International Centre for Higher Education Research (INCHER) at the University of Kassel is a leading research institute dedicated to the study of higher education, policy, and societal impact. Within the YOUROPE project, INCHER/Kassel plays a key role in critically examining the dominant notions of European citizenship. Our work in Work Package 3 (WP3) focuses on analysing national and European curricula, policies, and frameworks through a systematic and bibliometric literature review.

By synthesizing existing academic and policy discourses, we identify prevailing narratives, research gaps, and potential biases. We complement this with an in-depth review of citizenship education policies across selected European countries. Our findings contribute to a broader dialogue on European citizenship by connecting academic perspectives with lived experiences gathered through participatory research methods.

Through structured feedback loops in democratic spaces (WP2), we ensure that young researchers and community participants critically assess and refine the dominant discourses of European citizenship. The insights gained from our research will inform the development of an EU Citizenship Toolkit, bridging academic, policy, and grassroots perspectives to foster inclusive and participatory democratic frameworks.