This project is supported by the Cèdre 2026 PHC, funded by the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE) and the Ministry of Higher Education and Research (MESR), and in Lebanon, by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEES). Alongside researchers from IREDU, this project specifically involves colleagues from the University of the Holy Family in Batroun (USF) and the Lebanese University from January 2026 to December 2027.
The project centres on an innovative research question, namely the representation and perception of certain cross-curricular skills by teachers in a university context, both in France and in Lebanon. These include critical thinking, collaboration, communication and creativity, as well as citizenship and character (referred to as the ‘6 Cs’ by the OECD), which are now recognised as essential for academic and professional success. However, these skills, like all non-academic skills, remain difficult to identify, measure and assess objectively. This project therefore aims to explore in depth how these skills are defined, perceived and assessed by teachers, by comparing two distinct national contexts. In particular, the aim is to analyse the similarities and differences in definitions and representations held by teachers, and to determine the extent to which these perceptions influence their assessment and the integration of such skills into university curricula. The choice of a comparative approach between France and Lebanon highlights not only national specificities but also the challenges common to both countries regarding the assessment of this type of skill. This paves the way for an in-depth examination of practices that could be transferred from one context to another, thereby mutually enriching the discussion on the French and Lebanese education systems. This project is set against a backdrop where scientific research remains scarce, despite institutional incentives for the explicit integration of cross-disciplinary skills into curricula and their recognition by universities. Beyond the specific expected outcomes, this project forms part of a broader initiative for international scientific cooperation between France and Lebanon in the field of education.
Project leaders: Cathy PERRET (IREDU, France) & Patricia AZOURY (USF, Lebanon)
Team: Agathe DIRANI, Wassim EL KHATIB, Marielle LE MENER, Sophie MORLAIX, Valentin MOISON, Layal NASR, Faustine VALLET-GIANNINI, Océane VILCHES, Jessica ZOGHBY