European University For Transition
Summary
Ecological issues (climate change, loss in biodiversity, scarcity of resources, etc.) and their social consequences (growing inequalities, poverty, conflicts, forced migrations, etc.) call us to promote a paradigm shift, to redesign our production and consumption patterns, our lifestyles, and thus adjust the curricula in higher education, and to explore how economic and legal tools can be applied to these challenges. That is the ecological transition in the education field.
The European University For Transition (EU4TRANSITION) Erasmus + project aims at developing and implementing innovative learning and research practices (e.g. new curricula, teaching methods, institutional network). It addresses key topics relevant for our contemporary ecological transition at local and European level such as the governance transition, the main controversy of the ecological transition, the economic transition, ethics and spirituality, construction, energy, local economy, finance, community, local transition, agricultural transition, climatology and empowerment by the sciences of engineering.
In doing so, EU4TRANSITION will focus on the development of a "European University in Transition" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2008) who accompany the ecological, but also economic, social and legal transitions (4 main domains). Our purpose is to develop innovative, multidisciplinary, pragmatic and holistic approaches for teaching and learning in the field of « Transitions » and facilitate the exchanges, flows and co-creation of knowledge and, more specifically, skills.
In working together partners will challenge structures, organization and methods that are taken for granted, in order to experience and test common « modules » of teaching/researching on ecological transition and develop new common forms of training/researching and certification, and even create the foundations for a new common Open and Virtual European University for Transition.
Our last event
Summer School
June 19th-23rd, 2023
Forges, France
On June 19th to 23rd, the European University for Transition held the third and last Summer School at the Campus de la Transition (Forges, France).
This event gathered students, staffs, lecturers and professors from partner institutions. In this 5-day training, participants had the opportunity to experience the teaching material developed for our pedagogical guide (IO1) and master course (IO2), as well as workshops and on-site activities related to the ecological and social transition.
News
Multiplier Event
June 22d, 2023
Online
On June 22nd 2023, European University for Transition hosted a multiplier event. The event was both online and onsite, live from the Campus de la Transition. Its aim was to present the project, the partners and the results of the research. it was free and open to all.
Transnational Meeting
June 15th-16th, 2023
Cergy, France
The European University for Transition held a Transnational Meeting in Cergy (France) at ESSEC Business School, June 15th and 16th.
This event allowed coordination with all partners and was also an opportunity to shoot videos for the MOOC on the ecological and social transition. The team was also brought to exchange during informal moments.
Transnational Meeting
May 11th-12th, 2023
Yasar University, Turkey
The European University for Transition held a Transnational Meeting in Izmir, May 11th to 12th. This meeting took place at Yasar University.
This was the opportunity for the EU4T team to coordinate, prepare the final steps of the project including the last summer school, and shoot some videos for the MOOC. This event ended with a social dinner in Izmir.
Multiplier event
April 31st, 2023
Madrid, Spain
Multiplier event at Facultad de Empresariales (Comillas ICADE)
On April 31st, Comillas University organized a debate tournament on the role of the University in responding to the social and ecological challenges.
Multiplier event
February 18th, 2023
Gaia Academy, Estonia
On February 18th, 2023, the Gaia Academy team of the EU4T project organized an event to present intermediary results of the European University for Transition at Gaia Academy.
This full day event gathered around 30 people from various backgrounds. After the introduction to the EU4T project, the team implemented a methodology to discuss, analyze and create inspiration for bringing transition into practice and education. The event allowed Gaia Academy gathering input for designing future educational programs and workshops on transition.
Multiplier event
December 14th, 2022
Yasar University, Turkey
On December 14th, 2022, EU4T Team at Yasar University in Turkey organized a multiplier event.
The EU4T project aims to develop and implement innovative learning and research practices. The approach is multidisciplinary, pragmatic and holistic.
The aim of this multiplier event was to provide information about the aim of the project, project process, odule contents and expected results, and to collect feedback from the participants. The team was also brought to exchange during informal moments.
Multiplier Event
November 24th, 2022
UVH, Netherlands
On November 24th 2022, the University of Humanistic Studies team of EU for Transition organized a dissemination event in Utrecht.
The dissemination event was hosted in a conference dedicated to "Earth Work". This conference gathered 80 Dutch players in transition. Many speakers gave presentations on topics related to the ecological crisis.
Opportunity was given for European University For Transition to introduce the intermediary results of the research project.
Multiplier Event
October 15th, 2022
Arterra Bizimodu, Spain
On October 15th, 2022, the Arterra Bizimodu team of the EU4T organized a multiplier event to present the intermediary results of the project.
The event, gathering participants from different backgrounds, was an opportunity to introduce the project, its aims and an overview of the masterclass course and the pedagogical guide as contributions to a new way of approaching transition in Universities.
The students, who took part in the summer school in Estonia (2022), talked about their experience and invited participants to disseminate or participate into the 2023 summer school in France.
