KLAR2500 – Plain Language, AI Literacy and Democracy in the EU

Initiatives for what is often called plain language, clear language or lay language in governmental communication with citizens have gained momentum in recent years. The ISO Standard for plain language communication was issued in 2024 and is currently being implemented and translated into multiple languages. The EU commission and national governments (including Norway, Sweden, the US and New Zealand) have formal guidelines and/or legislation in place to ensure that governments communicate in a clear manner that enables citizens to ‘find, understand and make use of’ governmental information. This makes plain language initiatives a key feature of democracy.

Yet despite a growing momentum for the importance of plain language, the reality is of course far more complex. Multiple dilemmas and challenges arise in the face of plain language policy and practice: How to ensure that clarity is not gained at the cost of specificity and correct information, e.g. in complex legal issues? How to facilitate that plain language is not reduced to proof reading, but is implemented in a manner that also transforms how governments relate to their constituents? How to enable plain language in the multilingual setting of the EU? How to ensure that plain language enables accountability, transparency and citizens’ empowerment, and not becomes a tool for deception, misinformation, and concealment of citizens’ rights?

Furthermore, with the expansion of digital platforms and generative AI tools for preparing and circulating documents, governmental text production is undergoing massive changes that may both threaten and strengthen citizens’ empowerment. How may AI tools help empower citizens in their interaction with governments? How may they help governments do their work in a more efficient manner while also ensuring ethical, transparent and knowledge-based conduct? What knowledge and skills must be developed among organisations, bureaucracies, and citizens to build strong AI literacy across the EU and its member states?

Knowledge:

• Overview of the history and state-of-the-art of plain language initiatives internationally
• Overview of plain language policies and agencies in Europe
• Overview of key document genres within politics, bureaucracy and law
• Overview of AI legislation and AI literacy initiatives at the EU level
• Basic understanding of large language models and generative AI, including AI ethics

Specific skills:

• Apply principles of plain language in practical textual communication
• Articulate the relation between language, texts and democracy

General skills:

• Methods of practice-oriented document analysis

Students must be enrolled in a bachelors degree programme at University of Oslo or one of the Circle U. Partner Universities and be at an advanced stage of their BA studies. For Circle U. universities offering a four-year Bachelor degree: Students enrolled in a four year Bachelor degree can attend the course in their final year of studies. Contact your home institution regarding questions about getting the course approved as part of your degree.

The number of participants on this course is limited to a total of 31 students. In case of more than 24 eligible applicants from partner universities (7 spots are reserved for UiO- students), eligible applicants will be pooled together and chosen at random to ensure that all eligible candidates have an equal opportunity to participate. Please note that applicants are not guaranteed admission to the course even if they are qualified.

You must cover your own expenses for travel and stay for the physical week in Louvain. Students may apply their home university for short-term funding through Erasmus+. For UiO students see our information page about Erasmus funding.

How to apply:

UiO-students:

• Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb. 7 spots have been reserved for UiO students who apply for admission in the first round of course registrations (1-8 December). Those who are not admitted in this round can apply for admission by 6 January.

Partner Universities:

• Partner Universities apply for admission through this web form - https://nettskjema.no/a/652859 Deadline: February 1st, 2027.
• UCLouvain students may apply early, using the same form by the 11th of October 2026.

Students must be admitted to a relevant BA programme.

For three year BA-programmes the student must have passed a minimum of 120 ECTS.

For students enrolled in four year BA-programmes, the student must be in the equivalent of their fourth year.

Students must have a minimum grade average of C (in the Norwegian grading scale).

The course assumes a high proficiency in written and oral English.

The course consists of:

• a mandatory one-day digital seminar 26th of May (09:00-16:00). Link for Zoom room will be shared in the course Canvas-room (Canvas - Learning Management System - University of Oslo) and by email to admitted participants
• a mandatory one week block seminar from the 21st to the 25th of June 2027 at the UCLouvain campus in Belgium.
• one mandatory written assignment, and one quiz, both to be approved (pass/fail) between the digital seminar and the physical course week. The assignment will be given at the end of the digital seminar. The assignment must be approved for the student to attend the physical course week in Louvain and to qualify to sit for the exam.

The course week will include lectures in the morning and supervised group work in the afternoon. The week will also include a field trip to the European Parliament and an Open Conversation (live panel discussion).

The course is organised through Circle U and will have lecturers from across the alliance: UiO, UCLouvain, University of Pisa, Humboldt, and King's College London.

Specified amount of teaching and student activities:

• Digital seminar: 4h lectures
• Physical course week: 4*2h lectures + 1 field trip (4h) + 1 live panel discussion (1h)
• Supervised student-led group work: 3*2h

Total: 12h lectures + 4h field trip + 1h panel discussion + 6h group work.

To qualify for the physical course week and the exam, both your mandatory written assignment and quiz must have been approved (pass).

The exam is a group exam to be prepared during the course week and presented on the last day of the course week in the format of a mini-conference. The exam assignment will be given on the first day of the physical course week.

A term paper or equivalent that is passed may not be resubmitted in revised form.

If you withdraw from the exam after the withdrawal deadline, this will be counted as an examination attempt.