The European Scholars’ Network Erasmus Project

Project Title

The European Scholars’ Network

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 : School Exchange Partnerships

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy; International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation; Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills

Project Summary

Context/Background
Our project “The network of European scholars” aims to study Europe through the net of intellectual debate and cooperation, from the 15th to the 20th C. In the same way as the intellectuals of the past (not only “scientists” but also “scholars”, in the 18th century sense of the word) our students will interact, exchange, discuss, debate, defend their ideas, in other words, and travel to improve humanity. All domains are concerned because the key-word until XVIIIth century is… transdisciplinary: “experimental philosophy” means “Physics”. Even today, the links between science and history/arts/literature are, obviously, numerous and strong. So our project aspires in some way to reproduce/replay the network of European scholars. The project is the ideal continuation and development of the previous Erasmus + project about the key competences and freedom and citizenship in the EU. Three of the schools involved took part in both projects and three new partners have been included. Citizenship is created also thanks to the input, influence and development of people creating and making new discoveries in different areas of science but not only. Citizens coming from their own countries travel and travelled to other places in Europe leaving their accomplishments behind; accomplishments to be used and taken out of by other people. So, we can say, Europe as we have it today, was and has been built by different European nations even way before the idea of the EU appeared.

Objectives
In particular, this project will contribute to the popularization of the History of science, which is based on the knowledge sharing (the correspondence of scholars in the 18th century foreshadowed the Internet.) Our work will underline the links between scholars, artists, writers, philosophers not only through space but also though time. The reference to Greek antiquity as the foundation of both scientific and philosophical thinking will be constant. The objectives are :
1. discover the impact of this European scholars’ network on today’s scientific applications, on arts and on culture in general
2. favour social inclusion and the development of intercultural skills (e.g. by creating multinational/multilingual groups, by analyzing and discussing the topic from different perspectives)
3. promote students’ acquisition and consolidation of basic and transversal competences in a life-long learning perspective
4. promote the exploration of the material culture of science (historical scientific instruments, historical experiments)
5. introduce students to working with primary sources of the European scholars, artist, writer (manuscripts, letters, drafts kept in libraries or scanned/published on websites)
6. deepen the theories or works included in the national academic programs
7. favour the development and consolidation of their language competences

Number and profiles of participants
1. 6 countries : France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Spain
2. Teachers from various disciplines: Mathematics, Physics, Biology, Philosophy, Dance, English, German, Latin, Greek, PE, Art, Social sciences
3. Students aged 14-17: each school will form a special class who – where possible – will be able to work on the project for the whole two years
4. Professors of universities, searchers, PhD, librarians, curator, engineers of local companies who will liaise with us to monitor and provide further support

Activities and Methodology
The project will be student-centered and problem-based: it will use multidisciplinary approaches and will boost critical thinking by analyzing cultural contexts, through using formal and informal activities in multilingual classes (e.g. study cases, debates, producing creative materials, slideshows, Prezi presentations, drama activities, roleplays, building/showing a symbolic artefact, short movies, reconstruction of historical experiments, fictitious letters, escape games, choreographies), and by promoting the acquisition and consolidation of most of the transversal competences (Communication in a foreign language, Digital competence, Learning-to-learn, Social and civic competences, Entrepreneurship, Cultural expression). During the meetings, each country will invite the group of students to visit their museums, collections, archives, etc. in order to explore the local asset requirement.

The potential longer term benefits
1. Develop the link between high schools and the academic or professional world (setting up internships)
2. Students will be able to extend European collaboration among themselves or study in a European country
3. Students will understand the influence of science onto some other domains (such as art, sports, dance) and may well use it in their future experience and/or when they have to choose their professional carreers (high school class profiles, university)
4. Teachers will adapt some of the methodologies into their curricula; using the experience to attract students.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 116934 Eur

Project Coordinator

LYCEE GENERAL LA PEROUSE KERICHEN & Country: FR

Project Partners

• Szkola Podstawowa nr 45 im. Bohaterow Westerplatte
• 1st Geniko Lykeio Vrilission
• Koch Valéria Gimnázium Általános Iskola Óvoda Kollégium és Pedagógiai Intézet
• IES Cervantes
• Liceo Ginnasio Statale G. B. Brocchi