Symposium 2026
The OHTE General Report shows that only a few member states make explicit reference to the European dimension in their history curriculum, even though this approach is considered to be one of the most important among teachers surveyed across OHTE member states.
A series of history symposia organised in each OHTE member state aim at reviewing an sharing experiences and best practices at national level on how the European dimension is evoked and treated in national curricula - on the basis of the data provided by the OHTE.
These events - called "History Symposia – National Reflections, European Dimension" - consist in roundtables, debates and workshops organised by teacher associations, universities, or educational authorities throughout 2025 and the first semester of 2026. The conclusions of all history symposia organised across OHTE member states will be presented at the European Symposium in Athens.
"The European dimension in national systems"
Athens - 19 June 2026
Building on these national exchanges, the Athens Symposium "The European dimension in national systems" will provide a unique opportunity to take a step back and reflect collectively on the place of Europe in history education. It 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.
Beyond curricular considerations, the question of a European dimension in history teaching raises fundamental historiographical and philosophical issues. It touches upon the longstanding tension between history and memory, between national narratives and attempts to construct broader, shared frameworks of interpretation. It also invites reflection on the very possibility of writing and teaching a “European history” without reducing the plurality of experiences, perspectives and temporalities that characterise the continent.
These questions take on particular significance in the current context, marked by renewed geopolitical tensions, the resurgence of identity-based narratives and the increasing instrumentalisation of the past in public discourse. In such a landscape, the way Europe is taught, and the narratives that are privileged or marginalized, can directly shape how individuals understand belonging, difference and democratic coexistence.
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
List of national events
| Country | Organiser |
About |
Date | |
 |
Armenia | Institute of History of National Academy of Sciences |
The event gathered nearly thirty history teachers from different regions of the Republic of Armenia: Lori, Shirak, Tavush, Aragatsotn, Gegharkunik, as well as various schools in Yerevan. The program of the Summer School included lectures on the main issues of teaching topics of all periods of Armenian history, which were carried out by both researchers of the Institute of History of the NAS of the Republic of Armenia, as well as specialists from scientific research institutes of the Republic of Armenia (Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute) and universities (Armenian State Pedagogical University, American University of Armenia). |
September 2025 |
 |
Cyprus |
History Curriculum Group, Department of Secondary Education, Cyprus Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth |
The discussion will help form a picture of the place occupied by the European dimension within secondary education in Cyprus and will also reflect upon what the European institutions might do in future to further knowledge and awareness of this subject among secondary school students. |
February 2026 |
 |
Ireland | History Teachers Association of Ireland (HTAI) |
Online event gathering history teachers across the entire country. Discussions will be centred on the place of the European Dimension in the Irish curricula. The European dimension is explicitly stated in three of the learning outcomes on the Junior cycle - sharing practice on how teachers address them and generating new ideas for pedagogy are some of the main aims of the meeting. |
February 2026 |
 |
Montenegro | Bureau for Education Services |
Round table on European dimension in history curricula will bring together history teachers of primary and secondary schools, policymakers and historians to discuss current history curricula for primary and secondary schools, with focus on curricula for vocational schools where this dimension is not very well presented. |
October 2025 |
 |
Slovak Republic | National Institute of Education and Youth The Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth of the Slovak Republic Representation of the European Commission in Slovakia |
|
May 2026 |
 |
Slovenia | National Education Institute of Slovenia |
Comparaison between the project "European dimension on History Teaching 2003-2006" and today's situation |
April 2026 |
 |
Ukraine | Centre for the Study of European History at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv; Centre for the Study of European History at Hryhorii Skovoroda University in Pereiaslav |
National consultations on the European dimension with the following aims:
|
March-April 2026 |
|
Ukraine | Mariupol State University |
Roundtable dedicated to International Historians' Day |
March 2026 |
