Throughout 2025 and the first half of 2026, our partners from teacher associations, universities and education authorities organiseda national events under the title "History Symposia – National Reflections, European Dimension", bringing together participants for a series of roundtables, debates and workshops. Building on their conclusions, the Athens Symposium "The European dimension in national systems" taking place on 19 June will provide a unique opportunity to take a step back and reflect collectively on the place of Europe in history education.

The event will explore how Europe is understood both as a historical subject and as a pedagogical framework, questioning the ways in which it is defined, taught and experienced across different contexts.

The keynote speech "What history for Europe?" by by Birte WASSENBERG, Professor of Modern History, Sciences Po Strasbourg, will explore how Europe can be understood as a historical subject, at the crossroads of shared experiences and diverse national trajectories. It will reflect on the history of European integration alongside broader developments across the continent, and how these narratives interact. It will also consider how history teaching can approach Europe not as a fixed story, but as a complex and evolving construction, inviting reflection on its meaning and relevance today.

Against this backdrop, the Symposium will also consider the role of history teaching in fostering critical engagement with the past, encouraging multiperspectivity and strengthening democratic resilience. By bringing together policymakers, researchers and practitioners, it will aim to identify pathways for articulating national and European dimensions in a way that is both intellectually rigorous and pedagogically meaningful, contributing to a more connected and nuanced understanding of Europe’s past and present.
 

  Agenda in English / French / Greek

  Online participation - Registration