PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The Project of a Project-Based Learning Module – Current Issues in Urban Cultural Development has the objective to link higher education with labour market needs by broadening portfolio of courses. These courses will provide a chance to apply knowledge acquired in classroom to solving real problems of the community surrounding the university by working with interdisciplinary teams of students. The US experience shows that this type of courses has a twofold positive impact: On the one hand, they increase employability of university graduates by providing them with a chance applying theoretical knowledge in real life, while at the same time, learning how to work with people from other disciplines in order to find the most efficient solution. Simultaneously, they involve universities in the development of the community, which surrounds them, thus improve their service to society. As a result, increased involvement of universities in the society further induces the development of a democratic society and active citizenship.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

Main objective of the project is the piloting and implementation of the project-based learning module in the field of urban cultural development that has been developed within doctoral studies at Central European University (CEU) and supervised by Joanna Renc-Roe from Curriculuum Resoure Center (CEU). The module will enable linking higher education with labour market needs and thus contribute to improvement of higher education in Slovakia at postgraduate level.

Second objective is the provision of applied education to students of higher education in Bratislava by means of project learning focused on real life problems and needs of local cultural organizations. They will work in interdisciplinary teams (coming form the areas of for example visual arts, management of culture, public policy,marketing) and they will cooperate with the community partners in implementing the projects. By this type of learning  students will acquire professional working skills and competences (team skills, project management, reporting, presenting) as an advantage when entering labour market.

Third objective is provision of project-based learning focused on real world problems of local cultural community realized out of school in the environment of cultural organizations (community-based learning). Students will propose projects to solve existing problems of Bratislava cultural organizations and thus in cooperation with local cultural community contribute both to the cultural developemnt of the city-region and citizenship capacity building.

• Link Higher Education with Labour Market Needs

• Real-World Problems Solving

• Academia-Community Partnerships

• Active Citizenship

• Urban Cultural Development