The event went on with two masterclasses and a time in small groups to reflect on the experience of the day, and provide feedback on the EU4Transition project.
Multiplier Event - Erasmus Days Seminar
October 14th, 2022
ESSEC Business School, Cergy-Pontoise, France.
October 14th, 2022, the intermediary results of the Erasmus + partnership called European University for Transition were presented at ESSEC Business School.
Lasting one afternoon with a conference, workshops and a cocktail, the seminar was an opportunity to present the expected outputs of the project: a master course on transition, a teaching guide to teach transition and a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC).
The international dimension of the partnership was highlighted by the participation of speakers from Stichting Universiteit Voor Humanistiek and Universidad Pontifica Comillas, both partners to the project.
The Campus de la Transition, an eco-campus and also a partner to the project, provided a speaker to the conference.
A former ESSEC student made a testimony on her participation into the intensive week organized by the project in 2021 (Autumn school).
ESSEC students provided support in designing and organizing the event, especially the workshops.
The seminar was an event of the Erasmus days 2022.
Multiplier event
October 14th, 2022
CY Cergy Paris Université, France.
On the occasion of Erasmusdays 2022, the Campus de la Transition organized a workshop followed by a cocktail at CY Cergy Paris Université to present the intermediary results of the European University For Transition research project.
With a presentation from the project coordinator of the European University For Transition from ESSEC Business School, participants could discover the history, the aims and the expected outputs of the project (master course on transition, a teaching guide and a Massive Open Online Course), as well as its international team.
They could then experiment the new holistic pedagogy and some new content on ecological and social transition with a course presented by Cécile Renouard, president of the Campus de la Transition.
Transnational Meeting
October 6th to 7th, 2022
Utrecht, The Netherlands.
In this transnational meeting, the partners of EU4TRANSITION came together in Utrecht in order to coordinate on management and the remaining parts of the intellectual outputs.
The kickoff took place with a welcoming word and introduction of rector Joke van Saane, who gave an overview of the position of the University of Humanistic Studies (UvH) in the landscape of Dutch universities. The UvH is a special university, dedicated to humanism and issues related to it. Under Joke van Saane’s lead the university now very much focusses on topics like Sustainability and Pluralism. She therefore strongly supports the vision and mission of EU4TRANSITION, in which universities are invited to work together with schools of transition and eco-villages.
After a visit of the university and library buildings, and after having a wonderful lunch in the center of Utrecht, the partners clarified important matters about coordination tasks and on the state of the art of the intellectual outputs. We all had a dinner in restaurant the Green House of Utrecht.
Next day the director of the Dutch Humanist League (Humanistisch Verbond), Robbert Bodegraven, gave a presentation about the particular position of humanism in Dutch history.
In the afternoon the partners finished their discussions on management matters and intellectual outputs, and then scheduled a work process for the coming months.
The University of Humanistic Studies was very pleased to see its partners working so hard on the project of EU4TRANSITION, and wants to thank them all for their unvaluable inspiring contribution!
Summer School
July 4th to 8th, 2022
Gaia Academy Estonia
The European University for Transition organized a Summer School, July 4th to 8th, 2022, at Gaia Academy, in Estonia.
The school involved 20 students, staff, lecturers and professors from partner institutions related to education in ecosocial transition. Participants could benefit from the research outcomes (classes, workshops,…) and provide in return an additional critical look to make outcomes more suitable.
It was an opportunity not only to test and experiment the intellectual productions achieved during the year, but also to deepen our knowledge and skills on transitioning the way we live, produce and consume.
Autumn School
October 25th to 29th, 2021
Arterra Bizimodu, Spain
The European University for Transition organized an Autumn School week, October 24th to 29th, at Arterra Bizzimodu, an ecovillage in Navarra, Spain.
Involving 22 students, staff, lecturers and professors from partner institutions, the school was an opportunity to test and experiment the intellectual productions achieved during the year.
The objective was multiple:
- to offer participants to learn about the challenges of ecological and social transition;
- to deepen and co-construct the content of the expected deliverables (course and guide to teach transition);
- to test and experiment new educational tools (appropriation exercises, collective governance, etc.);
- to learn from the feedback of students;
- to meet the local actors and practitioners of the Arterra Bizzimodu ecovillage, this being instrumental in understanding studied issues.
Transnational Meeting
October 21st to 22d, 2021
Madrid, Spain
The European University for Transition held a transnational meeting in Madrid, October 21st to 22d, with 12 participants from partners universities and schools.
The purpose of the meetings was to verify that the defined results of the project were on track through :
- Reports on past activities and assessment of the management of the budgets allocated;
- Reflection on group progress and reassessment of experience;
- Evaluation of communication tools and online publications;
- Next steps anticipation.
Partners
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Disclaimer
The European Commission’s support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.