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The Embassy at Work

Exploring Europe and Ourselves:
Geographies and Identities at Work

February 1, 2008


The key note speakers at the seminar discussed the way that young people learn about Europe, in geography class and beyond.
The key note speakers at the seminar discussed the way
that young people learn about Europe, in geography class
and beyond.

Are “Western Europe,” “Central Europe,” and “Eastern Europe” simply geographic terms or do they represent certain cultural, political, or religious frameworks? Is it possible that two communities that live on the same island see themselves as living in different continents? Do both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots view themselves (and each other) as European? How is Europe defined?

 

The Department of Education Sciences of the European University Cyprus and the POST Research Institute, with funding from USAID’s UNDP-ACT project, held a two-day seminar that addressed these questions and more, while focusing on the role that geography plays in the formation of a European “identity.”

 

The key note speakers at the seminar discussed the way that young people learn about Europe, in geography class and beyond. To some Cypriots, being “European” means belonging to something bigger or having a collective identity. Others define European as belonging to the EU. However, to some, Europe remains simply a geographical term.

 

One speaker presented the audience, which included geography teachers from both of the island’s communities, with a “Geography Toolkit,” and emphasized the importance of spatial learning for young European citizens. The speaker challenged geography educators to establish a reflective, enquiry-based approach to teaching geography, because of the significant role it plays in developing a European dimension and an understanding of place. Another speaker focused on the role that maps play in education and in defining Europe, both from within as well as from a global perspective. A bicommunal team of researchers presented the findings of their comparative analysis of maps and other geography curricula used on both sides of the island, including a detailed look at the differences in the two sides’ geography textbooks.

 

The second day of the seminar involved the participants in three workshop sessions: “Using the internet to enhance learning and teaching of geography,” “Children’s geography as a starting point for school linking,” and “Trying to see what maps of Europe don’t say. What do they miss?”

One speaker presented the audience, which included geography teachers from both of the island’s communities, with a “Geography Toolkit,” and emphasized the importance of spatial learning for young European citizens
The key note speakers at the seminar discussed the way that young people learn about Europe, in geography class and beyond
The second day of the seminar involved the participants in three workshop sessions: “Using the internet to enhance learning and teaching of geography,” “Children’s geography as a starting point for school linking,” and “Trying to see what maps of Europe don’t say.
The second day of the seminar involved the participants in three workshop sessions: “Using the internet to enhance learning and teaching of geography,” “Children’s geography as a starting point for school linking,” and “Trying to see what maps of Europe don’t say.