Erasmus Intensive Programme, Education for Democratic Intercultural Citizenship

This intensive programme aimed to enhance cooperation between European universities and develop a democratic intercultural citizenship. The researchers focused on forging collaboration between students and teachers and promoting social, cultural and political aspects in a multi-national context.

Greater international collaboration, exchange, flexibility and mutual interdependency have a significant influence on education. Education plays a central role in preparing young people for democratic society, for active participation and greater social justice and tolerance in all aspects of society. There are concerns in many countries about democracy. Active participation, and in particular social integration and new ways of getting young people involved, are investigated in a number of different contexts.

Given this important task for education, it is necessary to train a new generation of educational professionals to contribute to this development. Education is not restricted to formal schooling, but also involves adult education and informal education.

The future educational professionals involved in this programme were students training to become teachers, educational workers in adult education and in informal education, researchers, curriculum developers and educational coaches. This broad spectrum of educational professionals could contribute to education that prepares youngsters for future democratic society and intercultural life. The Lifelong Learning Programme fund the travel and accommodation of participating partners and students at all programme events.

The project objectives were:

> To develop an intensive programme for students in education from different parts of Europe
> To develop a network structure that stimulates international cooperation between universities
> To create possibilities to experience different (inter)national and cultural practices
> To develop new and more multidisciplinary, internationally oriented and ICT-based curricula in education for democratic intercultural citizenship
> To educate a new generation of educational professionals focusing on education for democratic intercultural citizenship.

Researchers and partners
Professor Wiel Veugelers, Programme Coordinator, University of Humanistic Studies, Utrecht, Netherlands
Professor Buxarrais Estrada, Faculty of Education, University of Barcelona, Spain
Professor Ivor Goodson, University of Brighton
Professor Tirri, Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Helsinki, Finland
Dr Moree, Faculty of Humanities, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
Professor Papanaoum/Dr. Kestinou, Faculty Philosophy and Education, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece
Professor Oser, Faculty Pedagogy and Psychology, University of Fribourg, Switzerland

The aspiration is that the programme will establish a platform for young educators and researchers from different parts of Europe to work and learn together, share international experiences and create opportunities to publish and contribute to each other’s projects for educational change. Findings will be shared at the end of the project.

The EDIC programme made an impact through the following actions:

> 14-day intensive programme event (27 May - 7 June 2013) at the University of Utrecht (participation by University of Brighton students)
> The second Erasmus Programme event took place in 2014 in Barcelona (25 May - 7June 2014) (participation by University of Brighton students).


The output from the project includes a curriculum, network, website and book, Ed Veugelers, W (2019) Intercultural Citizenship in Moral Development and Citizenship Education, Volume: 15. Winner of the SIG Moral Development and Education Book Award, granted by the American Educational Research Association! .