Social Neuroscience, Social Pedagogy and Education
When I started the interdepartmental postgraduate program, I did not have a clear picture of the content and requirements of the program. The terms were quite confusing in my mind and the Pedagogy and Neuroscience part was a big challenge despite the cognitive background I may have had from my undergraduate courses. From the opening event of the postgraduate course in Marasleio I realized that this trip will be full of new knowledge and experiences, I felt that throughout the program, but also after its completion, we will have by our side renowned teachers / academics who will transfer us their knowledge and will lead us very creatively towards a social direction, where we will prioritize man and their interaction with society.
In a very short period of time we managed, with the valuable contribution of our professors, to acclimatize, acquire scientific knowledge, learn the construction and implementation of social pedagogical programs, structure research and scientific works and to work as a team, exchanging ideas and knowledge. From the beginning it was emphasized that the interdepartmental postgraduate program is demanding, and we must have a lot of will to complete it and this is something that was shown in practice. But no matter how many difficulties we face with the workload and everything we are called to do, the magic of this journey, this inexhaustible source of knowledge and activities fills us with perseverance to continue and complete the beautiful and creative journey we started. We were called to fly high and I think that in a very short time we managed to take off.
Despite the adverse conditions due to Covid-19 and the self-isolation, we all had the desire and the will to overcome the difficulties and as impossible as the distance learning for conducting courses, in which physical presence was necessary, seemed, we managed to do it. Our efforts were met with great success. The benefits of this program are multiple, and the opportunities given over time exceed all expectations. Every postgraduate program has to offer you further knowledge and supplies, but this program is more than that! It is a multi-stage process where each student is required to master many different cognitive fields. It is a unique way that Pedagogy is intertwined with Neurosciences, Education with social life, Neurophysiology of man with the development of social and educational knowledge. Not only at an academic level, but also on a personal / individual level, this postgraduate course can contribute to the intellectual and moral development of each student.
The participation of students from various scientific fields is also important, as interdisciplinarity is a cornerstone of social life and the pedagogical dimension of our society. Until two months ago, I did not know what a social pedagogical program is or how I can understand certain social and learning phenomena on the principles of Neuroscience, and now I am an advocate of all that this postgraduate program includes. The knowledge it provides is invaluable and is in no way limited to a specific field, it is global knowledge, and examining its depth is now part of our daily lives.
Anyone who is looking for a postgraduate education, beyond the old-fashioned programs and seeks knowledge that will be useful to them in general during their lives, can only try to be admitted to this postgraduate program. The competition for admission is great, but I agree that it is worth the effort and will benefit the candidate many times over, as new doors of opportunity open, both cognitively and research-wise.
E.K.