The National Institute for Scientific Research on Labour and Social Protection (INCSMPS) as a partner in the self-Learn project, a project co-funded by the European Union, is preparing for its finalization. Working together with partners from European countries such as Spain, France, Italy, Slovakia, Finland and beyond, the project coordinator being from Turkey, they have developed a digital learning tool, available both on the website and on the smartphone.

Therefore, the project has produced a freely available Android and iOS app that will help interested users to improve their literacy, numeracy and digital skills in a very flexible way. The self-Learn app is designed and created with a multicultural partnership to ensure its transparency and authenticity with the support of the European Commission through Erasmus+.

Self-Learn’s mobile accessibility is a game-changer for adult learners, especially those juggling work, family or other commitments that prevent them from attending traditional classes. By putting learning directly in their hands, Self-Learn tools allow adults to engage at their own pace and at their own convenience, removing many of the traditional barriers to education. Starting with a diagnostic test, learners can identify their current skill level and follow personalized learning pathways designed to meet their specific needs. This process not only addresses individual learners, but also allows educators to better understand their challenges and strengths, enabling more targeted teaching approaches.

In addition, Self-Learn incorporates family involvement, a feature that is often neglected in adult education. Self-Learn provides resources for family members to support the learner, fostering a more inclusive learning environment that extends beyond the individual and promotes a culture of lifelong learning at home.

The project’s impact extends beyond individual adult learners. By equipping them with essential skills, it contributes to wider societal goals, including reducing unemployment, increasing social inclusion, and boosting economic productivity.

In addition, the Self-Learn project has the potential for scalability. Although it currently focuses on low-skilled adults, the platform’s flexible design means that it can be adapted for a wide range of educational contexts, including young adults, migrants and people re-entering the labour market. This flexibility makes it a valuable resource for future projects in adult education, enabling educators to guide learners on their journey towards acquiring essential skills, helping them to thrive in an evolving, technology-driven world.

The polarization of society is a “very dangerous” element, “a weapon used intentionally” by both foreign and domestic actors to try to destabilize, warned Erika Staël von Holstein, co-founder and CEO of Re-Imagine Europe (RIE), in an interview for CaleaEuropeană.ro at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

“We live in extremely polarized times and this is very dangerous. One of Europe’s great mantras is the power of diversity. A difference of opinion can make us stronger. But once you create a very polarized society, you are not able to move in any direction. People who try to weaken Europe or who try to weaken democracies know this very well, so it’s also a weapon used intentionally by both foreign and domestic actors trying to destabilize. The cycle of mistrust is a problem because it focuses on our emotions,” she said.

She recalled that there are real challenges for Europe today as 45% of households in Europe are struggling to make ends meet and 20% of Europe’s population is below the poverty line.

“Instead of trying to find solutions together, these emotions are driving us apart. The one thing we see when we talk to European citizens, whatever their political perspective, is that they are not happy with the status quo. However, polarization makes it impossible to move forward, which is why it is such a dangerous element. It is a very well known fact that actors who try to destabilize intentionally support both sides of the polarized debate,” explained Erika Staël von Holstein.

Referring to the current electoral situation in Romania, Erika warned that when people feel that their values and worldview are threatened, they become “very defensive” .

“We should understand why such a large percentage of the population feels that they are not listened to. I think this is a very important point to keep in mind and it’s what we always try to present at Re-Imagine Europe. We are a non-partisan think tank, so we work with different perspectives. Diversity is a strength for democracy. People use the same words, but they can mean different things. Words like freedom can mean different things to different people. If we could unite, we could perhaps create something that works for everyone in our society”, she added.

Asked about digital tools and how they influence democracy, Erika warned that digital technologies have completely changed the world, saying that one of the areas where digital tools are being misused by people is when they use them to convince other people that their vision, whatever it is, is the right one.

“The arrival of digital technology has completely changed the world. This is a focus of the work we do at Re-Imagine Europe and I could talk for hours. One of the things I think is so important on this topic is that digital tools can be used for both good and bad. Unfortunately, what we see today is that digital tools can change and shape the whole power structure of information, and information is the most important part of any society. However, what we have seen happening is that because of algorithms and other things, they are not always utilized in the way we would like. And that’s where I think we have the wrong concept of the information ecosystem, because we still think of it as a way to deliver messages,” Erika Staël von Holstein emphasized.

She expressed confidence that things can change and that we can end up using these digital tools to “strengthen our societies”.

“Right now, obviously, we’re going in a different direction. If we manage to make this shift in mindset, we could use all this negative energy that now divides us, as a way to find the new narrative we need to solve the real problems facing European citizens across the continent. If we can be shaken up and understand that some people live in a very different reality, if we are brave enough and have the courage to admit that maybe something is not working perfectly and that we could improve some ideas, I think that would be the biggest strength and the biggest opportunity to be able to strengthen ourselves”, she continued.

Erika Staël von Holstein also pointed out that trust in institutions is declining all over the world, not just in Europe.

“People are very engaged in public debates. Maybe not always in the way we would like or hope. There is a lot of criticism and a lot of anger, but it can also be used in a positive way. And it is up to us to see whether this is just a threat or also an opportunity. It’s a matter of choice,” she added.

At the end of the interview, Erika said that Re-Imagine Europe is working a lot to try to find different ways to communicate, both in terms of how we are depolarizing society, but also looking at the cycle of distrust, and why we are seeing this growing polarization not only in Europe but around the world. She added that Re-Imagine Europe also tackles issues such as democracy and misinformation, agriculture, climate change and polarization, taxation and the economy.

