Developing General Education Modules
As a first step in the implementation of its agenda, EUniCult has developed sample general education modules that are being tested and evaluated by the universities participating in the network. The long-term goal is a coordinated, Europe-wide set of modules that can be integrated within the curricula of all degree programs.
Methodological Approaches
The institutions cooperating in the EUniCult Network have agreed on the following methodological approaches:
The Diversity of Sciences and Forms of Knowledge; Interdisciplinary Methodological Competence
Knowledge of the limits of scientific methods, their amenability to falsification, and interdisciplinarity is a necessary component of scientific thought that must be communicated parallel to the standards of the discipline. A cross-curricular module on the diversity of forms of knowledge serves this objective.
The History of Concepts and Metaphors; Issues of Translation
It is vital that the success of English as a lingua franca does not lead to the loss of Europe's linguistic diversity, with its 23 official languages, in academia and elsewhere. Likewise, the diversity of language games in science necessitates translation competence and an understanding of the complementary nature of the cultural and natural sciences, in particular.
Rationality and Logic in Historical Context
Europe's linguistic, cultural, and religious diversity must always be seen in the context of universal values and scientific thinking. This calls for knowledge of the development of rational thought from antiquity to the present, a sense for the demands and limits of rationality, and not least the practical and logical abilities of conceptual analysis, structured argumentation, and inductive and deductive reasoning. Such competencies are the precondition for self-discipline and mindfulness; they are part of the basic toolkit of any graduate, irrespective of the discipline.
Thematic Areas
In terms of thematic content, the network's activities address the following overarching areas:
• Texts from the European Tradition Before and After the Differentiation of the Value Spheres
• Interrelationships between the Natural Sciences and World Views
• The practical Relationship of Science and Technology to the Life World
• Arts and Religions as Media of Cultural Self-Understanding
