Open sessions 2022

Public conference: Bridging present and future education at FOR EU level - A visionary approach

Wednesday 18 May 2022,16.00-18.15 CEST or 17.00-19.15 EEST

The future of education is in a continuous dynamic evolution, and higher education institutions, especially the ones that are part of the forefront European initiative of the European Universities, need to address how teaching and learning can be adapted to better respond to society's needs and the educational values of the individuals. In this context, CIVIS European University, along with partners from the European Universities' Forum (FOR EU), such as ECIU, Una Europa, or EU-Connexus, invites everyone to an open discussion on the future of education in the European landscape. 

Our discussions covered topics such as the development of joint transnational programmes, European Degrees, innovative approaches to education and training, consolidating higher education cooperation at European level, building an European educational market, and the role and mission of the European Universities as piloting arenas for innovation and change in higher education. What will the future of European education look like and how can European Universities anticipate change? Is there a coherent approach and common priorities or we cannot yet consider a transregional approach? What does being a European mean and how does it define the way in which we modernise our educational practices? These, and many others, are the questions we proposed for this open discussion on the vision and practicalities of the future of European education.

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Speakers

• Yann-Maël Bideau - Policy Officer, Higher Education Unit, Directorate General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, European Commission
• Olga Wessells - Head of Brussels Office, ECIU Alliance (FOR EU1 Coordinator)
• Sophia Karner - Policy Officer, Una Europa Alliance
• Neringa Narbutiene - Project Manager, Catolic University of Valencia, EU-Connexus Alliance (former Chair of the European Degrees Subgroup at FOR EU level)
• Meritxell Chaves Sánchez - Project Coordinator, University of Barcelona and Manager, CHARM European University Alliance (CHARM-EU)

Societies in a period of pandemic and fake news

Thursday 19 May 2022, 10.00-12.00 CEST or 11.00-13.00 EEST 

The two sub-themes can be viewed separately or in conjunction with each other. The panel dealt with the various societal aspects of the current pandemic. These included the psychological effects on society, both European and worldwide, and in particular on specific groups, such as youth and the elderly, the various ways employed during the pandemic to assign labour and care work, and the effects on culture and education and their role in overcoming the long-term consequences of the pandemic.

“Fake news” can be regarded here both as a consequence of the pandemic and of current international politics and the war that affects us all. Some of the issues that the panellists addressed include the definition of “fake news”, its scope, those who generate it and those who consume it, its dissemination, the role of the traditional media and of social media and the groups particularly affected by fake news. Above all, panellists may wish to address the need for the development of critical thinking, this being the only way of dealing with this ever-growing danger that will result in socially positive decisions and strategies. The panel also examined how universities in CIVIS have dealt with the intertwined challenges posed by the pandemic and by fake news.

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Chair

Professor Dimitrios Karadimas, Vice-Rector of the NK University of Athens, CIVIS Steering Committee

Speakers

• Dr. Max Priester-Lasch (Senior Lecturer), University of Tübingen, Title: "Individual and public health in the Covid 19 pandemic: Negotiations of freedom and solidarity"
• Associate Professor Sorin Costreie, University of Bucharest: "The pandemy of fake-news”
• Professor George Plios, NK University of Athens: "Fake news vs academic reality"
• Associate Professor Manuel Alcántara-Plá, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid: "Fake news and digital media. What we all can learn from it"

European identity

Thursday 19 May 2022, 16.00-18.00 CEST or 17:00-19:00 EEST

One of the main roles of CIVIS Hub 2 is to review and strengthen European identity among our students, staff and societies. However, we also encourage a critical approach to the concept and to the borders of Europe today, to the so-called “European way of life” and to problems affecting marginalised societies, groups and individuals. Central issues may include what it means to be European today, contemporary processes of inclusion and exclusion, unification and diversification and indeed whether it is possible to talk of a “European way of life”, diverse languages and the way of life of “old” and “new” Europeans, the latter including migrants and refugees, the relevance of cultural theory, and how cultural spaces, including universities, can promote social inclusion and cohesion while supporting and protecting cultural diversity within European society and beyond, i.e. both within the societies whence migrants and refugees originate from and globally.

