Cultivating Civic Engagement. The Role of Universities in Promoting Democratic Values to Social Science Students

In contemporary society, the concept of civic engagement appears as an essential condition for the functioning of democracy and social well-being. Civic engagement transcends simple participation in the electoral process, and encompasses a wider spectrum of activities: civic and community participation, activism and public dialogue. Thus, cultivating civic engagement is a mission, duty, and responsibility for universities, and particularly for social science programs. They derive from the need to form and shape not only professionals, but also responsible and involved people from a civic and social point of view. However, the mechanisms by which higher education institutions can effectively cultivate such engagement among students remain a subject of debate and investigation. This study seeks to bridge this gap by exploring the strategies used by universities to promote civic awareness among students. Methodologically, this article proposes a case study on one of the most important universities in the field of social, political and administrative sciences in Romania. In this sense, a standardized questionnaire will be distributed to the students from the political science bachelor's degree program to analyze their perceptions and experiences regarding how the study programs and the teachers' activity incorporate the component of civic and political involvement. Data analysis will highlight how higher education cultivates and shapes student engagement through academic programs, extracurricular activities or community partnerships.