The Erasmus Mundus Joint Master in Resilience in Educational Contexts -EMJM FLOURISH

The EMJM Resilience in Educational Contexts is offered by the University of Malta (leading partner), the University of Crete, Greece; the University of Lisbon, Portugal, and Stefan Cel Mare University, Suceava, Romania. The Programme is supported by six other associated partners, namely Dalhousie University, Canada; University of Rijeka, Croatia; University of Pretoria, South Africa, Orebro University, Sweden; University of Sao Paolo, Brazil, and the European School Psychology Training Centre.

The first edition starts in October 2023, with three mobilities at three different Universities.  The last semester (dissertation) is online or face to face at one of the four universities. Language of instruction is English.

DEGREE AWARDING PARTNERS

EMJM FLOURISH utilises the different expertise of the four degree awarding partners with each contributing its particular expertise to a synergetic collective endeavour. The partners have been working together in the area of resilience and wellbeing over the years and have developed together a common and integrated approach to resilience in education. The partners’ specific expertise are reflected in the study units they are offering at the mobility moves in their own respective universities, supported and complemented by contributions from the six associated partners. In this way EMJM FLOURISH offers a comprehensive, innovative, and integrated programme, pooling together their various expertise.

OUTCOMES

EMJM FLOURISH a Joint Master Degree in Resilience in Educational Contexts which will build the capacity of educators and practitioners to promote and nurture the resilience of children and young people from vulnerable and marginalised backgrounds. Resilience serves as a leverage for equity, promoting inclusion and ensuring that all school students will be provided with the opportunity to be successful and thrive academically, socially and emotionally. This Master’s Programme becomes particularly relevant in the post-COVID-19 context, as more attention and priority is being given to mental health, wellbeing and resilience in education, and to equity issues as vulnerable children have been the hardest hit by the pandemic.

EMJM FLOURISH provides training to practitioners and educators in promoting and building resilience in educational contexts at various levels through a systemic and interdisciplinary approach. Course participants will be equipped with the knowledge and skills in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of vulnerable and marginalised children and young people through programme implementation, classroom climate and the whole school system such as working collaboratively with learners, colleagues, parents and the community, whilst taking care of their own resilience and wellbeing. The Master’s programme will be informed by an inclusive, systemic, and participatory approach to resilience development, involve the whole school community and the parents and local community, with evidence- informed and culturally responsive interventions.

INNOVATIVE FEATURES OF EMJM FLOURISH

• The broad approach of EMJM FLOURISH, focusing not solely on knowledge and content but on developing the requisite resilience skills to be a successful professional in the workplace and thus increasing participants’ employability and entrepreneurship.
• The focus of an interdisciplinary and systemic approach to resilience, drawing on the knowledge from various disciplines and focusing on how educational systems may collaborate with other systems such as the family and the community to nurture children’s resilience.
• The balanced approach between theory, practice and research.
• The innovative mixed methodology, including an experiential and participative approach, and making use of tutor-led, collaborative, and self-directed strategies.
• The development of course participants’ own resilience and social and emotional competence.
• The value added experience of studying at various universities through an in vivo cross-cultural methodology incorporating at least three mobility placements in different Member States of the European Union. 
• The contributions by a team of leading international experts on resilience with attention to cross cultural issues.
• A winter school in Romania where course participants will have the opportunity to learn about resilience practices in a different cultural context.

MOBILITY AND LEARNING

The academic content of EMJM FLOURISH Programme will be delivered via face to face teaching at the University of Malta, University of Crete, Greece, University of Lisbon, Portugal, and Stef cel Mare University, Suceava, Romania. The student mobility necessary for completion of the programme requires that all students will need to make three moves and spend one semester in at least three different universities, with the first semester being at the University of Malta.  In the fourth semester course participants may follow their studies online, face to face, or blended. They will decide on a dissertation topic and choose a faculty member from any of the partners subject to availability. An optional one week winter school at the University of Stefan Cel Mare Suceava in Romania will also be organised in the second  year of the course.