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Chair

• Professor Monique Scheer, University of Tübingen, CIVIS Steering Commitee

Speakers

• Professor Fataneh Farahani, University of Stockholm: "Beyond ‘cultural clashes’ in a shifting political and cultural landscape of Europe"
• Assistant Professor Antonia Zervaki, NK University of Athens: "European Political Culture(s): where do we stand?"
• Professor Monique Scheer, University of Tübingen: "European Values = European Culture?"
• Professor Mircea Dumitru, University of Bucharest: "European universities looking for European identities"
• Professor Inés de Castro, University of Tübingen: “The concept of culture and the museum practice”

Heritage in contemporary Europe

Friday 20 May 2022, 10.00-12.00 CEST or 11.00-13.00 EEST

“Heritage in contemporary Europe” is illustrated by the many and various heritages studied and practised in our universities. These heritages deserve to be examined since they are connected with the current identities of our universities and communities and since they are being critically redefined and evaluated by today’s students and academic instructors in order to respond to current social and cultural needs and challenges. Knowledge of the past helps one to understand continuity and change, tradition and innovation and to interpret past and present in a critical manner, thus contributing to the creation of critically aware citizens.

Speakers presented crucial aspects of the history of their universities, which constitute symbols for them and are seen as expressions of their particular university heritages. These refered to historical monuments, institutions, events or celebrations held in CIVIS Universities that illustrate the involvement of these Universities, their students and professors in the culture and life of their societies and/or in world history and culture. Further issues of special interest included how universities preserve cultural heritage, how university museums sustain and promote cultural heritage and how heritage(s) is/are studied in higher education. The panel was a bridge from Hub SCH to the Museum Network.

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Chair

Professor Theodora Antonopoulou, NK University of Athens, co-Chair Hub 2

Speakers

• Professor Juan Luis González García, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid: "Preserving, Studying and Exhibiting Artistic Heritage at the UAM"
• University Lecturer Mattias Frihammar, Stockholm University: “Making a Military Heritage. Gender and Nation in Sweden’s Cold War History”
• Professor Juliette Dumas, Aix-Marseille Université: "Memories from the past, issue for the future: Ottoman cultural heritages toward or within Europe?"
• Professor Matthias Heinz, Paris Lodron University of Salzburg: "The linguistic and cultural heritage of Italian: an international research network for studying loanwords"
• Associate Professor Vassiliki Chryssanthopoulou, NK University of Athens: "The Folklore Museum and Archives of the University of Athens: An ethnographic collection presents Greek society and folkloristics over the past sixty years and beyond"

Open Labs: Creating new ways of approaching and addressing local needs

Thursday 19 May 2022, 08.00-12.00 CEST or 09.00-13.00 EEST 

Discover the CIVIS Open Labs' projects and how they connect the research, education, and innovation of CIVIS member universities with the knowledge and experience of local partners, creating new ways of approaching and addressing local needs!

• Presentation of the Task Force Civic Engagement Handbook
• Presentation of OL projects by their stakeholders. One presentation per University (based on PPT or video)
• Presentation of the Transnational OL projects by each university One presentation per University (based on PPT or video)
• CIVIS Label Outputs

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CIVIS Digital Campus Open Presentation

Thursday 19 May 2022,08.00-12.00 CEST or 09.00-13.00 EEST

The Digital Campus of CIVIS is a key element to the success and further development and integration of the European university. It aims to provide a digital space & tools for students, academics, researchers & staff members to benefit from all the activities developed within the alliance.

This presentation focused on three main subjects:

• European Student Card initiative, Challenges & opportunities
• CIVIS passport, towards the recognition of all CIVIS learning experiences
• Digitally enhanced education: Civic Engagement Micro-Programme example

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Speakers

• Marie Wittamer - Civis Executive Director, Aix-Marseille Université
• David Touzot - CIVIS IT officer, Aix-Marseille Université
• Mathilde Chauton - Head of IRO, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid
• Thomas Walter - Head of IT, University of Tübingen
• Athina Dimopoulou - NK University of Athens, WP6 Mobility Leader
• Iris-Niki Nikolopoulos - University of Tübingen
• Enrique Martin - Innovative Pedagogy Officer, Aix-Marseille Université
• Tim Penninger - Chair of CIVIS Student Council, University of Tübingen
• Wiktoria Wernicka - Secretary of CIVIS Student Council, Stockholm University
• Professor Monique Scheer - University of Tübingen