Piet van Hove & Flora Bastiani: A philosophical take on international education
As proclaimed by UNESCO in 2002, the third Thursday of November is World Philosophy Day. While philosophy and international higher education (IHE) might not immediately be considered a straightforward combination, there are many ways in which the art of philosophy can complement people’s personal and professional lives. During the 2024 EAIE Conference in Toulouse, France, a session was dedicated to the philosophical foundations of our work in international higher education, which gathered quite an audience. With World Philosophy Day just behind us, the EAIE podcast takes the opportunity to dive into this topic and see where philosophy and IHE can meet.
In this episode, host Laura Rumbley talks to Flora Bastiani, senior lecturer in Philosophy at Toulouse 2 Jean Jaurès University (France) and a specialist in the thought of Emmanuel Levinas and Henri Maldiney, and Piet van Hove, Programme Manager for the HEROES Alliance, at Thomas More University of Applied Sciences, Belgium, and former EAIE President (2022-2024). Why is philosophy important, and what can it bring to our daily life and work? In what ways is the work of Levinas especially relevant to the work of IHE? And how can IHE professionals use philosophy to help with the important balance between working and private lives? Tune in to this EAIE podcast episode to learn more!
About Piet van Hove
Piet van Hove is the Programme Manager for the HEROES Alliance at Thomas More University of Applied Sciences, Belgium. HEROES is part of the latest group of Alliances selected for funding by the European Commission under its flagship ‘European Universities’ scheme. It brings together nine professional higher education institutions across Europe, focusing on ‘smart regional resilience’. Piet has been active in international higher education for almost three decades, working for the University of Antwerp and taking up leadership roles in various international organisations. He served as Vice President and later President of the European Association for International Education (EAIE) from 2020 to 2024. Piet is a board member of Taith (Wales) and the NGO Apopo.
About Flora Bastiani
Flora Bastiani is a senior lecturer in philosophy at Toulouse 2 Jean Jaurès University, a researcher in health ethics and a specialist in the thought of Emmanuel Levinas and Henri Maldiney. In her work, she proposes a micro-philosophy of relationships and develops a new concept of the phenomenon of the "ensemble" (togetherness). She is also responsible for the Master's degree "Éthique du soin et recherche" (Philosophy, Law, Health) at the University of Toulouse.
Additional resources
For further insights into the topics touched on in this episode, the following resources may be of interest:
→ EAIE Toulouse 2024 - "A moment of reflection: The philosophical foundations of our work in international higher education"
→ ‘Philosophie du soin critique. Penser la relation en réanimation, en soins intensifs et dans le prélèvement d'organes‘
→ General introduction to the philosophy of Emmanuel Levinas
