EU-Engage: Promoting Civic and Democratic Engagement in Higher Education
Main Info
TCA Description
The event is organized as a part of LTA PEACE+ project.
This is an exchange, partnership and capacity-building event which will bring together key stakeholders from the field of higher education to consider how to more effectively promote “Participation in Democratic Life, Common Values And Civic Engagement”, as a horizontal priority for Erasmus+. The event will be centred around four key elements for INSPIRATION (hearing from experienced experts and practitioners), IDEATION (aligning programme-level ambitions with innovative development goals and institutional priorities), COLLABORATION (identifying partners for future exchange, development and cooperation) and PREPARATION (reflecting on Erasmus+ financing opportunities and expectations).
During this event, participants will learn from experience whilst also working in groups of national and transnational peers, exchanging experiences, identifying possible innovations and sharing future project and partnership ideas.
By the end of this exchange, partnership and capacity-building event, participants will be able to:
• RECOGNISE Erasmus+ programme ambitions for promoting “Participation in Democratic Life, Common Values And Civic Engagement;
• COMPARE existing institutional practices with higher-level development priorities for Higher Education, with a specific focus on active citizenship and democratic participation;
• CREATE targeted responses to effectively engage higher education students and educators in actions in that promote active citizenship and democratic participation.
OUTLINE SCHEDULE
DAY ONE: MONDAY 29 SEPTEMBER 2025 (AFTERNOON ONLY)
Registration and Lunch (14:00)
Welcome and Introductions (15:00)
Inspiration: Keynote (15:30)
Coffee Break (16:15)
Erasmus+ Programme Priorities (16:45)
Mapping Existing Practices: Strong Roots and Areas for Growth (17:00)
Thoughts and Conclusions (17:45)
Close of Day One (18:00)
COMMON DINNER at the Hotel (19:00)
DAY TWO: TUESDAY 30 SEPTEMBER 2025 (FULL DAY)
Welcome Back, Energiser and Goals for the Day (09:00)
Inspiration: Expert-Practitioner Input (09:30)
Ideation and Open Space (10:00)
Coffee Break (10:30)
Institutional Development Goals and Innovation (11:00)
Plenary Review (12:00)
Lunch Break (12:30)
Inspiration: Expert-Practitioner Input (14:00)
Collaboration and Individual/Shared Responsibilities (14:30)
Coffee Break (15:30)
Visit to Museum of Emigration (16:30) participants will walk to the Museum from the hotel
COMMON DINNER (19:30)
DAY THREE: WEDNESDAY 1 OCTOBER 2025 (MORNING ONLY)
Welcome Back, Energiser and Goals for the Day (09:15)
Preparation: Reflections on Relevance in Erasmus+ (09:45)
Coffee Break (10:45)
Preparation: Erasmus+ Project Design (10:15)
Panel Reflections and Readiness Check (11:15)
Close of Event (12:15)
LUNCH-OPTIONAL (12:30)
Partners and participants
Experienced educational practitioners working in the field of higher education and looking to promote activities centred on developing transversal or complementary competences that underline and instil the value of active citizenship and democratic participation. KA1 and KA2
Pending booked places
Accepted places
TCA Participant Application
Long-term Activity Info
The new edition of LTA PEACE+ (2025-2027) aims to expand the achievements of the first LTA PEACE initiative, reinforcing European identity and civic engagement through an integrated network of Erasmus Alumni, Ambassadors, and Role Models. The key objectives include:
Strengthening cooperation between Erasmus+ National Agencies to broaden participation and outreach.
Enhancing communication and dissemination efforts to engage a larger number of stakeholders and citizens.
Providing structured training on EU values and European citizenship education.
Continuing research on civic engagement to better target messages and content.
Increasing synergies between different European programs to foster mobility and civic participation.
Expansion of Networks
The initiative seeks to:
Unify and expand networks of Erasmus+ Ambassadors, Alumni, and Role Models across multiple countries to foster a deeper sense of European belonging.
Strengthen partnerships with institutions at local, national, and international levels to promote civic engagement.
Develop a robust governance structure that ensures sustainability and impact measurement through national Observatories.
Institutional Collaboration and Measurement
Establish stable relationships with territorial institutions for sustained collaboration.
Implement tools to periodically assess improvements in civic engagement, internationalization, social inclusion, and digital transition.
Event Planning and Outreach
Define a recurring program of events at the national and international levels, here follow a draft calendar:
PEACE+ Kick-off Meeting (February 2025, Florence, Italy - INDIRE)
PEACE (April 9-11, 2025, Cluj-Napoca, Romania)
EU Values and Participation (October 2025, Riga, Latvia)
TCA for Kindergarten Teachers (October 2025, Tallinn, Estonia)
TBD Event (October 2025, Greece)
TBD Event (November 2025, Germany)
TBD Event (2026, Vienna, Austria)
TBD Event (2026, INAPP, Italy)
- Organize multi-country meetings where Alumni and Ambassadors collaborate in outreach activities with students and teachers.
- Enhance the impact of Erasmus+ initiatives through coordinated communication strategies.
Planned activities divided for Work Packages (WPs)
WP1 - Governance
Coordination and strategic oversight of PEACE+ activities.
Establishment of a Board of Directors and an Operational Board.
Signing of a Memorandum of Understanding among National Agencies.
Monitoring progress and impact measurement through key performance indicators.
WP2 - Networks
Strengthening and expanding Alumni and Ambassador networks across Europe.
Formalizing agreements with established Erasmus+ networks (e.g., ESN, Erasmus Garage).
Developing IT tools for efficient network management.
Creating structured methodologies for selecting and engaging network members.
WP3 - Training
Developing training modules on European values, civic engagement, and political literacy.
Producing digital learning materials, including e-modules and interactive resources.
Facilitating knowledge exchange through structured online and in-person training events.
Creating an open-access training platform to support Erasmus+ beneficiaries and the general public.
WP4 - Communication
Designing and implementing a comprehensive communication plan.
Producing promotional materials, reports, videos, and case studies to highlight Erasmus+ impact.
Conducting targeted outreach campaigns at the national and European levels.
Engaging media and stakeholders in dialogue on civic participation and European citizenship.
WP5 - Research
Conducting studies on key themes such as political engagement, social inclusion, and EU citizenship.
Collaborating with academic institutions to develop research reports.
Integrating findings into policy recommendations and future Erasmus+ initiatives.
Organizing international conferences to disseminate research outcomes.
Strengthened and expanded networks of Erasmus+ Alumni, Ambassadors, and Role Models.
Increased public awareness and participation in European civic engagement initiatives.
Greater synergy between Erasmus+ programs and other EU-funded initiatives.
Enhanced training opportunities to promote EU values and citizenship education.
A data-driven approach to measuring the impact of Erasmus+ on civic engagement.