[mooc] Mental borders, physical borders and the shaping of modern European identity and citizenship #imoox #unigraz

Another interesting MOOC started last week at the platform iMooX.at called “Mental borders, physical borders and the shaping of modern European identity and citizenship“:

Since the early descriptions in the Greek chronicles, the foundational myths of Europe as a cultural and civilizational entity have been reshaped throughout medieval, modern, colonial and contemporary history. The mental borders framing European-ness inform discourses around typical European and non-European cultures, which have deeply influenced the socio-politics of inclusion and exclusion within and across European countries. This has led to advances in policies and attitudes that promote and value cultural diversity, but also to the recent resurgence in populist, far-right activity documented in many countries across Europe and beyond.
Consequently, the MOOC explores the advantages of asserting and defending hegemonic cultural notions of European identity from different geographical perspectives. In doing so, it seeks to inform contemporary debate on diversity and contribute to developing inclusive European identities which are truly open to the world.
The course is made up of four units, each of which has been designed to provide a multidisciplinary approach to the topic. Over four weeks, you will be introduced to the challenge of narrating Europe from different angles; you will learn more about the concepts of citizenship in relation to identity and border and about the complex idea of a “humanitarian border”. You will also approach, from the perspective of international relations, the role of the European Union as a global player.

The registration as well as the participation is completly free: [Link to registration for the free online-course]

[mooc] The European Neighbourhood Policy and Cross-Border Cooperation #imoox

We are happy to announce that today a new MOOC is starting titled “The European Neighbourhood Policy and Cross-Border Cooperation“:

The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) has increased the reach and clout of the EU beyond its borders into the immediate vicinity. Yet, the EU vs. non-EU discrepancies at the economic and political level are still very much visible in the eastern borderlands of the EU which comprise areas of land under the jurisdiction of both the EU and the Eastern Partnership (EaP) states. Thus, in line with the 2015 ENP Review and the subsequent 2016 Global Strategy for the EU’s Foreign and Security Policy (EUGS), which both emphasised the urgent need for reconsideration of the EU’s neighbourhood and external instruments, the role of borderland regions has also been seen as prominent for enhancing cooperation between Eastern European EU and non-EU members and for strengthening regional stability and security.
This course addresses all students interested to enhance their knowledge in issues ranging from the EU’s actorness, the ENP and the EaP to cross-border cooperation.
This MOOC aims at equipping students, young professionals, civil society representatives,
public servants, etc. with basic knowledge and practical experience in the (geo)political, economic and social processes occurring in European Union (EU)’s eastern neighbourhood. 

As usual the participation is completly free, so just register and have fun with this online course.

[Join free course on “The European Neighbourhood Policy and Cross-Border Cooperation”]

[publication] Open Educational Resources on the Road to the Best Case Scenario – Guidelines for Centres for Academic Instruction

Togehter with Sebastian and Sandra I wrote a short vision paper for Open Educational Resources in Hihger Education for the year 2030. Our contribution was submitted to the Joint Research Centre of the European Comission. We would love to her your opinion 🙂 .
Vision:

Worst and best case scenarios in the year 2030 are the two antipodes for the future development of open educational resources (OER) in higher education (HE). As additional (realistic) vision we develop guidelines for centres for academic instruction, aiming at a systematic implementation and distribution of OER related to HE.

Here you can find the full publication [Link]
Reference: Ebner, M.; Kelle, S.; Schön, S. (2013) Open Educational Resources on the Road to the Best Case Scenario – Guidelines for Centres for Academic Instruction. in: Open Education 2030 / Higher Education. p.94-99