Coming to Europe, leaving Europe Erasmus Project

Project Title

Coming to Europe, leaving Europe

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 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Ethics, religion and philosophy (incl. Inter-religious dialogue); Migrants’ issues

Project Summary

The objective of this project is to develop our knowledge and practices in the field in order to adapt our curriculum accordingly and to improve the quality of the training given to students on the question of the belonging of 2nd and 3rd generation immigrant populations , from Morocco and Turkey.

In fact, in many EU countries, second- and third-generation immigrants still face difficulties of belonging, of identity construction, crossing the relationship between their country of origin and their country of birth. . These categories of population are also overexposed to structural inequalities in terms of access to symbolic and material resources (discrimination in hiring, housing, school relegation, facies offenses, etc.).
 
Particularly in connection with these identity difficulties, the question of the radicality of a small minority of these people came to light during the terrorist events of 2015 and 2016. The Member States quickly realized the urgency to cooperate, to coordinate and exchange experiences so that the best ideas and practices can be shared across the EU (Paris Declaration, 12 February 2015).

In this context, universities have an important role to play. This is the aim of this project, which is cross-cutting in the departments of sociology and political science. Indeed, the training given to students in our institutions on issues of identity, of the relationship to the country of origin, and in particular of the place of Islam in the contemporary world, became very important in order to have a better mutual understanding of migration trajectories. It is important to update their content on an ongoing basis, based on expertise on the subjects concerned. Indeed, a better knowledge of the motivations and aspirations of these populations would enable decision makers to be equipped so that the public policies are in adequacy with the reality on the ground and the challenges of our democratic societies. It involves, among other things, grasping the logic of collective belonging, the forms of attachment, the values ​​and the ethico-religious contours of these ethno-cultural groups. The consortium of this project intends to meet these needs.
 
In order to target our topic, we must first of all note that the populations of Moroccan and Turkish origin constitute the immigrant population groups – outside the EU – among the most important in Belgium, France and Italy. After more than 50 years of presence of these populations on our territories, the understanding of these European citizens remains embryonic and feeds questions on the integration or the adhesion to the base of values ​​of the European Union. So we decided to focus our work on these two ethno-religious groups.
 
The objectives of the project are multiple:
– To develop the knowledge of the types of anchoring in Europe and of the relation with the country of origin in the head of the Turkish and Moroccan diasporic communities
– To develop knowledge of the religious component in the collective identity and ethical orientation of these populations
– Develop a common methodology for gathering information in the field, including the participation of countries of origin (Turkey and Morocco)
– Adapt curriculum contents in relevant training streams
– Train our students in these topics in the light of updated information
– Give the opportunity to our students to cross their knowledge and their eyes during an intensive program
– Enable decision-makers to put in place prevention policies
– Exchange practices between countries, the approach being conducted mainly in the field and in collaboration with its stakeholders

The target groups of this project are primarily the teachers and students of the institutions involved in the project. But on the one hand, the civil society and on the other hand, the political decision-makers are also the target of our approach: the collective work that will be published within the framework of this project as well as the MOOC being important sources to enlighten the public action and debates in the city.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 308600 Eur

Project Coordinator

UNIVERSITE SAINT-LOUIS-BRUXELLES ASBL & Country: BE

Project Partners

• UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI PADOVA
• Necmettin Erbakan Üniversitesi
• UNIVERSITE INTERNATIONALE DE RABAT
• INSTITUT DE RECHERCHE POUR LE DEVELOPPEMENT