EPICUR (European Partnership for an Innovative Campus Unifying Regions) is an alliance of eight European universities from Amsterdam (NL), Freiburg (DE), Mulhouse-Colmar (FR), Poznań (PL), Strasbourg (FR), Thessaloniki (GR), Vienna (AT) and Karlsruhe (DE), with the vision of creating a new European university through different interdisciplinary approaches such as multilingualism, strengthening of the region through cross-border internships.

EPICUR's goal is to create a space in which all students, doctoral candidates, and university staff can move freely and without boundaries to acquire a broad and interdisciplinary academic perspective. To fulfil this vision, the EPICUR partner universities receive a total of five million euros in funding from the European Commission until and including 2022.

Within EPICUR, ZAK as the central scientific institution at KIT is involved in two work packages:

• ZAK develops English-language and interdisciplinary courses offered within the framework of the EPICUR Liberal Arts & Sciences programme (LAS), in cooperation with its partner the University of Freiburg (Work package leader Innovative learning & teaching formats for European Citizens of the future).

• For the EPICUR Internship Exchange Programme, ZAK designed a new intercultural service-learning format that was offered exclusively online in the summer semester of 2021 and as a combination of online-based learning and teaching elements and social engagement at one of the EPICUR sites in the winter semester of 2021/22.

EPICUR Liberal Arts and Sciences at ZAK

The EPICUR Liberal Arts and Sciences program (LAS) aims to develop innovative and collaborative teaching-learning formats. The program consists of three so-called study tracks that focus on current global challenges:

1. Track Core
2. Natural and Societal Sustainability
3. European Identities

Since winter semester 2020/21, ZAK contributes to the EPICUR Liberal Arts and Sciences programme with various interdisciplinary English-language offerings. In summer semester 2024, the following seminars are also open to students of all EPICUR partner universities:

• Civil society and non-profit organizations in democratic societies, Dr. Alžbeta Brozmanová Gregorová
• European cinema, Dr. Igor Krstic

Learn more about the EPICUR Liberal Arts and Sciences Programme and Study Tracks and how to register for courses here.

You can find the entire EPICUR study programme here.

"En route!" - Become a Global Citizen through Cross-border Service-Learning: Cross-border Civic Engagement with a New Intercultural Service-Learning Format

ZAK has the task of developing an innovative and intercultural service-learning offer for the EPICUR Internship Exchange Programme. "En route!" - Become a Global Citizen through Cross-border Service-Learning" was offered for the first time to students from all partner universities in the summer semester of 2021. This course is based on a new digital teaching-learning format and aims to promote cross-border civic engagement. The first course run took place exclusively online due to pandemic-related restrictions. In the second round in the winter semester 2021/22, it was possible for students to get socially involved in civil society organisations at one of the EPICUR locations. The accompanying seminar is conducted online which gives all participants from the different regions of the network the opportunity to meet and share their experiences.

Information about the EPICUR Internship Exchange Programme and how to apply here.

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