CAMINO

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the 2004 European Union (EU) enlargement, eight universities from Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries are joining forces in 2024 to implement the CAMINO ("CAMINO – 20 years of cultural enrichment in reunified Europe") project. It's aim is to explore the impact of the 2004 EU enlargement on various cultural aspects and values of the new member states, as well as to create stronger cultural and academic bonds within CEE. It also lays a foundation for a long-term cultural cooperation network among the partner universities and Ukraine.

The word camino in Spanish means "a path". The project indirectly emphasises the role of our individual paths within the EU, yet it seeks to look for aspects that we have in common – values, ideas, dreams. We want to look back at the last 20 years of the EU membership through the eyes of our youth, to highlight the cultural uniqueness of each country and celebrate our common history and future heritage in the European framework of unity.

The project aims to recognise and promote Europe’s cultural diversity, to raise awareness of our common history, culture, and values. By addressing various target groups – students, academics, political and cultural stakeholders, as well as general public – the CAMINO project aims to promote European integration through a dynamic and inclusive process that fosters intercultural dialogue and contributes to a deeper appreciation of the historical, cultural, and social dimensions in Europe. 

The CAMINO project consortium is formed by seven universities and a film studio from seven EU countries: the University of Latvia (Latvia) – the Project’s lead partner, Vilnius University (Lithuania), the University of Tartu (Estonia), the University of Opole (Poland), J. E. Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem (the Czech Republic), Comenius University Bratislava (Slovakia), Ludovika University of Public Service (Hungary) and VERY Films (Latvia). King Danylo University in Ukraine is taking part in the Project as the Associated Partner.  

What is the CAMINO project? 

The CAMINO project kicked off in March 2024. It embodies a series of cultural and educational events that will take place until February 2025. The first activity – an international photo contest for students "Inspired by Europe" – started on 11 March 2024, culminating with an exhibition of the winning photographs in Brussels, Belgium on 15–19 April 2024.

A dance performance "Ode to Joy" to celebrate Europe Day on 9 May united people in seven partner countries and on online communication channels. The Project also aims to develop and pilot a lifelong learning open course on intercultural communication.

To support the participation of university students and employees in different non-formal art and culture education programmes, a Memorandum of Cooperation among the partner universities was signed on 29 May 2024, laying a foundation for a Network of European universities, university culture centres, and student unions. 

The peak event of 2024 will be the screening of a documentary produced by the VERY Films. The film will focus on the changes in the culture scene in the past 20 years and the importance of nurturing cultural diversity in Europe.

All the Project events will involve students, academic staff, cultural and political stakeholders, as well as general public in all partner countries. 

The CAMINO project is funded by the EU in the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) programme framework. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.