EDIC+ module: Multicultural/Intercultural Education
Faculty of Philosophy
School of Philosophy and Education
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Module content
Intercultural Education has been an issue of importance in Greek education since the 1990s, when Greece became a reception country for immigrants and when educational policy and research started focusing more on minority education as a whole. After the emergence of the economic crisis in 2009, as well as the dynamic appearance of an extreme-right extremist group in the political scene, it became evident that the very idea of intercultural education had to be reconsidered and linked to Education for Democratic Intercultural Citizenship in order to help fighting xenophobia, racism, chauvinism and euro-skepticism. The challenges presented to Greece and Europe by the recent refugee crisis, along with the necessity to uphold education viewed as a basic human right, to provide refugee children with equal educational opportunities and to develop inclusive schools and societies, also highlight the importance of linking Intercultural Education to Human Rights and Citizenship Education.
The course will shed light on the above mentioned issues following an interdisciplinary and comparative approach. Master students will understand the importance of the inclusion of the values of democracy, human rights and intercultural understanding in the education policy and practice, identify main challenges and problems besetting the education of children with an immigrant or minority background and they will familiarize themselves with effective interventions and policies that enable minority students to enjoy equal opportunities and to benefit from positive educational outcomes. Special emphasis will be placed on the relationship between multiculturalism and democracy, different concepts and practices of citizenship education, the rights of immigrants and refugees, human rights and education, the status and the education of minorities in Greece, the current refugee crisis and its impact upon children, the main aims and practices in Intercultural Education, as well as Intercultural Education in Greece.
Apart from the lectures, students will also have the opportunity to take part in field visits and activities, such as a visit to Diavata refugee camp and the Jewish Museum of Thessaloniki (they will also go on the ‘Jewish walk’ in the city). The course will also draw on the expertise and the resources of the Research Centre for Intercultural Education (KEDE) of the School of Philosophy and Education, the UNESCO Chair on Education for Human Rights, Democracy and Peace of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the Hellenic Observatory for Intercultural Education.
Programme
The course will take place in March / June 2020 and will include lectures from members of the faculty of the School of Philosophy and Education as well as from other specialists from Aristotle University and the University of Macedonia.
The course is open to Master and PhD students of the School of Philosophy and Education and other postgraduate students from Schools specialising in various aspects of pedagogy, students of the EDIC+ Universities, as well as all interested incoming Erasmus Master students who are spending a semester in Thessaloniki. It will create a platform for young educators and researchers from different European countries, who will be able to gain international academic experience, work together and learn from each other in a joint effort to take full cognizance of the essentials of an educational change, so that the aim of ‘education for all’ can be realized.
Students are expected to actively participate in the teaching activities and field visits and to write a 2500 word essay on a specific topic/research question, in which they will take into account the relevant bibliography. Proper completion of this module will be rewarded with 7,5 ECTS.
More information about studying at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki:
https://www.auth.gr/en/international
More information about studying at the School of Philosophy and Education:
Contact
For more information, please contact:
Anastasia Kesidou, Assistant Professor of Comparative and Intercultural Education
Filimon Peonidis, Professor of Moral and Political Philosophy
