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INSTILLING THE CULTURE OF DIALOGUE IN HIGHER EDUCATION

INSTILLING THE CULTURE OF DIALOGUE IN HIGHER EDUCATION. IAU Conference on Intercultural Dialogue, Louaize, November 4 – 6, 2009 Sjur Bergan, Council of Europe. INTERCULTURAL DIALOGUE.

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INSTILLING THE CULTURE OF DIALOGUE IN HIGHER EDUCATION

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  1. INSTILLING THE CULTURE OF DIALOGUE IN HIGHER EDUCATION IAU Conference on Intercultural Dialogue, Louaize, November 4 – 6, 2009 Sjur Bergan, Council of Europe

  2. INTERCULTURAL DIALOGUE • Open and respectful exchange of views between individuals, groups with different ethnic, cultural, religious and linguistic backgrounds and heritage on the basis of mutual understanding and respect. • (Council of Europe White Paper Living together as Equals in Dignity (2008))

  3. FRAMES OF MIND • “Dark Ages”… • “Dark Continent”… • History of the Americas beginning in 1492… • “stranger” = “strange”… • … or cultural enrichment through learning opportunities • …recognition of cultural diversity as an intrinsic value?

  4. HIGHER EDUCATION • International in origin • Ideas assessed on their intrinsic merit • Progress made by challenging received ideas • Hence particularly fluent in intercultural dialogue?

  5. WHY HIGHER EDUCATION? • Preparation for the labor market • Preparation for democratic citizenship • Personal development • Development and maintenance of a broad, advanced knowledge base

  6. KNOWLEDGE ONLY? • .. or rather: • Knowledge • Understanding • Ability to act • Attitudes? • Higher education helping develop better human beings (liberal education)? • Education more than the sums of one’s knowledge • Universities more than the sum of their individual academic disciplines.

  7. A PRACTICE OF DIALOGUE • On campus • Learning, and not only teaching • Across disciplines • Make foreign faculty and staff a part of the academic community • Beyond campus • In the local community • Raising awareness in broader society • Higher education as a voice for values

  8. HIGHER EDUCATION COMPETENCES • Subject specific and generic • Ability to look at an issue from various angles • Being aware of sensitivities and pitfalls • Recognize the inherent dignity of others • Understanding ≠ accepting everything • Foreign language = different perspective • We are good at training subject specialists • Are we also good at educating intellectuals?

  9. COMPETENCES FOR DIALOGUE • Not automatic: need to be acquired and maintained • Knowledge and understanding of other cultures and languages – not only for specialists • Multiperspectivity • Understand what one does not know • Education: that which discloses to the wise and disguises from the foolish their lack of understanding (Ambrose Bierce: Devil’s Dictionary)

  10. WHAT KIND OF EDUCATION? • The answer to the question “what kind of education do we need?” is to be found in the answer to another question: “what kind of society do we want?” (Eugenio Tironi: El sueño chileno (2005))

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