ERIAC at Roma Week 2025: High-Level Event on Roma History and Culture in School Curricula

As part of Roma Week 2025, the European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture (ERIAC), in partnership with the European Roma Grassroots Organisations Network (ERGO), is proud to co-organise a high-level event at the European Parliament focusing on the urgent need for Roma history and culture to be meaningfully included in national school curricula across Europe.

Hosted by Nicolae Ștefănuță, Vice-President of the European Parliament, this event will bring together representatives of national ministries, the European Commission, the Council of Europe, and members of the academic and Roma communities. The session aims to explore lessons learned, promising practices, and new alliances in shaping inclusive educational systems.

This important exchange aligns with ERIAC’s ongoing mission to promote the recognition and institutional integration of Roma history, culture, and contributions across European societies.

Date: Tuesday, 8 April 2025
Time: 09:30 – 11:30 CET
Venue: European Parliament, Paul-Henri Spaak Building, Room 4B1, Brussels
Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EW5ftvXMepE 

Event Programme

09:30 – 10:15 | Opening & Welcome
Chair: Timea Junghaus, Executive Director, ERIAC

Speakers:

• Nicolae Ștefănuță, Vice-President, European Parliament
  Bjørn Berge, Deputy Secretary General, Council of Europe
  Ana Gallego Torres, Director-General for Justice and Consumers, European Commission
  Katarzyna Kotula (video message), Minister for Equality, EU Polish Presidency
  Tomáš Drucker, Minister of Education, Research, Development, and Youth of the Slovak Republic
  Dr Mehmet Gürcan Daimagüler, Federal Commissioner for Antigypsyism and for the Life of Sinti and Roma in Germany
  Zeljko Jovanovic, Chairman of the Board, ERIAC and President, Roma Foundation for Europe

10:15 – 10:20 | Musical Interlude*

10:20 – 11:10 | Panel Discussion: Alliances for Inclusive School Curricula
Chair: Gabriela Hrabanova, Executive Director, ERGO Network

Speakers:

• Eleni Tsetsekou, Secretary, Committee of Experts on Roma and Traveller Issues (ADI-ROM), Council of Europe
  Cristian Niculescu, Director, Romanian Cultural Institute, Berlin
  Ciprian Necula, Executive Director, Roma Education Fund
  Mihaela Zatreanu, Leading Expert, Roma Language Initiative, ERIAC
  Akos Topolanszky, President of the Permanent Group on Inclusion of the Roma, European Economic and Social Committee

11:10 – 11:20 | Concluding Remarks

Chair: Gabriela Hrabanova, Executive Director, European Roma Grassroots Organisations Network (ERGO Network)

• Akos Topolanszky, President of the Permanent Group on Inclusion of the Roma, European Economic and Social Committee

11:20– 11:30 | Closing Musical Moment*

11:30 | End of the High-Level Event

*The event will include a special musical moment by Antonio Piculeata, Roma artist and violinist, accompanied by Alisée Frippiat on harp.

This event is part of a broader line-up of activities taking place during Roma Week 2025, a key platform in Brussels for policy dialogue, visibility, and solidarity with Roma communities across Europe. To explore the full program, please visit the official Roma Week 2025 website: www.romaweek.eu