GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION
CULTURE OF DIVERSITY AND PEACE
The beginning of the 21st century is marked by profound societal changes as well as rapid social change. The complexity of the world has increased exponentially, and political, economic and sociocultural developments can at present only be analyzed and understood in a global context.
The context of a globalized world also makes demands on pedagogical thought and action and requires a new understanding of education that goes beyond the teaching of factual knowledge. The educational concept of global citizenship education, which is meant consideration transdisciplinary approach across all areas of teaching, centers on an increasing growth of complexity and development towards a global society. The core purpose of contemporary education is to enable (young) individuals to understand these complex developments and to reflect critically on them.
In response to these new challenges, this UNESCO Chair establishes an education hub, where civic education, global learning, intercultural learning, education for sustainable development and the culture of diversity and peace merge into the integrative concept of global citizenship education. It is this very combination that constitutes the new and unique feature of this project.
On this web page you can find information on all the events, research, and education happening in relation to the UNESCO Chair Global Citizenship Education – Culture of Diversity and Peace at the University of Klagenfurt.
Links
News
Elisabeth Rinne
Activities at the UNESCO Chair
International Migration Conference 2021
17 to 18 June 2021, University of Klagenfurt
Workshop on Global Citizenship Education
20 October 2020, University of Klagenfurt
International Migration Conference 2020
18 to 19 June 2020, Olten, Switzerland
Education
“Global Citizenship Education, as education for a form of global learning and thinking, as a form of learning for the world society, as a way of constructing and shaping a new understanding of social responsibility and participation, is an adventure. The idea behind this, namely that global viewpoints and strategies of action have become indispensable for the big and small questions of our lives, our coexistence, our interaction with our “Homeland Earth” (Morin/Kern 1999), poses a challenge on many levels to that which is known and familiar.” (Hans Karl Peterlini)
Education for Global Citizenship
Continuing education programme “Global Citizenship Education (MA)
The university course (ULG) “Global Citizenship Education” is a unique initiative for the social strengthening, school and extracurricular dissemination and scientific deepening of the idea of global citizenship. The course is a “train the trainer” program, offering theory-based continuing education in global citizenship education.
Scope 120 ECTS
Planned duration of studies 6 Semesters
The Programme
English brochure || German brochure
Global Citizenship Education Info Brochures
Further Activities
Education for Diversity and Peace
Master’s degree programme “Diversity education in school and society”
In this master’s programme (in German), students extend their knowledge of pedagogy and educational science by focusing on various aspects of diversity in a globalized and pluralistic society. Issues, such as age, (dis)ability, ethnicity, gender, sex, migration, language, culture, and socio-economic status are not dealt with in isolation but rather in their interconnected nature so as to raise awareness of the social inequality connected to them.
Scope 120 ECTS
Planned duration of studies 4 semesters
Extension programme Intercultural/transcultural competences
Students learn how to deal with diversity and difference and can put these competences to creative use when it comes to addressing their own professional and practical needs. Students are able to link theoretical knowledge about diversity with cultural practices and inter-/transcultural processes and can reflect thereon.
Scope: 32 ECTS credits
Planned duration of studies: 2 semesters
Extension curricula Transdisciplinary peace studies
It is possible for students of this EC to have diverse access to theory and practical application in the following areas: war and peace, violence and non-violence, culture and conflict, civil conflict resolution and mediation, culture of remembrance and the politics of memory, migration and diversity, human rights education, peace education and citizenship, intercultural learning and global citizenship education. Beyond this, current international conflicts and their relationship to regional and local developments will be studied.
Scope 32 ECTS
Planned duration of studies 2 semesters
Video Impressions from Teachers and Students
Global Campus online
The “Global Campus Online” (GloCo) is an international teaching-learning hub for students, researchers, professionals, and stakeholders from different world regions, who are dedicated to tackling the pressing issues of the 21st century. At the core of the project are regular network meetings, during which the network members discuss the global crises and challenges and their implications for global and transformative education from a broad professional and also from a personal perspective. The network consists of participants from different countries in the global south and the global north, who bring together their unique perspectives, professional backgrounds and experiences in the discussion of local perspectives on global problems and transdisciplinary, transnational solution approaches. The network members are also encouraged to create local initiatives and projects in relation to the discussed topics. Implemented projects that meet the criteria will be recognized and financially supported by the GEPARD-Award.
Overall, the Global Campus Online aims to foster a mutual learning process and exchange between its participants, who then in turn serve as multipliers in their respective communities. The project also inspires and supports the development of different learning opportunities and formats for transformative learning and Global Citizenship Education, best practice examples and local initiatives as well as related scientific contributions and publications.
Transform4School
“Peace and prosperity for all on a healthy planet” is the United Nations’ vision with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To achieve this turnaround, the UN regards education as a central field of action. At the same time, UNESCO states drily that the current conception of schools is simply inadequate to reach these goals.
