Where Learners Meet History: Reaffirming the Role of History Education in t

​ Built upon the shared values of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law, the Council of Europe’s Intergovernmental Programme on History Education serves the organisation’s mission when it comes to how history is taught, summarised in a single motto: “Teaching history, grounding democracy”.

At the heart of this effort are the Annual Forums on History Education that provide a platform for learners, educators, policymakers, academics, curriculum developers, and civil society to rethink, refine and develop guidelines for improving history education, as well as reaffirm its role in building democratic societies and safeguarding human rights.

Three Forums have been held so far in Belgrade (2022), Brussels (2023), and Bologna (2024), tackling the themes of historical sites, the digital age, and higher education respectively.

At this Fourth Forum for History Education, under the title “Where Learners Meet History: Reaffirming the Role of History Education in the 21st Century”, the role of learners will be emphasised through an examination of the spaces and conditions in which they engage with history, as well as the challenges they face in doing so.

This theme aligns with the Council of Europe’s ‘Learners First’ Education Strategy (2024-2030) and actively promotes the values expressed in the Reykjavík Declaration (2023) and the New Democratic Pact for Europe (2025).

*** Link to livestream will be provided to participants via email, on the day of the event. ***

DRAFT PROGRAMME

Day 1 - Wednesday, 11 June 2025

Moderator:
Balint MOLNAR, Executive Director, European Youth Centre Budapest, Council of Europe

17:00 – 17:30 – Official Opening

• Welcome remarks: Matjaž GRUDEN, Director for Democracy, Council of Europe
• Overview of Forum programme: Jean-Philippe RESTOUEIX, Head of Unit, Remembrance and Intergovernmental Programme on History Education, Council of Europe

17:30 – 18:30 – Keynote Speech and Plenary Debate
"Reaffirming the role of history education in the 21st century"
Speaker: Niklas AMMERT, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Professor of History Didactics, Linnaeus University

Why is history still relevant in the 21st century? What are the roles of institutions and individuals in upholding our memory of the past? How can we respond to challenges to history in our contemporary societies?

With his expertise on how people encounter, interpret and use history in different societal contexts, Niklas Ammert will discuss the diverse ways in which these questions have been dealt with, as well as the challenges posed by the current geopolitical environment. He will reflect on the intersection between history, historical consciousness and moral values, as well as the importance of life experiences and knowledge in meaning-making in history. In the plenary discussion, participants will be invited to debate the role that history education should play in the 21st century, setting the stage for further discussions throughout the Forum.

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Day 2 - Thursday, 12 June 2025

09:00 – 10:30 – Panel 1: Where and How Do Learners Meet History?

Drawing from their diverse backgrounds, the speakers on this panel will address the manifold contexts in which learners connect with history today, ranging from formal education and textbooks to memorial sites and digital media. In doing so, they will explore the evolving but enduring role that history plays in the 21st century and discuss strategies for defending its relevance to building and maintaining democratic culture. Participants will be asked to reflect on the conditions needed to shape an inclusive history education, considering a lifelong learning perspective that recognises the links and tensions between different contexts, whether traditional and non-traditional formats or formal and non-formal education.

Moderator: Andreas HOLTBERGET, EuroClio - European Association of History Educators
Learners’ representative: Panagiotis CHATZIMICHAIL, Head of external affairs, Organising Bureau of European School Student Unions (OBSESSU)
Speakers:

• Hendrik ATZE VAN DOEZUM, History teacher and YouTuber, Buitenpost
• Inês FIALHO BRANDÃO, Head of cultural and digital mediation, Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, Lisbon and member of the Scientific Advisory Council, Observatory on History Teaching in Europe, Council of Europe
• Aleksandar TODOSIJEVIĆ, History teacher, textbook author and President, UDI-EuroClio Serbia

10:30 – 11:00 – Coffee Break

11:00 – 12:30 – Working Groups (Livestream break)
Three groups discuss topics from Panel 1, joined by speakers and moderated by Forum team members. Rapporteurs report outcomes.

12:30 – 14:00 – Lunch

14:00 – 15:30 – Panel 2: History Education and the Impact of Digital Technologies

In 2025, there is no doubt that many learners meet history through digital media. The rapid evolution of new technologies has a direct impact on how history is transmitted and perceived, bringing with it both opportunities, such as increased access to information, as well as challenges, such as the spread of disinformation and manipulated historical content.

During this panel, speakers will take stock of developments like social media and artificial intelligence and consider how these have shaped domains from formal education to public archives. They will further reflect on and provide perspectives for the future of teaching and learning history in light of the changing tools and methods available to learners. Participants will be invited to discuss the innovations and frameworks that are needed to ensure quality history education in the contemporary digital age.

Moderator: Monika LENDERMANN, Project officer, Intergovernmental Programme on History Education and Observatory on History Teaching in Europe, Council of Europe
Learners’ representative: Luka LEŠIĆ, Equality Coordinator, European Students’ Union and student, University of Zadar

Speakers:

• Tom DE SMET, Deputy Director, National Archive of the Netherlands
• Sophie GEBEIL, Lecturer in contemporary and media history, Aix-Marseille University
• Mykola MAKHORTYKH, Lecturer, Institute of Communication and Media Science, University of Bern

15:30 – 16:00 – Coffee Break

16:00 – 17:30 – Working Groups (Livestream break)
Three groups discuss topics from Panel 2. Rapporteurs report outcomes.

17:30 – 18:30 – Working Meeting (Livestream break)
Meeting between group rapporteurs and General Rapporteur.

19:30 – Joint Dinner

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Day 3 - Friday, 13 June 2025

Moderator:
Raul CÂRSTOCEA, Chair ad interim, Observatory on History Teaching in Europe, Council of Europe and Professor of History, Maynooth University

09:00 – 09:30 – Feedback from the General Rapporteur
Susanne POPP, Honorary President, International Society for History Didactics

09:30 – 11:00 – Plenary Dialogue and Debate
"Ethical and practical challenges for history education in the 21st century"

This closing session brings together the various topics debated throughout the Forum by concentrating on actions and obligations. Each speaker will first contribute an analysis of the role of institutions in relation to history and memory, taking into account different political environments and human rights perspectives.

In the plenary debate, the speakers and participants will engage in a dialogue focusing on the future. In discussing what history education might look like in the 21st century, they will reflect on what institutions, civil society and individuals can and should do, in light of both ethical and practical considerations, to reaffirm the democratic mission of history education.

Speakers:

• Antoon DE BAETS, EuroClio Emeritus Professor of History, Ethics and Human Rights, University of Groningen

• Andrea PETŐ, Historian and Professor, Central European University

11:00 – 11:30 – Coffee Break

11:30 – 12:30 – General Rapporteur’s Report and Reflections

12:30 – 13:00 – Closing Remarks

• Luz MARTÍNEZ SEIJO, Chair, Sub-Committee on Culture, Education and Democratic Values, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and PACE rapporteur, “Multiperspectivity in remembrance and history education for democratic citizenship”

• Jean-Philippe RESTOUEIX, Head of Unit, Remembrance and Intergovernmental Programme on History Education, Council of Europe