“HEIsCITI – HEIs as Innovative Triggers of Sustainable Development in European Cities in Post Covid-19 era”, Nr.KA220-HED-96EB51E1

Project No. KA220-HED-96EB51E1              
Project title: „HEIsCITI  – HEIs as Innovative Triggers of Sustainable Development in European Cities in Post Covid-19 era”
Project duration: from 2022-12-01 to 2025-11-30
Project manager: Gražina Čiuladienė

Summary: HEIsCITI project focus on creating universal curricula (methodology and teaching tools) for all types of university courses to teach students the best ways to animate and coordinate communication between citizens and local authorities for inclusive and sustainable urban development in the post Covid -19 era. Communication between local authorities and citizens should be carried out in different fields (environment, inclusiveness, economics, education, technical aspects, infrastructure, social support, etc.). Sustainable urban development is based on good communication between local authorities and citizens and on common values for both actors. Citizen involvement and participation in city development activities is crucial for inclusive and sustainable city development. Citizens need to know that their point of view matters to local authorities, and city authorities should not only consult their decisions with citizens, but also ask them what needs to be changed, improved and, above all, how to do it. Citizens experience the city on a daily basis, so they know best what and how to improve to make the city more open, inclusive and environmentally friendly. Currently, there are no proper tools for this kind of cooperation and local government employees do not have the skills needed for fruitful civic engagement. On the other hand, we have to remember that not all citizen’s ideas are brilliant and will bring positive results for the city, social integration or the environment. Especially in long therm distance.

Therefore, the HEIsCITI project will equip students (from different specialities) with the skills to animate citizen-local authority communication based on inclusive civic engagement with a focus on sustainable development based on environmentally friendly solutions. Through participation in this course, students will become more aware of the need for civic engagement and become responsible citizens, but also acquire knowledge and skills in animating citizen-local authority relations in sustainable urban development. Universities can be a link between the needs of citizens and the objectives of local authorities, a triggers for innovation to bring together the expectations of citizens and authorities by finding common values.

The participatory approach is well known across Europe, but the HEIsCITI project wants to go one step further and prepare a universal, interdisciplinary training suitable for all types of students, from pedagogy to medicine, from technical sciences to art and design, from biotechnology to social sciences. Students of all types of specialisations will learn how to understand the needs of citizens and how to meet the objectives of local authorities in creating sustainable and inclusive solutions for urban development. This approach is really needed now, in the post-covid era, when people have started to be more aware and interested in the world around them, the Earth, well-being and other people.

The project is funded by the Erasmus+ KA2-Cooperation Partnerships programme.