OVERALL OBJECTIVES A) To reinforce links between education, research, and innovation B) To create innovative joint-curricula based on cutting-edge scholarship C) To boost international cooperation and exchange good practices in a diverse team D) To involve students and doctoral students in inclusive learning practices PARTICULAR OBJECTIVES In a search for a deeper understanding of the status quo roots, trends, and potential developments, this project is dedicated to a theoretical and empirical exploration of the relevance of the minorities' experience for contemporary Europe: 1. To comprehend to which extent European Jews, Muslims, and Romany identify with the ongoing process of European integration and what is their self-attributed role in it 2. To determine the main obstacles but also positive efforts in mutually beneficial intercommunal and interfaith dialogue (or trialogue) among the three selected minorities 3. To raise awareness about contemporary challenges of Jewish, Muslim, and Roma communal life, a continuation of their traditions, and contributions to the European project, with particular attention to the area of education
Contemporary Europe faces numerous challenges, including the rise of populism, which bolsters illiberal democracies. Xenophobia, intolerance, and social fragmentation among culturally diverse populations evoke, for many, unsettling parallels to the pre-World War II era. The refugee crisis of 2015 further deepened ideological divisions within the European project, widening the rift between Western and Eastern member states. Meanwhile, racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, antigypsyism, and other forms of group-focused enmity (GFE) have significantly increased. Europe's hallmark diversity—reflected in its social, ethnic, and religious heterogeneity—requires urgent efforts to navigate cultural divides and foster shared values. For Europe’s future cohesion, bridging ideological gaps and promoting inclusivity are essential. An integrative approach is needed to reconcile conflicting worldviews and reduce estrangement between ethnocultural minorities and majorities. This project addresses the urgent need for equality, non-discrimination, and measures to combat xenophobia and intolerance as cornerstones of a resilient European society.