Mosaic of cultures was this year’s main theme of the 29th EAIE’s annual Higher Educational Conference and Exhibition that was held in Seville between 12th and 15th September 2017 in Seville, Spain. Education Malta joined the 6000 participants that attended from 95 countries. Seville’s colourful tiled walls were chosen as a metaphorical theme to represent the diverse, multilingual, multi ethnic and multinational facets of Europe. Europe’s distinct communities stand out from one other like individual tiles with distinguishable borders between them. These particularities make up the regions and societies presenting a picture of greater cohesion if not total unity.
The conference theme ‘A mosaic of cultures’ aligns with the colourful and diverse examples of tiled artwork adorning the city. The idea of the world as a mosaic of cultures unquestionably resonates for the European Association for international education (EAIE) that is grounded in a belief that effective international engagement through higher education can bring about positive and transformative change. On the other hand the fragility of mosaics reflects the political environments and social economic moments within which we must live and work.
The 29th Annual EAIE Conference encouraged the assembly of opportunities, bringing together a multitude of cultures through reflexive discussion about past experiences and the current challenges in view of the build up of a better future.
More information about EAIE and the event may be found on https://www.eaie.org/seville.html