The Together project (2019-1-PT01-KA203-060772) has been funded with support from the European Commission. This web site reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

The Together project (2019-1-PT01-KA203-060772) has been funded with support from the European Commission. This web site reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

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Refugees Initiative

Integrating Cultural Diversity in Higher Education - HE4u2

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INSTITUTION RESPONSIBLE FOR THE INITIATIVE

European University Continuing Education Network - EUCEN

COUNTRY

Spain

CITY

Barcelona

Address

Balmes, 132-134
08008 Barcelona – Spain
Telephone:+34 935.421.825

WEB SITE OF THE INITIATIVE


TYPOLOGY

- Intercultural competences activities for staff
- Social Events
- University policies on access to higher education

TARGET GROUPS

- University staff (academic and administrative)

DESCRIPTION AND METHODOLOGIES

Summary

There is a clear need for training teachers working with migrant students, to reform the delivery of support for these learners, integrating at the same time an intercultural dimension for all learners. HE4u2 has developed an approach to the intercultural dimension of existing curricula, a generic CPD courses for staff, and a set of policy recommendations focusing on the curricula and the teachers of adults in HE, who often provide access for disadvantaged groups, are student-centred, have specialised support and are linked to regional agencies.
Higher Education teachers are too often lacking in adequate intercultural skills that would enable them to understand and address the needs of learners with migrant backgrounds and to mobilise the experience of these students for the benefit of all students. HE4u2 will offer teachers involved in the development of new curricula and in the design of new courses access to a Continuing Professional Development course which will equip them with skills to create and authentic intercultural space, offer appropriate mentoring and support specific learners in their individual and group needs.
Aims:
1-Meta-analysis of best practices from relevant research and tools across Europe and survey of current learners from diverse backgrounds to obtain their views
2-Description of innovative pedagogic interventions in 21 different curricula and elaboration of a set of guidelines for developing such curricula
3-Generic CPD course incorporating the possibility to offer ECTS, for HE staff
4- Policy recommendations for HEIs and national and European policy makers

First objective:
To integrate an innovative approach in the existing curricula of up to 21 different disciplines at different HE levels
Second objective:
To create a set of guidelines for HE teachers and support staff across the system in English, French and German
Third objective:
To design a Continuing Professional Development course for HE staff in English, French and German
Fourth objective:
To write a set of Recommendations to impact on national and European education policy agendas in English, French and German

Activities:

Online, 15 March 2018, 15:00 CET | This activity was open to university staff working with students with cultural diverse background. The objective was to present the first draft of the policy paper and to discuss its content with the participants.

Brussels, 26 April 2018, 09:00 CET | This event was organised with the collaboration of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and opened to key stakeholders from Europe. The objective was to present the revised draft policy paper to the participants and to discuss the findings, the recommendations made and the way of using it at national and also at European levels. Presentations: Intro Françoise de Viron – Presentation Dana Samson – Presentation Waed Al Kuteifan – Presentation Katharina Resch – Presentation Amandine Bernal

Final Learning Symposium
Barcelona, 15 November 2018 | This event was opened to the general public, with special emphasis on teachers and administrators of HEIs. The event allowed participants to learn about the project and its outcomes.

Transnational meeting 1
Barcelona, January 2016 | This closed event for partners allowed the consortium to meet for first time and to preliminarily decide on key issues of the project. All the work scheduled during the project was discussed, tasks were allocated and deadlines agreed. This was the starting point for the group to start to work.

Transnational meeting 2
Porto, Autumn 2016 | This closed event for partners will allow the consortium to share their national experience and to discuss the criteria for the Guidelines for HE staff that have to be prepared under work package ‘Curriculum Development’. The consortium will have the chance to discuss the parameters for the national face-to-face workshops to be done.

Transnational meeting 3
Thessalonica, Summer 2017 | This closed event for the consortium will allow partners to share their national experience and to discuss how to standardise the final products of the work package ‘Course Development’ in order to make the course transferable to other countries and settings. This meeting will also allow partners to set up the parameters for the work package ‘Policy Dimension’.

RESULTS AND IMPACT

Results/Outputs of the project:
1-Transversal Analysis of the desk research carried out
2-Repository of best practices and useful literature sources
3-Analysis of the data collected from migrant and ethnic minority students
4-Interventions in 21 curricula in different disciplines and at diverse HE levels that integrate intercultural support
5-Set of Guidelines for HE staff giving guidance to migrant and ethnic minorities
6-Generic Course for HE staff working with migrant and ethnic minorities

Strengths:
1-Partners and stakeholders finally validated in Spring 2018, the document: Policy Recommendations: 10 ways to increase the impact of diversity policies in Higher Education (EN, FR, DE).
This work results into the production of a set of policy recommendations to impact on the national and European policy agenda.
Recommendations:
Promoting the integration of cultural diversity into HE
1.Celebrate human diversity
2.Commit to active diversity management
Integrating cultural diversity into HE
3.Promote open access to and success in HE
4. Integrate diversity into curricula
5. Train diversity skills (pedagogical approaches)
6. Collaborate to solve intercultural questions
Sustainability for integration of cultural diversity into HE
7. Ensure sustainability
8. Embed diversity in strategy papers and quality plans
9.Provide incentives and (financial) resources
10.Monitor the impact of diversity policy

2-The project ended with its final dissemination symposium in Barcelona, 15 November 2018, a multicultural activity that brought together students, alumni, practitioners, researchers, managerial leaders of HE and representatives of NGOs.

3- 37 cases of best practice collected;
4- 82 pieces of literature available.

Challenges:
The project has had 3 transnational events in which different levels of members of staff of 7 different EU countries have participated.
This project has given the opportunity to participants to share different views and different problems, discuss how to face these situations and learn from each other.
Its innovative approach of integrating inclusive pedagogy into existing curricula can mediate obstacles for learners from migrant backgrounds and value their contribution to the intercultural dimension for all learners. The guidelines and the generic CPD course for HE staff pin-points the key issues to be improved.