The problem takes on a specific aspect when observing the geopolitical changes that have taken place in Europe in recent decades. Young people are at the forefront of these complex processes. At the time when the societies of Western Europe fell into a crisis of thinking, the countries of Eastern Europe, characterized by an unwanted Soviet mentality, sought to join them in a common political and cultural space. The issue of mentality transformation and of humanities education becomes the key to the future of Europe.

The history of Europe in the 20th century testifies to how closely education is related to the spiritual state of society and how dangerous this state can develop without finding a proper way to nurture humanity. In 1909, Wilhelm Windelband warned German society that the failure of its educational system to assimilate the sources of the classical European tradition would lead to a social catastrophe. Similar warnings echoed in Germany in 1931. In the introduction of the English version of Ortega y Gasset’s book The Mission of the University (1946), an argument is being put forward that proper humanities education is capable of neutralizing the danger of the Third World War. Also Hannah Arendt analysed the dramatic consequences of the crisis in education, referring to Kafka’s texts and thus highlighting the aspect of absurdity that plagues our education system more and more intensely, E. Voegelin describing this situation as “the eclipse of reality”.

Conference participants are invited to present their reflections on education in the times of multiple disruptions and rapid societal transformations. How should the educational paradigm change to address the many crises (societal, political, economic, national)? How can universities increase accessibility to higher education based on Western values to counter autocratic and totalitarian trends? How should universities navigate the space between challenges of digitization and AI, and remain adequate and relevant for society? What strategies are most appropriate in providing education to the youth of Eastern and Central Europe? Which teaching and learning methodologies can create innovative pathways for engaged citizenship adequately responding to the current disruptions and crises?