Peer Learning Activities and Resources to Underpin the Principles and Guidelines for Social Dimension

ended

Enhancing the social dimension of higher education is a central pillar of the Bologna Process since its inception, and was reconfirmed by the 2020 Rome Communiqué last year. The annexed Principles and Guidelines (PAGs) to Strengthen the Social Dimension of Higher Education in the EHEA expressly spell out the key principles for social dimension enhancement for the next decade. In this 3-year project, a consortium will organize four peer learning activities on these Principles and Guidelines to strengthen mutual learning and deepen the exchange of practices between EHEA countries in different implementation stages. Ministry representatives and higher education institution representatives will be supported to draw up national implementation/action points on how to overcome their specific challenges related to the PAGs. Based on the identified needs, the consortium will develop an interactive web application that will include resources which will allow higher education institutions and public authorities to reflect on their institutional/national approach on the different PAGs and to identify action points to facilitate the implementation of each PAG. In addition, to underpin principle 5, the consortium will develop a framework and guideline on how to implement a sustainable national and institutional strategy to enhance student mental health, and a scholarship portal that will collect counselling and guidance information on student financial aid available in the EHEA countries. All outcomes will be integrated on the platform inclusiveuniversities.eu and are directly implementable. The project is led by the Ministry of Education and Training Belgium/Flemish Community in collaboration with the Support Centre Inclusive Higher Education in Flanders, the Institute for the Development of Education in Zagreb, Croatia, the Ministry of Education, Science and Research of Croatia and the European Students Union.