The European University of Rome has hosted the second edition of the Congress of the European Character and Virtue Association with the participation of experts in the study of character and virtue. Monica Argemí, head of the UIC Barcelona Personal Development and Institutional Culture Service, presented the paper “The Synergies of Liberal and Character Education in Higher Education: Delphi Study Findings”, together with a lecturer from the University of Navarra.
The European Charter and Virtue Association (ECVA) was created in 2022 with the aim of promoting research, training and networking in the field of character education. Each year the ECVA organises a congress in a different European city as an opportunity to listen to and discuss academic work on aspects of character and virtue. This year’s edition, hosted by the European University of Rome, had the title “Human Flourishing and Character Education. Theories, Languages and Practices.”
Argemí’s research was carried out jointly with Concepción Naval, a lecturer at the University of Navarra. The authors presented the results of a Delphi study that analyses the synergies between liberal and character education at university. According to Argemí, “the aim of communication is to show some results related to the theme of the congress. The consensus obtained in terms of the relationship between liberal education and character in the university coincides with two current approaches: The one presented in Cultivating Virtue in the University (Brant.J et al, 2022) and Character Education in Universities: a Framework for Flourishing (VV.AA., 2020. the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues and the Oxford Character Project).”
The results of the study lead to the conclusion that liberal education shares goals with a moral education at university. In the words of the UIC Barcelona expert, “the profile and education of the teachers emerges as an essential element that can positively influence the character of the students.”
