From 11 to 15 May 2026, students from the VIKO Faculty of Pedagogy, together with lecturer Aušra Simoniukštytė, participated in a blended intensive program (BIP) organized by the Faculty of Pedagogy and Educational Sciences of the Catholic University of Valencia (UCV), dedicated to the development of intercultural and democratic competencies in higher education, with a particular focus on the training of future teachers and social educators.
The program was attended by 26 students and faculty members from Spain, Greece, Lithuania, and Germany. During lectures and seminars, students were encouraged to analyze the challenges posed by social polarization to education, while seeking solutions by fostering intercultural dialogue, reflecting on the benefits of democracy, and committing to European values. One of the main focuses of the BIP was critical thinking and the students’ ability to address sensitive topics such as religious and cultural diversity in Europe with respect and through dialogue. Through various activities aimed at preventing antisemitism, Islamophobia, and discrimination against Roma, students were encouraged to discuss the role of education in combating hate speech, discrimination, and other forms of social exclusion, to reflect on their social and ethical responsibilities as future teachers, and on their role in creating a more socially just society. VIKO lecturer Aušra Simoniukštytė led a seminar for BIP students titled “Intercultural Dialogue in Schools: Awareness & Action.”
The BIPo program also included a visit to the historically multicultural city of Toledo, where students explored Toledo’s historical heritage as an example of interreligious and intercultural coexistence. This activity prompted reflection on historical models of coexistence that remain still relevant in the current European context.
The BIP received considerable attention at the Catholic University of Valencia universitete (Todas las noticias | UCV). Together with fellow faculty members, it was decided to transform the BIP program into an ongoing project, implementing the BIP “Developing Intercultural and Democratic Competencies in Higher Education” in a different partner country each year.
