Deakin University Education researchers are part of a global collaboration funded by the prestigious Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Staff Exchanges initiative under the EU Horizon program.
The Democratic Roles of Universities (DRU): Practicing Democratic Values in Science, Education, Civic Engagement and Governance project seeks to transform higher education institutions into active agents of democracy by encouraging reflection on democratic values and enhancing civic engagement and democratic governance within and beyond academia.
The consortium has received €1.59 million in funding and will run from January 2026 to December 2029 coordinated by the Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences of the University of Porto through its Centre for Research and Educational Intervention. The project aims to help universities better include democratic values, such as equality, freedom of speech and transparency, in their policies and practices. Staff exchanges are the backbone of the collaboration – fostering new ideas, progressing research and enhancing career growth.
Deakin researchers Distinguished Professor Jill Blackmore, Associate Professor Tebeje Molla and Associate Professor Cai Wilkinson represent the Australian node in this international effort. Professor Blackmore is in the Governance strand, Associate Professor Molla is involved in the Participatory Research and Citizen Science strand and Associate Professor Wilkinson will contribute to the Civic Engagement and Education in a Hospitable University strands. Professor Blackmore’s leadership and expertise in education policy, governance, and democratic engagement align closely with the project’s goals of embedding democratic values in higher education.
Deakin University is an Associate partner and will host staff from 15 European universities. European staff members (researchers, technical, administrative) are funded to temporarily relocate from their home institution to a partner organisation in another country. These exchanges can last from one month to one year, and may be split across multiple periods or institutions.
The project includes workshops, conferences, and networking events to foster knowledge exchange and test innovative approaches. Seconded staff are expected to disseminate acquired knowledge upon returning to their home institution, strengthening long-term collaboration.
The international consortium includes Aarhus University (Denmark), Budapest University of Economics and Business (Hungary), INCHER-Kassel (Germany), Université de Toulouse Jean Jaurès (France), Rhodes University (South Africa), Deakin University (Australia). Non-academic partners include the Erasmus Student Network (Belgium), EURODOC (Belgium), Environmental Social Science Research Group (Hungary). University of Porto (Portugal) coordinates the project.
Share