Periodic Reporting for period 2 - RESILIENCE (REligious Studies Infrastructure: tooLs, Experts, conNections and CEnters)
Período documentado: 2021-07-01 hasta 2021-12-31
What is the problem/issue being addressed?
RESILIENCE addresses the need for a broader and more structured involvement of Pan-European excellent researchers, producing skills, new knowledge, a cutting-edge approach and a visible impact in terms of innovation in the scientific field of Religious Studies.
The ESFRI Roadmap 2018 highlights that Religious Studies have become a strategic area in the framework of EU pluralism not only for researchers, but also social actors and decision makers. This is because knowledge on religions is a prerequisite to develop informed dialogue and effective policy in the evolving multi-religious and multicultural society. It also expresses the need to effectively address the challenges of the evolving European societal landscape and dialogue with neighboring countries through access for scholars and other users to infrastructural facilities and services, “at a higher level than typically available today” (p. 11).
RESILIENCE openly addresses this call: its implementation and the intrinsic transdisciplinary approach of the study of religions is of high strategic value “for creating a diachronic understanding of the historical development of religions and for enabling the appropriate elaboration of tools to manage inter-religious stress” (p.115).
The issue was complementarily addressed by:
- TRES Network (Socrates Prog. 2006-10)
- INFRAIA ReIReS starting community (quoted as evidence in 2018 Esfri Roadmap)
- RETOPEA Project (H2020 2018-21)
- European Academy of Religion established by 506 universities (2015-)
- Questionnaire submitted for the 2018 ESFRI Roadmap, bringing to an High Potential Strategic Area of Religious
Studies
All these activities created a critical and gravitational mass capable to give effectiveness to the scientific community
of religious studies: RESILIENCE demonstrates the excellence of a partnership which can prove to be more effective; it describes how to achieve an implementation which is feasible and stable; it aims to express the capacity of the infrastructure to attract resources and competences. It enriches the open science cloud with a series of challenges and opportunities which will preserve and improve the EU leadership in the area of religious studies.
Why is it important for society?
RESILIENCE contributes to the establishment of a Research Infrastructure capable to open new opportunities in several research areas by addressing inter/multidisciplinary scientific frontiers and societal challenges such as:
- Understanding the impact of religion on shaping/challenging/promoting values, choices, practices;
- Giving a European answer to the globalisation of Religious Studies, religious facts and phenomena;
- Identifying models to analyse multireligious societies;
- Evaluating the effectiveness of plans of social inclusion and innovation (e.g. against stigma and violence);
- Creating innovative models of global cultural diplomacy for the EU;
- Facing crises (e.g. COVID19) by valuing digital changes in RS and supporting developments in digitisation and innovation.
What are the overall objectives?
The purpose of RESILIENCE is to create, select and test processes and functions capable of bringing back knowledge about religions into the public arena, to facilitate further exchanges between the various super-specialized and overarching approaches to religion, to assemble results and pave the way for more and more effective research (investing money to produce knowledge) and more innovation (investing knowledge to produce money).
RESILIENCE aims at becoming part of the ESFRI Roadmap 2021 with a European research infrastructure which makes new frontier research results in religious studies possible.
RESILIENCE creates, selects and tests digital and physical infrastructures capable of generating, preserving and transmitting knowledge between academics, members of religious communities, and the many groups on whom religious studies have a consequential impact.
RESILIENCE aims at offering a fertile and supportive environment to the widest scientific community of scholars in religious studies, where sources, tools and experiences make inter- and multi-disciplinarity of highly-specialized scholars a benchmarking research approach. The subsequent outcomes of this approach will contribute to the growth of the scientific community, help tackling societal challenges, and reflect the EU’s inclusive and reflective mission.
RESILIENCE addresses the need for a broader and more structured involvement of Pan-European excellent researchers, producing skills, new knowledge, a cutting-edge approach and a visible impact in terms of innovation in the scientific field of Religious Studies.
The ESFRI Roadmap 2018 highlights that Religious Studies have become a strategic area in the framework of EU pluralism not only for researchers, but also social actors and decision makers. This is because knowledge on religions is a prerequisite to develop informed dialogue and effective policy in the evolving multi-religious and multicultural society. It also expresses the need to effectively address the challenges of the evolving European societal landscape and dialogue with neighboring countries through access for scholars and other users to infrastructural facilities and services, “at a higher level than typically available today” (p. 11).
RESILIENCE openly addresses this call: its implementation and the intrinsic transdisciplinary approach of the study of religions is of high strategic value “for creating a diachronic understanding of the historical development of religions and for enabling the appropriate elaboration of tools to manage inter-religious stress” (p.115).
The issue was complementarily addressed by:
- TRES Network (Socrates Prog. 2006-10)
- INFRAIA ReIReS starting community (quoted as evidence in 2018 Esfri Roadmap)
- RETOPEA Project (H2020 2018-21)
- European Academy of Religion established by 506 universities (2015-)
- Questionnaire submitted for the 2018 ESFRI Roadmap, bringing to an High Potential Strategic Area of Religious
Studies
All these activities created a critical and gravitational mass capable to give effectiveness to the scientific community
of religious studies: RESILIENCE demonstrates the excellence of a partnership which can prove to be more effective; it describes how to achieve an implementation which is feasible and stable; it aims to express the capacity of the infrastructure to attract resources and competences. It enriches the open science cloud with a series of challenges and opportunities which will preserve and improve the EU leadership in the area of religious studies.
