EXPANDING LEARNING MOBILITY – THE ECOVALENCE 'NODES'
ECOvalence utilises innovative means of hybrid teaching to bring its novel agenda to the reach of a diverse international body of students, policy-makers and the public at large, including those that do not have an easy access to such offers. Because both environmental and economic issues are highly transnational, the theme is very relevant across borders, both within the EU and outside it. Furthermore, the means of governing the environment-economy nexus are largely origin-neutral. The knowledge and skills in addressing the legal and policy challenges and opportunities are relevant to all EU countries as implicated by the European Green Deal strategy. Moreover, the global leadership role of the EU in both areas of policy means that governing them – and in particular their interactions – is also highly relevant to other countries that collaborate with the EU. By understanding and approaching these issues together, and effectively, trust and collaboration can be built in the countries’ international relations.
Besides the hybrid format in teaching, ECOvalence has created an innovative mode, thorugh which the teaching experience is offered to specific, locally hosted ”educational nodes” in Africa (University of the Gambia) and Asia (the Philippines, Ateneo di Manila; and Japan, Utsunomiya University).