This insight is the starting point for the project “Transformation through Participation: Model Schools for Democracy Learning and Peace Building” (Transform4School). Ultimately, decades of efforts of teachers and trainers in all fields of education have led to sobering findings. This is most of all due to the dilemma that educational goals cannot be realized through mediation alone, but also require the learners’ self-activity, and are thus open-ended by default. This is why transform4School builds on an understanding of learning as experience. Schools cannot simply „teach the correct values“ but can be organized in a way that allows students to make their own experiences in democracy and alternative forms of acting, and to learn from them. The project explores the possibilities of transformative learning in selected schools.
Global Citizenship Education (GCED) aims to empower learners of all ages to assume active roles, both locally and globally, in building more peaceful, tolerant, inclusive and secure societies.
Research
On the following page you can find a selection of literature and other publications that have been created throughout the project. Additionally you will also find links to further research and projects that are connected to the work done at the UNESCO chair.
International Migration Conference 2021
«Border Thinking»
In respect to migration very different forms of borders and border-making develop their impact. In the dynamic process, social, political, and cultural factors and contextual situations become visible, within which societal and social structures and specific social practices are manifest.
In the context of these practices, very individual and diverse forms of dealing with migration – and also with borders – arise and crystallize. The conference seeks to investigate these aspects, inter alia with reference to the debates on decolonizing, utilizing the method of border thinking, a critical thinking about borders anchored in epistemic disobedience. In this connection, the dominance of Western thinking regarding universality – which shapes and pervades Western modernity – will be countered and contrasted with concepts grounded on pluriversality.
Team
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Hans Karl Peterlini
HansKarl [dot] Peterlini [at] aau [dot] at
Hans Karl Peterlini (Dr.) is Professor of General Pedogy and Intercultural Education at Klagenfurt University in Austria. His research focuses on ethnic and linguistic diversity in nation-state contexts, personal and social learning in schools and society, and inclusive processes in migrant societies. Since 2020 holder of the UNESCO Chair “Global Citizenship Education – Culture of Diversity and Peace”.
Dr. Jasmin Donlic MA, BA, BSc
Jasmin [dot] Donlic [at] aau [dot] at
Jasmin Donlic (Dr.) is a postdoctoral assistant at the Department of General Education and Diversity Conscious Education at the Institute of Educational Science and Educational Research at Klagenfurt University (Austria). His research focuses on inter- and transcultural education in the context of migration and inclusion, multilingualism in schools, and adolescent identity formation in regional transnational spaces.
Johanna Elisabeth Rinne, B.Sc., MA
johanna [dot] rinne [at] aau [dot] at
Johanna Elisabeth Rinne is a teacher and a graduate of the renowned Master’s program “Global Citizenship Education” at the AAU Klagenfurt. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in environmental science and has experience working in different pedagogical contexts and institutions.
As a project associate, she supports the UNESCO Chair in various tasks of research, communication and outreach, and, together with her colleague Christiane Faymann, facilitates the Chair’s “Global Campus Online”
Christiane Faymann, BA
christiane.faymann.aau.at
Christiane Faymann has a diploma in theatre pedagogic and is currently finishing a bachelor’s degree in educational science at the university in Klagenfurt. Her interest lies on transformative learning and especially arts-based approaches in education.
With her colleague Elisabeth Rinne she is organising and hosting the dialogue-group-meetings of the global campus online project.
Tom Tuček, B.A., BSc, MA
tom.tucek.aau.at
Univ.-Ass. Daniela Lehner, M.Sc.
Daniela [dot] Lehner [at] aau [dot] at
Daniela Lehner (MSc) is a doctoral assistant at the Centre for Peace Research and Peace Education at Klagenfurt University in Austria. Her research focuses on transformative learning processes, peace education and pedagogies of care. She is especially interested in embodied, affective and arts-based approaches in education and peace education.
Network Austria
Partners & supporters
UNESCO Chairs in Austria
The UNITWIN/UNESCO-Professorship Programme was launched in 1992 to integrate the interests of UNESCO into universities. Its purpose is to support the research, education and development of universities by establishing university networks and cross-university cooperations. Today, 700 institutions worldwide are part of the programme. In Austria there are currently nine UNESCO-Professorships and in Carinthia there is also a second UNESCO Chair at the FH Kärnten.
Further information by UNESCO and UNITWIN can be found here:
UNESCO approach to Global Citizenship Education
- Holistic approach: Addresses the content and results of learning, pedagogy and learning environments in formal, non-formal and informal environments
- Transformative: enables learners to transform themselves and society
- Value-based: Supports universal values such as non-discrimination, equality, respect and dialog
- Part of a larger engagement to support quality and relevance in education
