosis involving 75 participants across the three regions, including service users, students, faculty, and institutional representatives. To preserve the anonymity of the participants while maintaining analytical traceability, a standardized coding system was used. Data were collected through 31 individual interviews and 5 focus groups. The interview and focus group questions assessed the concept and meaning of participation, its levels and forms, the agents involved, its impacts, and the factors that favor or hinder it. All interviews and focus groups were transcribed and coded using a code book constructed from the theoretical framework and emerging categories.

Qualitative analysis of the results reveal broad consensus on the value of participation. For students, participation provides opportunities to connect theory and practice, develop empathy, challenge stereotypes, and build a more critical and committed professional identity. For service users, participation represents recognition, empowerment, and validation of their lived knowledge, with positive effects on self-esteem and social visibility. At the institutional level, the inclusion of these voices contributes to humanizing universities, strengthening their connection with society, and transforming curricular design. A wide range of participation levels and forms are identified, from one-off interventions in classes to sustained involvement in co-creation and co-design processes. Practices based on horizontal relationships and knowledge exchange are particularly valued, as they foster deeper and more collaborative learning.

Conclusions:
Participation of service users in higher education is an innovative practice with significant transformative potential. While institutionalized in some European contexts, in the regions analysed it remains at an early stage, constrained by regulatory, organizational, and administrative barriers. The study underscores the need to consolidate regulatory frameworks, resources, and specific training to ensure the sustainability of these initiatives. At the same time, it demonstrates that participation not only enriches the training of future professionals but also dignifies and recognizes the lived expertise of service users, positioning them as active agents in educational and social processes. Ultimately, this practice contributes to inclusion, epistemic justice, and the construction of a more democratic, critical, and socially connected university.

Keywords:

Service users, Experts by experience, participation, higher education.