The EmbED-EU project aimed to design and implement a comprehensive approach for embedding European Union values in higher education teaching and learning. Its main objective was to empower academic staff to consciously integrate EU values, such as human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, and respect for human rights, into their pedagogical practice. The project sought to achieve this by developing three interconnected results: (1) the EUCompAL Framework, defining the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed by lecturers to teach in alignment with EU values; (2) a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) offering professional development and practical strategies for embedding these values; and (3) a digital self-assessment tool enabling lecturers to reflect on and evaluate their own practices. Additionally, the project aimed to produce policy recommendations to guide institutions and decision-makers. EmbED-EU aspired to foster a community of practice among European educators committed to creating inclusive, democratic, and value-driven learning environments that reinforce the social mission of universities.
The EmbED-EU project was conceived to address a growing need to strengthen the role of universities in fostering trust, democratic engagement, and European identity through education. Rising levels of Euroscepticism, disinformation, and declining academic interest in EU-related themes revealed a critical gap: while EU values are central to European cohesion, they are insufficiently embedded in higher education teaching and learning. The project responded to this challenge by equipping academics with the knowledge, tools, and pedagogical strategies to integrate EU values, such as democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, across disciplines. Universities, as spaces for critical reflection and civic formation, were seen as ideal actors to promote informed, engaged citizenship. Through a collaborative European partnership, EmbED-EU aimed to provide lecturers with evidence-informed resources, professional training, and digital self-reflection tools to enhance teaching practices, while also supporting policymakers in strengthening institutional frameworks for embedding EU values in higher education.