Dates: 26th – 28th November 2025
Location: Sofia, Bulgaria
Format: On-site
ERUA and New Bulgarian University (NBU) are announcing an intensive course “Digital Democracy & Leadership Lab: Democracy, digital presence, and digital leadership” that will take place at NBU, between the 26th and the 28th of November 2025.
This intensive, interdisciplinary course explores the intersection of democracy, digital presence, and leadership in the 21st century. Participants will examine how digital technologies are reshaping civic participation, develop their own digital identity and leadership style, and co-create innovative solutions for inclusive, democratic engagement online. Built on a strong interdisciplinary approach, the course empowers students and early-career professionals to become ethical, digitally fluent leaders across diverse European contexts.
“The Digital Democracy & Leadership Lab” introduces several innovative features that distinguish it from conventional training programs:
- It offers a blended, transnational learning experience that combines online and in-person modules across ERUA universities, fostering intercultural collaboration.
- The course is built on an interdisciplinary foundation, integrating political science, digital media, data ethics, law, and leadership to provide a comprehensive understanding of digital democracy.
- A strong focus on personal digital identity, ethical leadership, and the use of ERUA digital credentials (e.g. ERUA:Id) empowers participants to navigate digital environments confidently.
Through challenge-based learning, participants will co-design civic tech solutions in agile labs, addressing real-world democratic challenges. The program uniquely embeds digital rights and ethics, supports multilingual and inclusive participation, and awards micro-credentials aligned with EU digital competence frameworks to enhance academic and professional mobility.
Expected impact on the participants:
Participants will gain a deeper understanding of digital democracy, enhance their digital communication and leadership skills, and become more confident, ethical, and engaged digital citizens. They will also become involved in an international network, develop practical civic tech solutions, and earn micro-credentials to support their academic and career advancement.
Assessment:
The course evaluation will be based on:
- Active participation in all sessions (30%),
- Completion of a group civic-tech project (40%),
- Final presentation with a short reflective summary (30%).
Upon successful completion, the course will award 3 ECTS.
Who can apply:
We are looking for 12 BA and MA students who are enrolled in ERUA member Universities and who have a good command of the English language.
Place: New Bulgarian University, Sofia, Bulgaria.
Application deadline: 15th of September 2025
How to apply:
If you are interested, you need to send a brief motivation letter to the course coordinator, associated professor Justine Toms, at jtoms@nbu.bg.
Funding:
ERUA students can receive travel and accommodation funding from their home universities. Please contact your local ERUA coordinators.
