Peace, justice, and inclusion begin in the classroom. Through IMPACCT, universities across Europe are creating new opportunities for international, intercultural, and interreligious learning—now in close collaboration with EUPeace.
Since 2019, IMPACCT has been exploring a topic that is strongly related to peace, justice, and inclusion: interreligious dialogue. In a consortium with partners from Austria, Sweden, Spain, and Türkiye, the project focuses on how religious education, especially in primary schools, can benefit from international, intercultural, and interreligious approaches. Physical exchange and joint teaching are integral components of the project.
Since 2025, Comillas – along with EUPeace partner Çukurova University – is an IMPACCT partner as well. This enables the creation of synergies on various levels like teaching, research, and institutional partnership in general.
Strengthening international teacher education
The recent visit was all about strengthening the collaboration between the partner universities in IMPACCT and in EUPeace to further promote the internationalisation of teacher education. From an administrative point of view, further and broader opportunities for teacher education students within IMPACCT and EUPeace have been discussed, in form of internships and short term mobilities for thesis work. Additionally, ideas for future projects such as a BIP with a focus on AI in didactics as well as an elaborated cooperation between the institutes of theology were fruitful outcomes that remain to be continued.
Research and teaching synergies with EUPeace and IMPACCT
With the IMPACCT focus on intercultural and interreligious education, students from Comillas joined workshops and lectures by the IMPACCT experts. Prof. Dr. Ansgar Kreutzer (JLU, Catholic Theology) shared insights into the role of theology in the public space and its influence on democratic processes interlinked with the theory of group-focused enmity. A great example of how synergies within the projects can lead to societal transfer to further promote the values of our university alliance and the IMPACCT project. A Bridge Dialogue might be a possible follow-up to this contribution. Dr. Annika Brück-Hübner (JLU, Childhood and School Pedagogy) gave a workshop on shaping perspectives and how our ‘lense’ narrows, defines and integrates our world. Prof. Dr. Anja Seifert (JLU, Childhood and School Pedagogy) shared in her lecture moments of transition in school systems in comparison and how to deal with heterogeneity in the classroom. They will also share their expertise in an upcoming IMPACCT lectures series and a BIP in collaboration with Comillas.
Joint Teaching Activities
We cordially invite all EUPeace members and interested parties to participate in our joint online lecture series Being Human – Remaining Human: International Perspectives on ‘Bildung’, Peace, Justice, and Inclusion which starts on 12 October, 2:00 pm (CEST). An accompanying seminar is part of VEEP and the European Track.
In June 2027, JLU will host a Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) called Discovering Diverse Perspectives – Dealing with Differences. Intercultural and Interreligious Learning through Research-based Exploration. Students from EUPeace partner universities are welcome to attend. The BIP will be included in the European Track.