Why is it important for society?
RESILIENCE contributes to the establishment of a Research Infrastructure capable to open new opportunities in several research areas by addressing inter/multidisciplinary scientific frontiers and societal challenges such as:
- Understanding the impact of religion on shaping/challenging/promoting values, choices, practices;
- Giving a European answer to the globalisation of Religious Studies, religious facts and phenomena;
- Identifying models to analyse multireligious societies;
- Evaluating the effectiveness of plans of social inclusion and innovation (e.g. against stigma and violence);
- Creating innovative models of global cultural diplomacy for the EU;
- Facing crises (e.g. COVID19) by valuing digital changes in RS and supporting developments in digitisation and innovation.
What are the overall objectives?
The purpose of RESILIENCE is to create, select and test processes and functions capable of bringing back knowledge about religions into the public arena, to facilitate further exchanges between the various super-specialized and overarching approaches to religion, to assemble results and pave the way for more and more effective research (investing money to produce knowledge) and more innovation (investing knowledge to produce money).
RESILIENCE aims at becoming part of the ESFRI Roadmap 2021 with a European research infrastructure which makes new frontier research results in religious studies possible.
RESILIENCE creates, selects and tests digital and physical infrastructures capable of generating, preserving and transmitting knowledge between academics, members of religious communities, and the many groups on whom religious studies have a consequential impact.
RESILIENCE aims at offering a fertile and supportive environment to the widest scientific community of scholars in religious studies, where sources, tools and experiences make inter- and multi-disciplinarity of highly-specialized scholars a benchmarking research approach. The subsequent outcomes of this approach will contribute to the growth of the scientific community, help tackling societal challenges, and reflect the EU’s inclusive and reflective mission.
The purpose of the project is to produce the deliverables and experience making it possible for RESILIENCE to
1. Submit a proposal for the next ESFRI Roadmap;
2. Further develop the proposal and its details for the hearing of the ESFRI Forum;
3. (If successful) Draft the preparatory phase proposal.
The consortium worked intensively in the period covered by the report and accomplished the first two objectives. Each WP worked both for the accomplishment of the project and the preparation of the materials and attachments to the ESFRI questionnaire. The COVID19 pandemic affected the work only partially, as it became impossible to have physical meetings, but the consortium member easily adapted to the new conditions working exclusively in a-synch.
1. Submit a proposal for the next ESFRI Roadmap;
2. Further develop the proposal and its details for the hearing of the ESFRI Forum;
3. (If successful) Draft the preparatory phase proposal.
The consortium worked intensively in the period covered by the report and accomplished the first two objectives. Each WP worked both for the accomplishment of the project and the preparation of the materials and attachments to the ESFRI questionnaire. The COVID19 pandemic affected the work only partially, as it became impossible to have physical meetings, but the consortium member easily adapted to the new conditions working exclusively in a-synch.
In the next period we expect to prepare contents and materials useful to present a proposal for the preparatory phase in early 2022.
The most immediate impact of the project is the establishment of a research infrastructure on religious studies in the European Research Area. In the medium and long-term after the project, RESILIENCE will increase awareness on research-based information on religions, thus contributing to spreading knowledge about religions all over the world. The RI will serve as a pan-European scientific platform, bringing together researchers and experts whose knowledge, competence, and expertise will help to understand better the relevance of religion in dynamic social and demographic processes, and support the building of an inclusive, open, and respectful European community. Fostering mechanisms of social inclusion may consequently contribute to the Europeans’ well-being.
RESILIENCE acts in favour of social and cultural changes, spurring innovation in society and culture, actively fostering democratic citizenship, mutual respect, and promoting social diversity through quality, inclusive education, of which knowledge of religion and beliefs is an important part. Heading towards the increased inclusion of non-EU recipients into the common framework of pan-European research, the RI will accelerate the collaboration beyond the EU, serving as an entrance point to the broad variety of research on religions in Europe to global partners and grounding the position of the EU as a leader in the scientific domain of the RI.
The most immediate impact of the project is the establishment of a research infrastructure on religious studies in the European Research Area. In the medium and long-term after the project, RESILIENCE will increase awareness on research-based information on religions, thus contributing to spreading knowledge about religions all over the world. The RI will serve as a pan-European scientific platform, bringing together researchers and experts whose knowledge, competence, and expertise will help to understand better the relevance of religion in dynamic social and demographic processes, and support the building of an inclusive, open, and respectful European community. Fostering mechanisms of social inclusion may consequently contribute to the Europeans’ well-being.
RESILIENCE acts in favour of social and cultural changes, spurring innovation in society and culture, actively fostering democratic citizenship, mutual respect, and promoting social diversity through quality, inclusive education, of which knowledge of religion and beliefs is an important part. Heading towards the increased inclusion of non-EU recipients into the common framework of pan-European research, the RI will accelerate the collaboration beyond the EU, serving as an entrance point to the broad variety of research on religions in Europe to global partners and grounding the position of the EU as a leader in the scientific domain of the RI.