Join the transnational discussions on Civic Competences and EU Democratic Life

Join the the transnational discussions on Civic Competences and EU Democratic Life

Course Details

• Duration: 04.05.2026 – 29.06.2026
• Credits: possibility to earn 2 ECTS
• Study load: ~3 hours per week
• Form of study: fully online (synchronous session on Zoom)
• Language of instruction: English
• Certificate: Digital Certificate of Completion
• Fee: free of charge
• Registration open until April 17 here

About the Course

This course creates a transnational space in which students can engage in meaningful dialogue about key European issues and their implications for democratic life. It seeks to provide an environment where participants can both analyse major European challenges - such as climate transition, social inequality, digital transformation, and democratic backsliding - and critically reflect on how these issues intersect with their own local contexts and lived experiences.

The course is organised around three main types of online events, each with a distinct thematic focus but sharing a common pedagogical structure.

• European Issue Debates (EIDs) engage with broad cross-border themes such as climate transition, social inequality, digital rights, democratic backsliding, and EU social policy. Each session is chaired by one partner institution and is open to students from all participating universities.
• Curriculum Discussions (CDs) focus on the integration of civic competences, democratic engagement, and the European dimension within higher-education programmes and teaching practices. These sessions provide a space for students to reflect critically on how their study programmes prepare them for democratic participation and EU citizenship.
• Local Issues Discussions (LIDs) revolve around specific local or regional challenges that are clearly connected to European policies, norms, or debates. The primary objective of the LIDs is to highlight the local - European nexus by encouraging students to identify practical solutions and map relevant actors at different governance levels (local, national, EU, civil society, universities) who can contribute to change.

All events follow a shared methodological framework based on two interrelated elements. First, a democratic topic-selection procedure and second, each session is structured according to the Future Workshop format, organised around three phases: Critique (identifying problems and challenges), Utopia (imagining desirable futures), and Realisation (developing concrete and realistic pathways to change).

Tentative schedule

European Issue Debates

04.05. Topic 1: Youth and Representation (University of Siena)

11.05. Topic 2: Democratic backsliding (University of Tartu)

18.05. Topic 3: Sustainability (University of Göttingen)

25.05. Topic 4: Youth & Digital Citizenship (University of Siena)

Curriculum Discussion

28.05. Topic 1: Integrating civic competences, democratic engagement and the European dimension in university curricula (University of Tartu)

04.06. Topic 2: Interdisciplinarity (University of Göttingen)

11.06. Topic 3: Rethinking learning practices (University of Siena)

Local Issue Discussion

15.06. Topic 1: Digitalization and local public services (University of Tartu)

22.06. Topic 2: Community Regeneration (University of Göttingen)

29.06. Topic 3: Sustainability (University of Siena)

To register for the course and then vote on the topics you wish to discuss please click here.

Why Join This Course?

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• explain key concepts related to civic competences and democratic participation.
• analyse the relationship between EU-level decision-making and local realities.
• identify gaps and opportunities in higher education curricula regarding civic engagement.
• participate effectively in structured deliberative discussions in an international setting.
• apply the Critique-Utopia-Realisation framework to complex societal challenges.
• reflect critically on their own political self-efficacy and civic development.

For more information and registration, please contact Thomas Luke Pritchard ([email protected]).

This course is developed within the framework of the Erasmus+ project Strengthening Civic Competences and EU Democratic Life (EuroConnect), implemented jointly by the University of Tartu, the University of Göttingen, the University of Siena, and the Centre for Creative Development “Danilo Dolci”.

Image