Antonine University (UA) is committed to fostering intercultural competence among its community members in our highly interconnected world. By encouraging understanding and respect for diverse cultures, UA is proud to announce that 3 of its students won the Digital Storytelling Contest 2022, part of the MEDiterranean countries: Towards Internationalisation at Home (MED2IaH) project, co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union (EU). These students traveled to Piran, Slovenia, to participate in the 2-week Student Boot Camp held at the Euro-Mediterranean University (EMUNI) from June 6 to 17, 2022. In the MED2Iah project, digital storytelling serves as a means for students to share their intercultural experiences and explore cultural diversity, raising awareness about internationalization. The stories focus on intercultural and/or international experiences, whether lived or imaginatively scripted.

This valuable trip to Slovenia was preceded by a series of preparatory actions for the contest. UA candidates attended 3 short online courses designed to help them create their own digital stories about intercultural understanding. Following these sessions, coordination and supervision of the process were entrusted to Ms. Jocelyne Saab, Executive Assistant of the Vice Rectorate for Integral Human Development (VRIHD); Ms. Sandra Naccour, Assistant Director of the Office of Student Affairs (OSA); and Mr. Ibrahim Samaha, part-time instructor at the Faculty of Information and Communication (FIC). The coordinators received 8 video submissions, and a jury composed of 6 academic and administrative members selected the 3 winning videos based on criteria set by the project organizers. The winning students — Edward Nammour, (FIC); Rayane Dogan, Department of Dental Laboratory Technology (DDTL); and Jawad Kassem, DDLT — were chosen for their outstanding digital stories and participated in the Student Boot Camp, which gathered 30 students from South-Mediterranean partner universities in Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon, and Jordan.

During the 2-week mobility program in Slovenia, the students attended lectures on cross-cultural studies, creativity and innovation, arts management, event management, project management, leadership, and student engagement. They greatly enjoyed learning in a diverse community and appreciated the cultural learning opportunities outside the classroom, which allowed them to discover, appreciate, and value cultural differences while creating enriching interactions. Throughout the visit, UA students were guided by Ms. Jocelyn Saab, who also delivered lectures in the boot camp, organized and coordinated the sessions with instructors from partner universities, and successfully facilitated purposeful engagement with international students from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Furthermore, all participants took part in the event “Taste of the Mediterranean” on June 13, aimed at promoting the rich cultural diversity of South-Mediterranean countries. They presented their countries through food, customs, traditional music, and objects. The students also submitted pictures and videos of their stay in Slovenia for the “Best Picture” and “Best Short Video” competitions. Edward Nammour’s video, shot with students from Morocco and Tunisia, was selected as one of the top 3 videos. At the end of the boot camp, students evaluated all 62 videos submitted by partner universities, which can be viewed on the official e-platform created for the MED2IaH project. Based on criteria set by the coordinators of the boot camp, the evaluation resulted in one winner per university being chosen for the best-submitted video. Edward Nammour’s video received the highest score, earning him the title of best video submitted from UA. All students were awarded certificates of attendance.

The journey of the students does not end here, as they have been named “ambassadors” of the project and will play an important role in the UA Friends Tea House, a hub that will be established to promote intercultural activities.