U!REKA debates: a virtual forum for reflection and exchange

13 Dec 2022 13:49 | Communication

U!REKA Debates is an interdisciplinary study module designed to provide a virtual forum for reflection on relevant social, cultural and scientific issues. Multicultural teams share and develop 21st century skills, while addressing urgent topics such as inclusion and diversity.

Experts from the U!REKA partnership active in the field of ‘internationalisation at home’ have developed an interdisciplinary online learning experience in the form of ‘debates’ and project work. The module is open to students from any discipline and successful participants are awarded 5 ECTS credits if they complete this course.

These students are actively seeking to expand their view on the world and sharpen their critical attitude. They have the opportunity to gain insights that surpass their area of expertise and thus be better prepared for the globalised professional world and international labour market.

Specific learning objectives include:

  • Reflect on current relevant themes (society, culture and science)
  • Prove academic writing skills
  • Obtain an attitude of lifelong learning
  • Improve English communication skills
  • Work in an international team on an assignment
  • Overcome cultural differences to connect with each other
  • Use/choose appropriate digital tools to create effective interactions

In the first edition (2021/2022), students and staff from Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences and HOGENT University of Applied Sciences and Arts pioneered the project. Based on this successful pilot the collaboration has been extended to include more partners. This semester, organisers are pleased to announce that over 50 students are participating from Frankfurt, Ghent and Lisbon. The module started on 19.10.2022 and will run until 22.02.2023.

If you are part of the network and would like to join this initiative, or you are interested in setting up a similar collaborative online module and are looking for partners, please contact your representative on the U!REKA Working Group Internationalisation at Home for more information.

About U!REKA

The Urban Research and Education Knowledge Alliance (U!REKA) is a consortium of seven European universities of applied sciences. We collaborate in education and research activities to educate, shape and empower the European professionals of tomorrow.

U!REKA partners:

  • Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands)
  • Edinburgh Napier University (United Kingdom)
  • HOGENT University of Applied Sciences and Arts (Belgium)
  • Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences (Germany)
  • Metropolia University of Applied Sciences (Finland)
  • VSB – Technical University of Ostrava (Czech Republic)
  • Politécnico de Lisboa (Portugal)

www.ureka.eu