Action KA 107 - International Credit Mobility
Scientific-cultural collaboration between the University of Florence (Department of Earth Sciences) and Ilia State University of Tblisi (Georgia)
Scientific-cultural collaboration between the University of Florence (Department of Earth Sciences) and Hebrew University Tel Aviv (Israel)
Action KA 2 - Strategic partnerships
ReHeEd (Reframing Heritage Education) is an international educational and scientific project funded by the Erasmus + Programme (Action K-A2, Strategic Partnerships) of the European Union and implemented by seven partner universities in Egypt such as France, Italy and Greece. The project aims to reformulate heritage education in Egypt, within the framework of governmental strategic plans and national priorities. Moreover, the project fits well with the great emphasis the country now places on heritage conservation after the negative effects of the revolutionary period on Egypt's cultural heritage.
Cultural heritage is a shared asset that tells the story of people and is a fundamental aspect of the affirmation of cultural identities. The preservation and transmission of this heritage is a milestone in any sustainable development policy, and can only be achieved when the local populations, to whom the heritage belongs, become aware of its values, take pride in it and establish a sense of belonging to it. It is in view of this that heritage education is growing to be more and more prominent in both the educational and heritage contexts all over the world. Since the two aspects of heritage, conservation on the one hand and heritage education on the other, seem to be mutually beneficial, international organisations such as UNESCO promote not only the protection of cultural heritage but also its use to enrich the learning processes of people in general and young people in particular. Therefore, it is of great importance to support schools and universities to effectively integrate heritage education into their curriculum and to improve the skills of teachers and professors responsible for its teaching. Apart from any fundamental objectives concerning the conservation and communication of heritage, or the knowledge to be gained from the study of individual examples, effective heritage education can help build people's identity; it can empower them academically, socially and politically; it can help them express themselves culturally and acquire a sense of initiative and entrepreneurship, contribute to their understanding and appreciation of the past; and promote critical thinking about the world around them. Heritage as such is not just a goal, but rather a tool for personal development that can help improve the attainment of lifelong learning competences of people in general and of young people in schools and universities in particular.
Upgrading heritage education in the educational system in Egypt is now more urgent than ever. It is not just a matter of academic interest. Indeed, the downturn in tourism revenues in the aftermath of the Arab Spring in 2011 makes it imperative to capitalise on 'heritage' and cultural tourism, a growing genre for which Egypt is well qualified.
Project webisite: https://re-heed.edu.eg/
Egyptian partners:
- Helwan University (HU)
- Alexandria University (AU)
- Ain shams University (ASU)
- Damanhour University (DMHR)
- Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities (MoA)
European partners
- Université Paris 1 PanthéonSorbonne (UP1)
- Democritus University of Thrace (DUTH)
- University of Florence (UNIFI)
Last update
08.11.2021