Integrating Finno-Ugric Studies in Europe: Innovative resource pooling for a low-volume discipline Erasmus Project

Project Title

Integrating Finno-Ugric Studies in Europe: Innovative resource pooling for a low-volume discipline

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 2015

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Research and innovation

Project Summary

InFUSE was a strategic partnership between eight European universities (Munich, Hamburg, Vienna, Szeged, Helsinki, Turku, Tartu and Uppsala) focusing on a specific discipline, ostensibly minor, but important in the wider European context: the Finno-Ugric languages are the second largest language family in Europe, including both nation-state languages (Finnish, Estonian and Hungarian) and a broad spectrum of endangered minority languages spoken in diverse multilingual communities. Finno-Ugric studies is inherently an international discipline, and its research traditions are characteristically European. Still, compared to major European philologies like Germanic, Romance or Slavic, Finno-Ugric studies are represented at only few universities in relatively small institutes, highly specialized in different aspects of this field of interdisciplinary character (languages, literatures etc.); their limited resources limit the range of teaching and thus the prospects of students in their future career. Moreover, institutional developments and economic pressures are affecting Finno-Ugric studies like other research-oriented disciplines with typically only a few dedicated students: on a local or national level and on the basis of quantitative criteria, such disciplines and the corresponding institutes will be unjustly disadvantaged. Some of them even face an imminent threat of being closed.

The project tackled this problem through long-term international resource pooling within the strategic international partnership among universities that have already had long-standing contact, both in Erasmus frameworks and other international projects. This new superstructure connected the leading Finno-Ugric institutes in Europe in a cost-efficient way, allowing each partner institution to develop and share their special expertise. InFUSE has increased the range and quality of teaching, giving students access to expertise in the full spectrum of the discipline, introducing and disseminating innovative methodologies and best practices. Our teaching activities have definitely encouraged students to actively use their acquired languages and to apply their skills in practice, and helped them to gain experience in international and intercultural communication whilst still students. Knowledge pooling and increased mobility, both physical and virtual, as well as improved linguistic and intercultural skills that are vital to function effectively in a multilingual and multicultural Europe, are surely the factors that increase students’ employability. The majority of students participating in our teaching activities, especially Winter schools, have found either the way to continue their education on the higher level, or jobs where their language knowledge is a bonus (educators etc.)

In this project several types of teaching activities were realized as part of a well-rounded programme. It offered one specialized e-learning course pro semester that could be taken separately or deepened either at an annual Winter school or at a Summer workshop. Winter Schools also included current topics presented by prominent specialists from different universities with workshops and presentation of students’ own results, but there was also focus on aspects of practical application of theoretical knowledge (such as translation, knowledge management, intercultural transmission). Winter Schools took place in Tartu (2016), Turku (2017) and Vienna (2018), and Summer workshops in Szeged (2016), Hamburg (2017) and Uppsala (2018). The evaluation results suggest that both the external reviewers and participants were highly satisfied with the content, quality and atmosphere of the teaching.

Thus, 1) students had the opportunity to participate in innovative courses provided by partner universities which for geographical or mobility reasons they normally could not take part in; 2) students were able to develop and broaden their digital competence due to the web-based modules/components, and 3) students were able to individualize their study programmes through access to a pool of high-quality courses beyond their usual curriculum. By virtue of inter-university cooperation the partners had the opportunity to disseminate teaching practices and develop more serviceable ICT features in their teaching.

One of the key aspects of the project as envisaged by Erasmus+ was the promotion of language learning and linguistic diversity. The project was able to raise awareness of the existence, multiplicity and importance of regional or minority languages, many of which, such as Saami, have (regional) official status in one or more EU countries. The consortium will deepen its efforts towards establishing a dynamic and sustainable environment for Finno-Ugric/Uralic studies within the Strategic Partnership “Community of Practice in Uralic (Finno-Ugric) Studies”, which includes new partners and will be coordinated by Uppsala University from 2018-2021 under the auspices of Erasmus+.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 187460 Eur

Project Coordinator

LUDWIG-MAXIMILIANS-UNIVERSITAET MUENCHEN & Country: DE

Project Partners

• TURUN YLIOPISTO
• HELSINGIN YLIOPISTO
• UNIVERSITAT WIEN
• UPPSALA UNIVERSITET
• UNIVERSITAET HAMBURG
• TARTU ULIKOOL
• SZEGEDI TUDOMANYEGYETEM