Bergan S., Gallagher T., Harkavy I. Higher education for democratic innovation. Council of Europe, 2016. ISBN: 978-92-871-8121-3. Pages: 312

Through contributions by authors from Europe, North America and other parts of the world, this book explores how higher education can help find new ways to develop commitment to public space and societal engagement and make democracy more vibrant.

Democracy is increasingly the standard against which societies are measured.The spotlight is placed on a renewed conception of Democracy, shifting focus from laws and procedures to “democratic culture” that designates the set of attitudes and behaviours that citizens need to have for democratic institutions and laws to function in practice. As the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland, has said on several occasions, our societies seek to address 21st-century issues through 19th-century institutions. 

Council of Europe