“We work very concretely with European institutions, national governments, think tanks, NGOs. The world is becoming more and more uncertain, we are witnessing growing inequality, constant climate disruption, an increasingly uncertain geopolitical situation. These different perspectives can make us stronger. They can help us see things that we may not. Despite everything that is happening in the world, what I find very interesting at the moment is that Europe is listening. Europe needs to come up with new ideas, better ideas on how to do things, and people are very open to say how we can do this in a different way. And this is very encouraging, because in the next 5-10 years the world is going to change a lot and this is our chance to say what we want, not just to complain. It’s very easy to complain about what we don’t like, but we have to say, what we want and come up with real alternatives and a real desire to change the system for the better and not just to destroy what we have built with a lot of hard work. We must have the courage to try to think differently. So, if we could admit that we need to see the world differently, then we could do something amazing. And that is what I hope we can do as a European society to re-imagine Europe”, concluded Erika Staël von Holstein.

Erika Staël von Holstein is the co-founder and executive director of the organization Re-Imagine Europa (RIE). With two decades of experience in bridging science, society, and politics, she focuses on societal transformation and the impact of narratives in shaping our world.

Erika serves as an advisor to numerous national and European organizations and is a member of the International Advisory Board on Artificial Intelligence for the Spanish government. She also participates in various European expert committees, including working groups on EU science diplomacy.

As an expert in depolarization and the role of narratives, Erika has developed numerous analyses and methodologies to better understand these phenomena and propose practical solutions. In 2023, under her leadership, Re-Imagine Europa launched the first European Narrative Observatory (NODES.eu), directed scientifically by Professor Andrzej Nowak.

Previously, Erika was part of the committee supporting Luc Van den Brande, the special advisor to President Jean-Claude Juncker, for the report “Outreach towards Citizen.” She was also the chair of the Advisory Board for REIsearch and, between 2010 and 2015, served as the executive director of Atomium – the European Institute for Science, Media, and Democracy, addressing topics such as science in society, responsible research and innovation, digital science, evidence-based policymaking, and citizen engagement.

Erika has published numerous reports and articles on these subjects and is a frequent speaker and moderator at European conferences and events. She co-hosts the Reimagine TALKS podcast series, launched in collaboration with leading European media outlets in six different languages, challenging how we think about humanity’s fundamental issues.

By László Borbély, state counselor, coordinator of the Department of Sustainable Development*

We have had the pleasure to finalize a new commitment we have made to strengthen Romania’s position as a regional hub in the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda. The recent launch of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Romania is an essential initiative not only for affirming national progress externally, but also for accelerating the transition towards sustainability through the opportunities for collaboration that this new network opens up.

What is the Sustainable Development Solutions Network

Founded in 2012 under the auspices of the UN by Ban Ki-Moon and renowned economist Jeffrey Sachs, SDSN has taken on a role to mobilize the academic and research communities to support the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement on climate change. Through SDSN, universities, think-tanks and scientific organizations around the world are connected to develop concrete solutions based on research and innovation. Now Romania is joining this vital global effort.

Jeffrey Sachs, President of SDSN, at the opening of the launch event, praised Romania’s progress under the 2030 Agenda, emphasizing that SDSN Romania can make a valuable contribution to the transition to a sustainable future, both at national level and in the Black Sea region. Having the opportunity of a direct link with one of the most influential global personalities in the field of sustainable development gives us countless possibilities and helps us to further assert ourselves as a key state in this United Nations endeavor.

One of the most recognized efforts of the SDSN is the annual publication of a dashboard reflecting the progress made by 167 countries in achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Romania ranks 40th in this year ranking. Although significant progress has been made, especially in eradicating absolute poverty and reducing inequality, there is substantial potential for improvement. The launch of the SDSN Romania responds to this need to accelerate national efforts by involving key actors in education, research and public policy.

How SDSN Romania will work

I will be part of the leadership of this new structure, together with Nicolae Istudor, rector of ASE, and Eden Mamut, board member of SDSN Black Sea. Together they will guide the efforts to mobilize and support the scientific community in Romania towards an interdisciplinary collaboration to promote sustainable development approaches at all levels.

A key priority of SDSN Romania will be to promote collaboration between universities and research centers in order to create an enabling environment for the development of science-based solutions. To this end, the network will support education for sustainability, access to free courses and resources, and interdisciplinary research projects. The network will also play an important role in supporting the science-policy dialogue, providing expertise to decision-makers and helping to better integrate sustainability principles into government programs.

In this process of realization of the national network, the Academy of Economic Studies Bucharest has taken the initiative and has already organized several meetings with potential members to jointly develop a working mode and basic principles that will guide the work. The Romanian Government’s Department of Sustainable Development has been the supporting partner from the central public administration and will continue to play a central role in the effective functioning of the network. Also, by setting up the Center of Excellence in Sustainable Development and considerably increasing the network of sustainable development experts (from 150 to 2000), the Department will provide the necessary infrastructure to facilitate the transfer of scientific knowledge in the public policy process.

For Romania, SDSN also means access to a “select club” of nations concerned about the future of the planet. As I have already emphasized, it is a privilege for Romania to become a regional hub of sustainability. It is therefore an important moment, marking a maturing of the national commitment to sustainable development. SDSN Romania provides the necessary infrastructure to accelerate the process of transforming sustainability into a strategic and sustainable direction for the country.