Europos viešoji erdvė: politika, komunikacija, diskursas / European Public Sphere: Politics, Communication, Discourse

In an era marked by overlapping crises – spanning health, environmental, economic, and geopolitical domains – alongside rapid technological advances, societal values are experiencing unprecedented strain. Prolonged instability, driven by successive crises and profound social shifts, is reshaping citizens’ values, with significant implications for social cohesion and coexistence. In response, this Action aims to establish an interdisciplinary network to advance research on value orientations during periods of crisis and social transformation. The Action will investigate how external disruptions interact with internal social dynamics to reshape values across Europe. Key objectives include: a) analyzing the multifaceted impact of societal crises on citizens’ values, b) contextualizing the role of generational shifts, c) exploring regional and cultural variations, d) identifying cross-cutting themes in value transformation, and e) examining how technological advancements influence these shifts. By applying an interdisciplinary approach and integrating diverse perspectives from both within and beyond academia, the Action will offer a comprehensive understanding of the factors driving value change. This collaborative effort will enhance our understanding of how societies navigate rapid social transformations and external pressures, particularly their effects on citizens’ value systems. Through the creation, transfer, and dissemination of knowledge, the VISTA Action seeks to establish a robust foundation for sustained research on value changes and the critical forces shaping the evolution of social structures and collective behavior.

In the last decade, an upsurge of new nationalisms and geopolitical shifts have amplified Eurosceptic opposition and challenged the values of integration at the root of the European integration project. These transformations in the political world in which universities operate exert a growing pressure on the openness of higher education and research and are affecting academic freedom, open science, institutional autonomy, and international engagement, including mobility opportunities. The University finds itself entangled in contrasting visions of Europe: between one of deeper political integration and openness and visions where European nation-states (re) gain power as the locust of political sovereignty or where protectionism, regionalism, and security politics challenge open exchange with communities outside the EU.

Projekto tikslas - stiprinti Vytauto Didžiojo universiteto tarptautinį konkurencingumą plėtojant Europos universiteto Transform4Europe tinklo veiklas, kuriant naujas tarptautines programas, ugdant studentų, dėstytojų ir administracijos darbuotojų kompetencijas bei sukuriant atviras ir inovatyvias aljanso veikloms skirtas antreprenerystės erdves, efektyvinant Universiteto informacines sistemas bei diegiant virtualias paslaugas. Transform4Europe aljanso antreprenerystės erdvės sukūrimas leis kokybiškai įrengti ir pritaikyti erdves studentų, dėstytojų, mokslininkų poreikiams, sėkmingai įgyvendinti Transform4Europe aljanso veiklas, rengti seminarus ir mokymus, kviestis užsienio studentus, dėstytojus, tyrėjus ir kitus specialistus bei stiprinti aljanso universitetų partnerystę organizuojant susitikimus atnaujintose, bendravimui ir bendrakūrai tinkančiose erdvėse. taip stiprinant ir viešinant Transform4Europe veiklas ir skatinant aljanso matomumą ir bendruomenės narių susidomėjimą bei įsitraukimą.