EU Center at the Multicultural Night of Leal Elementary School

by Eylül Begüm Sağlam, PhD student in Political Science and a 2023-24 Research Assistant at the European Union Center

On November 14th, 2023 (from 6pm to 7:30pm), the EU Center participated in the Multicultural Night of Leal Elementary School. The Multicultural Night included many activities to familiarize students with different cultures in the world, from being introduced to different alphabets to meeting various traditions.

The event hosted many different Illinois Global Institute members, including but not limited to Center for African Studies, Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies. Every center had their own activity to contribute to the multicultural aspect of the event.

The EU Center was represented by the EU Center Research Assistant Eylul Begum Saglam. As a part of the Multicultural Night, the EU Center organized guessing the flag game, which included forty European countries (including the EU member states, EEA countries, candidate countries and potential candidates). Students chose a flag and tried to guess which country the respective flag belongs to. Regardless of their answer, all students who participated in the guessing game received symbolic travel stamps on their symbolic passports. 

EU Center at the Multicultural Night of Leal Elementary School

Read More

TED Global STEM Conference Brings Together Educators from 16 Countries, 18 U.S. States

by Rhett Oldham, Ed.D, moderator of the Transatlantic Educators Dialogue (TED) program

One of my favorite aspects of being the moderator of the Transatlantic Educators Dialogue (TED) program is how many talented educators I get to interact with during each cohort. Each teacher brings a growth mindset and incredible curiosity to the group, so it was no surprise when Sara Leisten brought up an idea that needed to be explored. Sara, a biology teacher from Connecticut and TED 2023 alum, noticed that most of the collaborations between American and European teachers revolved around social studies and language topics. So she suggested that TED create a platform for STEM educators to meet, discuss global collaboration possibilities, and bring in keynote speakers to provide in-depth analysis of topics in STEM. The TED Global STEM Conference was born!

On November 5, 2023, STEM educators from 16 countries and 18 U.S. states signed up to come together and discuss best practices in STEM education and ways to collaborate globally. The lineup of keynote speakers was simply outstanding:

• Thomas Leisten has worked as a mathematics teacher in Glastonbury, Connecticut for more than 15 years and is a 2023 state finalist for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching. Thomas is a doctoral candidate at the American College of Education, focusing on curriculum and instruction with a specialty in instructional leadership. His professional interests include developing authentic and engaging collaborative activities that challenge students to apply critical thinking skills in diverse and interdisciplinary situations
• Nuria Muñoz is a physics and chemistry teacher and the headmistress in a school in Algeciras, Cádiz, Spain. She is on the board of a STEM teacher association called DIVERCIENCIA that organizes an international science fair and many other STEM activities every school year. She is also on the board of a specialized group of didactics and history of physics and chemistry. She belongs to the Spanish Royal Society of Chemistry and serves as the Spanish ambassador for Science on Stage. 
  
  
• Marco Nicolini teaches mathematics and physics at Liceo Scientifico Statale "A.Tassoni" in Modena, Italy, and he teaches astronomy at the Planetario di Modena. He also works with Science on Stage, an organization in Europe focusing on forming collaborations between students in different countries.
• Dr. Michael Tissenbaum is an associate professor of curriculum and instruction and educational psychology at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He studies how digital games, simulations, and augmented and mobile technologies can transform physical spaces into immersive, engaging, and embodied learning environments. This work has shown how the interplay between physical space, technology, and data representations can provide learners with unique opportunities to set their own learning goals and collaborate with peers. These findings have had important implications for understanding open-ended exploratory collaboration. Mike uses this data to develop new forms of real-time support for both teachers and learners.
• Dr. Janice Gobert is a professor of learning sciences and educational psychology in the Graduate School of Education at Rutgers University. Her work focuses on developing technology for learning that makes use of AI, including data mining and eye tracking. She is an esteemed science education expert with over 25 years of experience who has executed over $25 million in federal research funding. She has spearheaded and oversees the research and development of Inq-ITS.

What made this conference so unique was the format. After the keynote speakers presented, conference attendees went to one of five breakout rooms led by the keynote speakers to participate in a deeper dive of the topics presented. That process was then repeated. During the final rotation, participants moved to a breakout room based on the ages of the students they teach for further discussion. 

Overall, the TED Global STEM Conference was a great time with outstanding collaboration from participants and keynote speakers alike. It would not have been possible without the hard work and vision of Sara Leisten and the global vision of the Transatlantic Educator Dialogue.

