Bringing in Politics through an Erasmus+ BIP

The Department of Nursing participated in an Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) Political Empowerment for Health and Social Work.

Led by the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences, the programme comprised the participation of Health and Social work educators and students from universities across five countries; Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Malta, and Portugal. Participation entailed online sessions and an intensive f2f week at the lead partner, Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences in Germany last month.

The BIP aimed to educate and empower both educators and students regarding the politics of health care systems, as well as the political factors influencing health care delivery. The online sessions entailed theoretical presentations by academics from the participating countries which gave rise to extensive synchronous and asynchronous learning discussions across the whole group of participants over a period of two months in the last quarter of 2025.

The intensive week comprised an experiential approach to teaching and learning. The participants were invited to visit sites and exhibits which enabled recognition and learning about the value of politics and the impact of politics on care delivery. These sites included Hadamar Memorial Museum, an International Place of Remembrance those persecuted in the course of the Nazi “euthanasia” crimes, and Museum Angewandte Kunst exhibition ‘Yes, we care’. This exhibition spans the arena of today's care crisis, including the unequal distribution of care work within and across populations, and unequal access to social determinants of health and care services.

The reflections shared by the students highlighted learning achieved through an understanding of both the politics of health care professions and the dynamics present within health care systems. The programme offered a unique opportunity to critically examine the influence of political factors on care delivery and professional practice and therefore the importance of political awareness and advocacy of the health workforce in shaping effective and equitable health care environments.

One student’s learning account revealed that through the programme this student had learned that European values such as democracy, human rights, and respect for life must be actively upheld, not assumed, and that healthcare professionals play a vital role in protecting these values through ethical practice and advocacy. The testimonial of this student’s learning echoes through the programme evaluation and reflections which were gathered last month, when the programme was completed.

Five Masters' Nursing students and one Academic from the Department of Nursing participated.