The goals of the project are
- to pilot and implement an interdisciplinary and cross-national Norwegian/Ukrainan model of teaching in democracy in teacher education
- establish strong teaching connections between the staff as the University College of South-East Norway and the Dragomanov Pedagogical University in Kiev, as well as the University of Hebron in Palestine.
- to establish exchange programs for teachers and students, such as the Erasmus + program
- to cultivate strong research connections for immediate common publications and for future common applications for research grants (e.g. EEA-grants) between the three countries
The background of the project
The threat of conflict, war and an increasing migration represent a critical global challenge. Democratic development is seen as a crucial factor for societal wellbeing and to safeguard human rights. School is considered a key actor in promoting and developing democracy as a basis for coexistence in society.
The history and the conditions for democracy within Europe and the countries at Europe’s borders aredivergent. Many countries are in constant tensions in situation of authoritarian rule, migration and in state of emergency. In Norway, democracy is considered more stable. Yet, changes and conflicts are increasingly affecting on a global level. In this project we see an urgent need for exchanging knowledge about democracy and models in school.
We have chosen two different main partner countries, Ukraine and Norway. In addition, we also find it of particular interest to include an NGO from a third state, Palestine.