TED Global STEM Conference Brings Together Educators from 16 Countries, 18 U.S. States

Read More

U.S.-German Forum Future Agriculture Cohort Publishes Policy Recommendations on Climate Change and Arable Farming

By Neal Benjamin, PhD student studying ecology, evolution, and conservation biology at the University of Illinois and a graduate assistant working with the Aspen Institute Germany

The U.S.-German Forum Future Agriculture has completed the exchange of its first cohort, which focused on climate change and its impact on arable/row crop agriculture. The project which is coordinated by the Aspen Institute Germany in partnership with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign brought together 16 German and American farmers and other key stakeholders from Eastern Germany and the U.S. Midwest for a yearlong exchange which included virtual and in-person meetings. These regions in both countries are characterized by extensive row crop agriculture and face similar challenges related to climate change. 

To cap off the year, the group has developed extensive policy recommendations related to climate change and arable farming for both their respective countries as well as further transatlantic cooperation. The project was supported by the Transatlantic Program of the Federal Republic of Germany, funded by the European Recovery Program of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action.

These recommendations are a guide for improving climate resilience, mitigating climate change, and balancing sustainability and productivity in agriculture and rural regions generally. Their recommendations are divided into three main sections, each focusing on a different aspect of agriculture and climate change. The first section discusses the challenges that farmers face due to climate change and provides recommendations for improving climate resilience at the national and transatlantic levels. The second section focuses on how agriculture can be used to mitigate the effects of climate change and protect natural resources. The third section discusses the importance of balancing the social, economic, and environmental sustainability of agriculture and rural regions. 

These recommendations are a consensus of the group and reflect the diverse personal experiences, expertise, ideas, and opinions of each participant. This guide will serve as a valuable resource for anyone interested in improving climate resilience, mitigating climate change, and balancing sustainability in agriculture and rural regions. Moreover, it provides practical recommendations that can be implemented at the national and transatlantic levels to help farmers adapt to the challenges of climate change and protect natural resources.

The completion of the first cohort of the U.S.-German Forum Future Agriculture and the policy recommendations developed by the group are significant steps towards promoting sustainable agriculture and addressing the current and coming challenges of ongoing climate change. The project's success is a testament to the importance of international cooperation in addressing global challenges and shaping the future of agriculture, and it sets a positive precedent for future transatlantic collaborations in the field. We invite anyone interested in these important conversations to click here to view the policy recommendations in their entirety (approx. 20 minute read) and to share within your networks.

U.S.-German Forum Future Agriculture Cohort Publishes Policy Recommendations on Climate Change and Arable Farming

Read More

Ukraine’s Sacrifice Paves Way for EU Membership Negotiations

By Markian Dobczansky, Associate Director, European Union Center

“We have sacrificed a lot for this,” wrote Mustafa Nayyem, the Afghan-born Ukrainian journalist and politician, on November 8. On that day, the European Commission issued its 2023 Enlargement package, which recommended that the EU begin membership negotiations with Ukraine. In doing so, the EU’s executive agency recognized the country’s progress in implementing substantial reforms of its judicial institutions, curbing the influence of oligarchs, and investigating corruption.

Ukraine’s path toward the EU can be traced back to the Euromaidan protests. Nearly ten years ago, the Ukrainian government under Viktor Yanukovych backed out of signing an Association Agreement with the EU. In protest of this reversal, Nayyem wrote a Facebook post calling people onto Kyiv’s Independence Square. This touched off what came to be known as the Revolution of Dignity. Police violence took the lives of dozens of protesters before Yanukovych lost control of the situation and fled the country. Russia’s subsequent annexation of Crimea and the war in the Donbas indeed imposed a high cost on Ukraine.

In spite of that cost, the EU remained hesitant to offer Ukraine full membership after the revolution. It quickly signed an Association Agreement with the new government in March 2014, but it did not fundamentally revise its enlargement policy, leaving Ukraine without a membership perspective. The door to the EU remained closed.

Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022 changed the picture entirely. European publics and policymakers rallied around Ukraine. In June 2022, the European Council unanimously granted Ukraine and neighboring Moldova candidate status. Less than eighteen months later, the Commission now recommends that the Council begin membership negotiations with both countries.

Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, said, “Completing our Union is the call of history, the natural horizon of our Union.” The strong rhetoric is a rejoinder to Europeans suffering from enlargement fatigue. It is also a reminder of the Commission’s purpose of representing the interests of the EU as a whole and using its executive power to coordinate the policies of member-states. Its recommendation now moves the action to the Council, the institution in which member-state interests are most strongly represented. European unity is likely to be tested in negotiating Ukraine’s accession. Moreover, membership does not proceed along a pre-set schedule and much will depend on Ukraine’s continued reforms.

The Commission’s Enlargement package contains opinions about the membership prospects of other countries too, from Albania to Türkiye. Yet Ukraine stands out among them as a country fighting a war for its national survival while simultaneously pushing for membership in the EU. Along with liberating its territory still under occupation, Ukrainians see membership in the EU as a key war aim, one that gives meaning to their enormous sacrifices over the last ten years. Having committed itself to Ukraine so strongly, the stakes are also high for the EU.

Ukraine’s Sacrifice Paves Way for EU Membership Negotiations

Read More