“An open European area for higher learning carries a wealth of positive perspectives, of course respecting our diversities, but requires on the other hand continuous efforts to remove barriers and develop a framework for teaching and learning, which would enhance mobility and an ever closer cooperation.” Sorbonne declaration, 25-5-1998

EuReSIS NET aims to contribute to the creation of a European educational system which prepares young people to respect the religious diversity, reject prejudices and accept the necessity of a peaceful social cohabitation in the European religious mosaic. One of the main targets of EuReSIS is to make young people tolerant and prepare them to handle fragile situations (as leaders, receivers or watchers of interreligious conflicts or conflicts between religions and State, teachers in multicultural institutions) without fanaticism but by using their rationale. This way, young Europeans will be ready to claim, for themselves and for the others, the right that the State will guarantee religious freedom in all its expressions. EuReSIS aims to educate University students from all country-members and provide with information and knowledge an even bigger number of people from all over the world via e-learning. Through a multi-disciplinary, interreligious, inter-confessional educational approach it tries to improve the quality of Religion and State Studies in Europe by mapping, analyzing the current situation and developing new methods of studying, understanding and teaching. The harmonization of courses, the adoption of Tuning methodology (as ECTS mechanism), the facilitation of student and staff mobility, the cooperation between universities and society are specific objectives.
EuReSIS NET has generic and specific objectives, both of which formulate the impact of this Network.

The generic objectives are the educational and scientific approach of various expressions of relations between State and Religion in Europe such as:
1. The role of religious perceptions in the configuration of political and economic behaviours.
2. The protection of religious freedom concerning the individual, State and religious communities.
3. The relations of religion, religious structures and democracy.
4. The fundamentalist phenomenon in all its expressions (genesis, social and political dimension)
5. The conditions and forms of realization of an ecumenical and interreligious dialogue.

The specific objectives, related to the rationale of the Network (2.1) and the generic objectives aim:
1. To identify the existing teaching methods and materials and place them at the disposal of the members of the Network with the aid of databases. This will contribute to understanding the academic diversity.
2. To adopt the Tuning methodology that will enable the Network to inform the academic institutions on the philosophy of the Declaration of Bologna, to contribute to facilitating the recognition and comparability of diplomas, to improve quality control by establishing common criteria and to insert an evaluation system of credit recognition, in the frame of the “two cycles” system.
3. To elaborate educational and pedagogical methods regarding the adequate teaching and the science policies of specific subject areas, promoting innovation in teaching methods and creating a model curriculum structure for each identified area and for all degree programmes which are involved. In other words, to produce an undergraduate training course and a master degree programme.
4. To encourage the synergies between universities, faculties, departments, Institutes and research centres of Theology, Religious Studies, Humanities, Law, Social and Political Sciences in Europe, creating a forum, a platform, a point of reference.
5. To build bridges between the above mentioned institutions and governmental and non-governmental organizations, religious communities, professional bodies and associations, promoting the dialogue between education and society, public and private.
6. To support and expand students and staff mobility programmes.
7. To meet with other similar European or Intercontinental Networks and approach the eastern European countries as well.
8. To establish a long-term framework through which this process of dialogue and cooperation can remain at the same level of quality and intensity beyond the time scale of the Thematic Network Project.
9. To establish a “European Institute for Religion and State Studies”.