The Central and Eastern Europe and Middle East Hub held a series of four virtual meetings last November and December devoted to service-learning and its relationship to theology, psychology, sustainable development and economics.
At each meeting, experts in the thematic fields addressed shared information on the projects being implemented or planned and engaged in dialogue with other professionals who also provided valuable insights.
The webinar « Service-Learning and Theology: Mission of the Catholic Universities » explored the relationship between service-learning and theology, pastoral care and implementation in different real-life contexts. Speakers were Brother Alejandro González, Bethlehem University (Palestine); Simone Birkel, Eichstätt-Ingolstadt University (KU); Yuliia Vintoniv, Ukrainian Catholic University; and Maria Rosa Tapia, Coordinator of Uniservitate.
The second webinar provided an extensive overview of service-learning in the context of psychology in different educational settings and highlighted its potential to enhance student learning, address community needs and promote social responsibility. Participants included Edina Malkic representing MIOS from Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Iryna Semkiv and Tetiana Zavada from the Ukrainian Catholic University and Mariusz Wolonciej from The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin (KUL).
The third webinar, on the integration of service-learning with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in educational institutions, focused on initiatives and practices aimed at promoting sustainability and community engagement; challenges were identified and strategies were proposed to overcome them and foster a culture of sustainability and social responsibility. Jimi Caldea from De La Salle University in the Philippines spoke and Ann-Kathrin Bremer and Patrizia Hartmann, both from KU, participated.
The last webinar, addressed to the world of economics and business administration, emphasised the transformative potential of service-learning in this field and the importance of collaboration and reflection to drive social innovation. The need for a change of mindset among students and teachers was underlined, highlighting the importance of listening to partners’ experiences and adapting to local contexts. Participants included Sophia Opatska from the Ukrainian Catholic University, André Habisch from KU and Marcus Kreikebaum (EBS University of Business and Law).
The organisers shared after the webinars that they sought to create a safe space for colleagues involved in service-learning projects so that they could align their methods with their fields of study.