The project contributes to fulfilling: Promote everyday integration
Sub programme: Øresund
Lead Partner: Lunds Universitet, Enheten för Öresunds- och nätverksprojekt
Partners: Københavns Universitet: Institut for Nordiske Studier og Sprogvidenskab. Lunds Universitet: Språk- och Litteraturcentrum
Project Period: 01 October 2012 - 31 December 2014
Total Budget: 982 466 EUR
EU Grant: 491 233 EUR
Project Coordinator: Finn Hauberg Mortensen
E-mail: finn@hum.ku.dk
Phone: +45 35328317
As a result of European political integration, the commitment for Nordic cooperation has weakened in our time. As a consequence of the global dominance of English language, skills in the neighbor languages as well as understanding of the common cultural heritage of Scandinavia have diminished. Increasing national self-interest in the Nordic countries has enhanced these obstacles to motivate systematic cooperation across the borders. The prime means to overcome these cultural barriers are access to knowledge among the citizens of the region, by ways of promoting education, research and information in neighbor language and culture. In a region of double national and linguistic identities, nothing means more to promote everyday integration across the borders than education, knowledge and information supporting profound experience of the adjacent neighbor culture.
The development of shared structures for education and research in Scandinavian Studies has been the main goal for Centre for Scandinavian Studies since it's start in 2010. By now the organization has acquired the necessary competence and capacity to provide the Öresund region with education, research and information in neighbor language and culture on a broad scale.
The main activities to bring forth local internationalization are the following:
1) To improve communication and integration between Danes and Swedes in the region. Education in Neighbor Language and Culture will be implemented as courses given on both sides of Öresund, Swedish for Danes and Danish for Swedes, on campus and online, in the teacher program and as open courses.
2) In order to stimulate interdisciplinary and cross-national research projects with high relevance for the educational, cultural, industrial and political life of the region, a permanent Interregional Research Service for Scandinavian and Öresund Studies will be established
3) Information and marketing of these courses and research services will be distributed by a likewise permanent unit of Humanist Information Service, which will also be responsible for the publication of reports and articles, as well as for the arrangement of public seminars, concerning the local internationalization of the region.
The strong potential of these activities to support learning, cognitive change and understanding of the neighbor language and culture, will strengthen a common identity in the region.
