Projects addressing issues such as migration, journalism training and global warming have become recipients of 2019 Global Education Ideas Awards from the Global Education Network Europe.
Announced at a roundtable in Malta, the winners – chosen from 68 applications – were The Climate Living Lab from Artevelde University of Applied Sciences in Belgium, One World Citizen by E-Graine in France, and the HN Global Academy – Global Education for Journalists with Journalists, Hospodárske Noviny in Slovakia.
“The recognition of GENE fills us with pride and gives us additional legitimacy”
“GENE believes that opportunities to change in new, non-traditional and innovative ways need to be supported, applauded and recognised,” said the network in a report on the awards.
“Most global education funds encourage highlighting results rather than innovation and leave little or no space for reflecting on failure. Yet, research shows that policymakers and others can learn invaluable lessons from failure, as it often results in new breakthroughs and in creative thought based on new thinking.”
A network of national ministries and agencies across Europe, GENE was launched in 2001. It brings together 40 policy-developing bodies from 25 countries and provides funding for global education projects, as well as engaging in research and supporting its members through training, briefings and policy guidance.
“The recognition of GENE fills us with pride and gives us additional legitimacy to bring together national and international actors around our programme,” said Nathalie Porte, national coordinator of the One World Citizen Program.
“The objective of this programme is to deconstruct the prejudices that we can all have towards migration, migrants and our relationship to migration.”
Winners of the awards receive grants of up to €10,000 to support their projects.
“At Artevelde University of Applied Sciences the Climate Living Lab wants to create an environment where students can thrive to develop solutions for global warming,” Elena Lievens, lecturer in international business management and coach at ClimateFactory, told The PIE News.
“With the support of GENE we want to explore innovative educational practices and new ways of interdisciplinary collaboration, hoping that the concrete results of the Climate Living Lab will offer solutions to the glocal climate challenge all of us are facing.”