About ShakesEU

The Erasmus+ Jean Monnet Module entitled "ShakesEU: Exploring European Union Culture and Values Through Shakespeare's Plays" has been awarded funding by the European Union's Education and Culture Executive Agency.

This project will be led by Dr. Kenan Yerli, a lecturer in the Department of Translation and Interpreting at Sakarya University's Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, from 2025 to 2028.

As part of the project, the course SAU355 "European Union Culture and Values in the Context of Shakespearean Translations" will be offered as a 3-credit (5 ECTS) elective. The course will be open to all undergraduate students at Sakarya University.

Students who successfully complete the course will receive an EU, Erasmus+ Jean Monnet Certificate of Participation.

 

SAU355 Course Structure

The 14-week interdisciplinary course will be offered in the Fall semester of 2025/26. Coordinated by Dr. Kenan Yerli, the course will be delivered by a team of four different academics and will be divided into three main modules:

• Module 1: “The Core Values of the European Union”

  • Week 1: Dr. Gülbaşak Diktaş YERLİ

  • Week 2: Prof. Dr. Mehmet Zafer DANIŞ

• Module 2: “The Core Values of the European Union”

  • Week 3: Assoc. Prof. Halil İbrahim BALKUL

• Module 3: “Shakespeare’s Language, European Identity, and Play Criticism”

  • Weeks 4–14: Dr. Kenan YERLİ

 

During the course, students will:

1. Read the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights to reflect on core EU values such as equality, freedom, democracy, human dignity, the rule of law, and tolerance.

2. Study EU language policies and intercultural dialogue to consider the functions of language and its role in cross-cultural communication.

3. Analyze Shakespeare's life and select plays (Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, The Merchant of Venice, Othello, and Measure for Measure) in the context of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, the European Convention on Human Rights, and intercultural dialogue. The course will also focus on translations of Shakespearean texts.