The stereotypical perception of the Balkan, Eastern and Central European regions as potentially conflicting, post-communist, post-Soviet and overly Oriental (especially the Balkans) creates particular discomfort and imbalance in a general European aspect. It is this problematic view of the area that provokes the idea of a different approach and an attempt to destruct such overlapped perceptions. The impossibility of an overall neutral and mutually satisfactory reading of the history and policies of the region is something that is hardly doubtful. However, the possibility of building a more positive image through intense communication between predominantly young people is an approach that is not yet well defined and designed. In changing Europe one of the biggest issues still is the stereotyped accepting of “the Other”, of the one that is different, not familiar in broader sense. This sounds even more justifiable when it comes to the understanding and attitudes directed to the Balkans and Central and Eastern Europe area. Although there is a great tradition of exploring and investigating the region, “Old” Europe still has its difficulties to understand this “New” part of itself. And yet it is ahead not just to understand it, but also to integrate it due to all EU-integration processes, running throughout western parts of the Balkan Peninsula and Central and Eastern Europe. The main target group of the proposal shall be university professors; university assistants; university researchers & scholars. The main objective of the project is to develop an innovative, holistic and integral approach for training of university professors, assistant professors, researchers and scholars to conduct educational process in the field of Balkan’s and CEE studies through on-wheels summer school focused on four main fields namely: (i) Minorities and majorities; (ii) Rule of law and European integration; (iii) Identity and nationalism & (iv) Politics and religion. The specific objectives of the proposal shall be to: - Raise the awareness of the university professors & assistants about the need to organize and conduct on-wheels schools in Balkan and CEE history to overcome the existing stereotypes and prejudice in the students in this regard. - Develop the competences of the university professors & assistant in on-wheels school organisation and conduction with the students with interest in Balkan & CEE history. - Stress the importance for deeper understanding of the region in “Old” and “New” Europe state through defining the main principles and approaches for stimulation of the socio-cultural competencies of the higher education teaching staff. - Elaborate specific and high-quality materials that shall define and overcome the problems of how the Balkan & CEE studies are taught in different countries for the benefit of both academic staff and students and society in general. The partnership shall achieve the stated objective through the development of teaching materials (theoretical and practical) which are aimed to support educational and research competences of the target group in delivering trainings on Balkan’s and CEE trans-border history . ReNewEurope partnership will develop the following outputs: 1) Methodological framework that will describe the methodology and practical organisation of teaching on Balkan’s trans-border history and politics 2) ReNewEurope Training kit that will provide the resources to the higher education teaching staff to organize On-wheels summer school for Balkan trans-border history and politics. 3) Manual for academic staff to develop personal & professional competencies of the higher education teaching staff in techniques how to work, teach and study Balkan trans-border history and politics as well as to overcome the stereotypes and prejudices in the students. 4) Guidebook on ReNewEurope concept that will provide guidelines on the process of ReNewEurope methodology implementation. 5) ReNewEurope platform and interactive library that will host all the produced materials as well as Interactive library section where various materials on the project topics shall be uploaded for further reading. ReNewEurope proposal shall be developed together by 4 universities, 1 NGO & 1 associate university in response to all mentioned above topics & objectives. ReNewEurope will produce the following impacts: • cover the needs for new, modern, experience-oriented & user-friendly approaches for training of university professors, assistants, researchers & scholars to work in close collaboration with colleagues from abroad in friendly environment on such delicate topics as trans-border politics & history; • development of tailor-made training course for university teachers & assistants about work with students outside the university during summer schools applicable on EU level; • improvement of the attractiveness & use of continuous training • “multiplication effect” & “cascade effect”.
Providing materials tackling stereotypes and building bridges between the states from the Central-Eastern Europe accenting on the specificities and commonalities of national experiences, as well as within the process of European integration. Project’s main objective was to develop an innovative, holistic and integral approach for training of scholars to conduct educational process in the field of Balkan’s and CEE studies through on-wheels summer school focused on four main fields namely: (i) Minorities and majorities; (ii) Rule of law and European integration; (iii) Identity and nationalism & (iv) Politics and religion. Specifically, we aimed at raising the awareness of scholars and educators about the need to organize on-wheels schools in Balkan and CEE history to overcome the existing stereotypes and prejudice in students. Developing the competences of scholars and educators in on-wheels school organisation and conduction with students interested in Balkan & CEE history. Emphasizing the need for deeper understanding of the region in “Old” and “New” Europe states through defining the main principles and approaches for stimulation of the socio-cultural competencies of the higher education teaching staff.
The idea for the application for this project appeared during a discussion with colleagues from Sofia University in Bulgaria in 2019, when we agreed that there is a peculiar image of Central-Eastern Europe in the dominant public discourse within the EU that often multiplies prejudices towards and within the region. Hence, we defined the project’s needs in three dimensions. Firstly, as the need for educational materials providing for comparative analysis of national experiences in selected topics. This approach allows for a critical bottom up reflection on the levels of distinctiveness and similarities among the countries from the region. Secondly, inherently connected with the first one, is the need for emphasis of the underestimated regional similarities in the political process and their dependence on external factors and path dependence or replication of solutions that bring the region closer to each other than it is usually perceived. Finally, to provide sources of comparison that reveal the patterns of political action in the so-called “New” and “Old” Europe and inspire reflection on the levels of similarity and differences. The production of relevant educational concepts and materials is the cure for these deficiencies.