National Histories in South-Eastern Europe and History of a United Europe

Project Partners:

YOUTH & STUDENT DEPARTMENT of the EUROLINK - House of Europe Foundation in Bucharest - ROMANIA, Member of the International Federation of Europe Houses (FIME)

Created in March 1997, it is aimd to assist the young generation in Romania in its ambition to build a modern Romania integrated in the European Union. In this respect, we support East-West youth mobility, consisting in youth exchange visits, workshops, study tours etc. aim at providing the experience of inter-cultural knowledge, discussions and working in multi-cultural groups.
Our activities are designed to bring young people together within formal and informal events, as a starting-point for mutual exchanges of ideas converting to a new challenge for the European Idea.

"ERASMUS" SOCIETY - Romanian Student Association of History Studies in Bucharest - ROMANIA, Member of International Students of History Association (ISHA)

The "ERASMUS Society" was founded in 1990 by students of the Faculty of History of the University of Bucharest with the aim to change the communist historiographical speech of approaching history. The founder’s intentions were to stimulate and promote original creations among the students, to organise seminars and communication sesions promoting the new ways of approaching history and to participate to national and international conferences.

YOUTH PROGRAMME of Peolple's Parliament Association in Leskovac, Serbia

The association was established in August 1999. It includes more than a hundred active members, mostly young professionals. Its aim is to contribute to the development of a free, open, civil society.

YOUTH COUNCIL in Prilep, Macedonia

It promotes co-operation with youth organizations and associations within the country and around the world. Its mission: "With active involvement of youth in democratic processes to the extensive development of civil society."

Project Leaders:

Sandu Zamfirescu - Project Co-ordinator
(EUROLINK - House of Europe, Bucharest-Romania)

Silviu Hariton - Project Co-ordinator
(ERASMUS Students Association, Bucharest-Romania)

Goran Mitrovic - Project Co-ordinator
(People's Parliament Association, Leskovac-Serbia)

General mission of the project:

The partner-organisations are to influence the consolidation of a new educational mentality and tools, concerning the studies and understanding of national History within the socio-humanistic faculties, especially stressing the role of national minorities, in accordance to the new European needs, standards, development trends and updated scientific/ intercultural perspectives to be implemented within the academic environment, in view of the general process of the EU and Euro-Atlantic accession.

Short description of the project:

This project focuses on three main following areas: the theoretical approach on teaching/learning national histories in South-Eastern European academic systems; the gradual integration of the History of European societies and European institutions within the new educational approach on the study and the use of historic concepts and information; the entire methodological transformation of the general educational approach in order to stimulate the intercultural exchanges and the cross-border co-operation in the region as a concrete way of involving the young humanistic elites in the reforming process and the acceleration of the accession of these countries to the European and pan-European partnership organisations.

The project is to establish a functional South Eastern European student and alumni network on long-term in the field of History Studies, dedicated to change the perspective on the contribution and history of minorities in the region, the introduction of the European principles, values and practices within the academic life and the dissemination process of national history. In this respect, we will be benefit from the large European exchange/dissemination networks, present in 30 European countries, including SEE countries as Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia where Romanian implementing organisations are members. Also, we will use the communication capabilities of our previous South-Eastern European partners, in order to faster act and establish a long-term partnership aimed to support the goals of the project-please see the attached support letters and short presentations.

The already created network will monitorise the implementation of the recommendations and principles of teaching History in SEEC within the academic systems and curricula; will deepen the exchange of information and know-how between students and alumni and will evaluate the quality of inter-confessional and inter-ethnic relations/improvements at the level of SEE societies, from the point of view of the new European requirements and standards, in the perspective of an enlarged European Union. In all these respects, we will benefit from the consulting support from our USA partner, Institute for Training and Development (Amherst, MA), Professor Florian Bieber, from Balkan List Network (Luxembourg), and Ms. Silvana Rachieru, Teaching Assistant, Faculty of History-University of Bucharest, CEP/CEU alumna.

Aims:

to promote a direct dialog between undergraduates/ post-graduate students and professors, in order to adapt the curricula of socio-humanistic faculties concerning the teaching/learning of the national History and of the History of Europe to the needed new intercultural, interdisciplinary and inter-confessional approach in South-Eastern Europe;
to organize a better permanent and unconventional dissemination of information related to the institutions and working practices of the European Union, and of the Council of Europe along students and alumni in socio-humanistic disciplines;
to establish a SEE student and alumni network aimed to promote the new innovative educational and advocacy tools for introducing the goals of the European Idea within the current perceptions and practices of regional young elites.

Target group:

undergraduates and post-graduate students in Social and Humanistic disciplines from all countries Members of the Stability Pact in SEE;
recent Alumni in the same disciplines able to maintain a close contact with their younger professors and colleagues in the period of preparation for their first teaching or research degree/examination tests.