Strategic Partnership for Transdisciplinary Balkan Studies: Geophilosophy of the Balkans Erasmus Project

Project Title

Strategic Partnership for Transdisciplinary Balkan Studies: Geophilosophy of the Balkans

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Inclusion – equity; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Regional dimension and cooperation

Project Summary

The aim of Transdisciplinary Balkan Studies: Geophilosophy of the Balkans (GEOBALKANS) is to modernize educational approaches on crucial issues related to (self)understanding of the region to face up the current and future challenges of reconciliation and Europeanisation. In light of the increasing and resurfacing illiberal tendencies that stall its European perspectives the project starts from the premise that studies in social science and humanities in the Balkans are mostly nationally biased, lacking cross-regional and trans-disciplinary dimension. This bias, notably, critically impairs the processes of reconciliation and democratisation of the region. Based on this, GEOBALKANS’ main objective is the establishment of an integrated, trans-Balkan and trans-European school that will fuse the best European practices in the study of the respective fields, giving them a sound regional dimension, supported through trans-disciplinary cutting-edge methodologies and cooperation in social sciences, humanities and natural sciences, flexible (conventional and digital) study approaches, covered by distinguished regional and European experts in the field.

GEOBALKANS consists from a number of incremental and interrelated activities for the achievement of the project objectives and results. Key result of the project will be the establishment of the joint, integrated graduate programme Transdisciplinary Balkan Studies: Geophilosophy of the Balkans. This general objective will be achieved and implemented through a significant number of Intellectual Outputs, Learning/Teaching/Training Activities and Multiplier Events as follows:
• 4 Intellectual Outputs (IO1 Methodology and Programme Syllabus, IO2 Training and Learning Materials, IO3 Open Educational Resources, IO4 Model and guide for implementation)
• 8 Learning/Teaching/Training Activities (subdivided into 3 Intensive Program for Teaching Staff, followed by 5 Intensive Programmes for Higher Education Learners)
• 1 Multiplier Events

By developing a curriculum for an integrated MA and PhD programme GEOBALKANS will be “supporting individuals in acquiring and developing basic skills and key competences” in the field of trans-disciplinary and critical political and social studies of the Balkans, hence providing prospective students and existing teaching staff with innovative methodologies and apparatus of critical and contemporary concepts for analyzing the historical and contemporary socio-political and cultural contexts and phenomena in the Balkans, Europe and world-wide. Bringing together as project partners universities, departments and teaching staff that cut across multiple disciplines and social sciences, which in a joint effort and trans-national partnership will develop programme that goes beyond the strict traditional confines of political sciences studies, the project will offer studying opportunity for students coming from different under-graduate backgrounds, and thus support permeability between the different education and training pathways.

The project brings together universities on a trans-Balkans and trans-European level and creates high quality and innovative teaching, learning and research resources for trans-disciplinary and critical studies of the Balkans, while setting reconciliation, justice, equality and promotion of European values as its motivational and forward-looking vision. The project will have a positive effect on the educational function and scope of societal impact of the beneficiary partners, but has the potential to extend towards the local, national and international levels of other Higher Education Institutions and NGOs in all consortium countries through the established networks of researchers, teachers, academics and civil society actors.

GEOBALKANS establishes a consortium of five prominent universities that will jointly organize and implement the project. Participants are FON University from Skopje, North Macedonia, SINGIDUNUM University from Belgrade, Serbia, PANTEION University, Greece, L’ORIENTALE University from Naples, Italy and University of VERONA from Verona, Italy.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 297342 Eur

Project Coordinator

American University of Europe – FON & Country: MK

Project Partners

• UNIVERZITET SINGIDUNUM
• UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI VERONA
• PANTEIO PANEPISTIMIO KOINONIKON KAI POLITIKON EPISTIMON
• UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI NAPOLI L’ORIENTALE