At CEU, research and teaching go hand in hand, in line with the commitment to the free exchange of ideas as the key to the development of new knowledge. As such, the CEU Democracy Institute is envisioned as a research hub that also enriches teaching programs through curriculum development, exchange, fellowships, supervision of doctoral students as well as teaching.
For example, the lead researcher of the Rule of Law working group will serve as a visiting professor at the CEU Department of Legal Studies in Vienna. This will be replicated with resident researchers at the Institute offering courses in various departments at CEU Vienna. CEU DI courses and seminars created in collaboration of units within the CIVICA-OSUN network.
In terms of curriculum innovation, the Institute plans to develop alternative teaching programs within the universities of the CIVICA and OSUN networks. Together with the CEU Summer University, which has provided summer study and professional development courses for academics and practitioners in Budapest for almost 25 years, the Institute will conduct two- to three-week advanced seminars for teachers from the OSUN network on issues linked to democracy.
In collaboration with the Center for Liberal Arts and Sciences Pedagogy and the Center for Civic Engagement, both based at long time CEU partner Bard College, the Institute plans to develop a curriculum that teaches the skills public intellectuals need such as writing of blogs and op-eds, preparing interviews, and organizing public debates.
Building on CEU’s success in winning competitive research grants, the Institute also plans to design and produce online course modules to train early career researchers in developing research projects and applying for research grants.