Civic engagement in Europe: a transdisciplinary approach

How does Civic Engagement connect to the exploration of tradition and modernity in the 21st century?

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CIVIS focus area
Cities, territories and mobilities
Open to
  • Bachelor's
  • Master's
  • PhD
Field of studies
  • Art, Design and Media
  • Business and Management
  • Environment & Agriculture
  • Law
  • Natural Sciences and Mathematics
  • Social Science and humanities
  • Environmental sciences, Urbanism, Geography
Type
  • Blended Intensive Programmes (BIP)
Course dates
17 May - 12 July 2024

This transdisciplinary program aims to promote civic engagement throughout academia by applying the Service-Learning methodology, as a key pillar of the CIVIS goals.

Based on scientific literature, students and lecturers will discuss the different types of civic engagement from a comparative perspective, within and outside the university level and across different European countries. In this program, not only the added value of civic engagement for society will be elaborated but also, for the individual, particularly the acquisition of transversal competencies (e.g., critical thinking, problem-solving, assumption of societal responsibility etc).

In cooperation with community partners, students and lecturers will address real social needs related to the region of Maramureș - Romania. The students will learn more about the cultural heritage and the transformation of the natural landscape. They will get in direct exchange with the community partners and learn more about their work and also support them in developing ideas and activities to face different real needs.

During the physical mobility part of the course (Maramureș County), the students will be able to do field research, interact and provide a service in close collaboration with NGOs and NPOs. Also, they will learn more about the role of civic engagement in modern economies - specifically in the implication of the local communities in the valorization of the natural and cultural heritage in Romania.

In this context, they can generate social added value (empowerment) through the service they will provide. Furthermore, this program contributes to the student's personal, social, and academic development, while encouraging critical reflection of their experiences. 

Main topics addressed

  • Civic engagement
  • Social justice
  • Identity development
  • Cultural heritage
  • Civic tourism

Learning outcomes

  • understanding of what Civic Engagement (CE) means and its role in modern European societies;
  • developing a critical perspective on CE and the role of the universities regarding the third mission;
  • facilitating student self-reflection related to empowering students to take responsibility for themselves and contribute to society from a social justice perspective;
  • contextualizing civic engagement within broader cultural, environmental, political, and economic dimensions of society by the example of the Maramureș area;
  • good practices for how to interpret and valorize the local heritage;
  • explaining the diverse nature of heritage, including culture and place, regional/ local perspectives, and experience design and provision;
  • identifying and assessing relationships and networks regarding the building of civic tourism capacity;
  • reflecting on the impact of the project carried out during the physical mobility from the Service-Learning perspective: impact on the students and on the community.
Dates: 17 May - 12 July 2024 Total workload: 90 hours
Format: Blended ECTS: 3*
Location: Maramureș County, Romania Language: English (B2)
Contact: radu.pintilii@geo.unibuc.ro  

*Recognition of ECTS depends on your home university.

Physical mobility

The physical mobility session of the course will be held between 8-12 July 2024, in Maramureș county, Romania. Here, the students will get in direct exchange with the community partners, learn more about their work and the role of civic engagement in modern economies, and also support them in developing ideas and activities to face different real needs.

*Please see the attached file for details and the full schedule. 

Virtual part

The online part of the course consists of 4 online meetings: 

  1. Comparative perspective on Civic Engagement - University of Tübingen, Germany & Aix Marseille University, France; 17.05.2024, 14:00 – 18:00 CET
  2. Civic Engagement, Competences and Motivation - University of Tübingen, Germany; 24.05.2024, 14:00 – 18:00 CET
  3. Civic Engagement in Higher Education – Service-Learning and Social Justice - Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain; 31.05.2024, 14:00 – 18:00 CET
  4. Update and Coordination Meeting for Physical Mobility - University of Bucharest, Romania; 07.06.2024, 14:00 – 16:00 CET

Requirements

This course is open to Bachelor's, Master's and PhD students at CIVIS member universities with a high interest in civic engagement. The candidates are also expected to have critical thinking, a problem-solving attitude, assumption of societal responsibility, collaborative attitude, open-mindedness and self-reflection.

Participants should have a good level of written and spoken English (B2).

 

NB: Visiting Students - Erasmus Funding Eligibility

To be eligible for your selected CIVIS programme, you must be a fully enrolled student at your CIVIS home university at the time you will be undertaking the programme. Click here to learn more about the eligibility criteria.

Students from CIVIS’ strategic partner universities in Africa cannot apply for participation in this course.

Application process

Send your application by filling in the online application form by 25 February 2024 and including:

  • CV
  • Motivation letter

Applications will be evaluated based on the relevance of the CV and the strong motivation of the students. Previous experiences in civic engagement is not mandatory, but might be considered a plus. 

Apply now

Assessment

Students will apply theoretical knowledge in practice by designing and providing a service during the physical mobility session. They will receive direct feedback on the work from the community partner and the lecturers.

At the end of the physical mobility session, students will also present their e-portfolio, including various reflection tasks.

Blended Intensive Programme

This CIVIS course is a Blended Intensive Programme (BIP): a new format of Erasmus+ mobility which combines online teaching with a short trip to another campus to learn alongside students and professors across Europe. Click here to learn more about CIVIS BIPs.

GDPR Consent

The CIVIS alliance and its member universities will treat the information you provide with respect. Please refer to our privacy policy for more information on our privacy practices. By applying to this course you agree that we may process your information in accordance with these terms.

Prof. Pilar Aramburuzabala, School of Teacher Training and Education, Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain;

Prof. Philia Issari, Department of Psychology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece;

Ph.D. Iris-Niki Nikolopoulos, Head of Transdisciplinary Course Program, University of Tübingen, Germany;

M.A. Franziska Müller, Civic Engagement and Service Learning, University of Tübingen, Germany; 

M.Sc. Charoula Fotiadou, visiting Lecturer on Civic Engagement and Service Learning, University of Tübingen, Germany; 

Associate Prof. Marian Marin, Department of Regional Geography, University of Bucharest, Romania;

Associate Prof. Radu-Daniel Pintilii, Department of Human and Economic Geography, University of Bucharest, Romania;

Prof. Viorel Mihăilă, Faculty of Business and Administration, University of Bucharest, Romania;

Dr. Valérie Caraguel, CIVIS OpenLab Coordinator for AMU, Expert Innovative Pedagogy and Service-Learning for AMU in CIVIS, Aix-Marseille University, France.

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