A week filled with professional exchange and cultural discovery — that’s how Ms. Zeina Mechleb, Bachelor of Arts in Advertising – Audiovisual, Class of 2022, and Communications Officer at Antonine University’s (UA) Office of Communications, describes her staff training mobility at the University of Palermo (UniPa), Italy, held from July 21 to 25, 2025.

The journey began with a visit to UniPa’s administrative offices at the historic Chiaramonte Palace in Palermo — a remarkable setting that reflected the city’s deep cultural roots. The following days were spent working closely with the Communication and Marketing Strategies Sector of the “Third Mission,” a division dedicated to expanding the University’s impact beyond teaching and research, focusing on community engagement, knowledge transfer, and socio-cultural initiatives.

Throughout her training, Ms. Mechleb not only explored UniPa’s communication strategies, socio-cultural projects, and sustainable promotional choices, but also shared UA’s own practices. She presented how the Office of Communications at UA organizes events and manages institutional initiatives, making the exchange mutually enriching. This collaboration highlighted how both institutions strive to foster meaningful ties with their internal and external communities — reinforcing the vision of a university as an open space for the whole city, not just its students.

Beyond the professional setting, UniPa encouraged Ms. Mechleb to embrace Sicilian life to the fullest. She toured Palermo’s landmarks and discovered the island’s rich cultural traditions. Among the highlights was a visit to the breathtaking Orto Botanico di Palermo, UniPa’s own botanical garden, which serves as both a scientific research center and a cultural treasure. This balance of professional and cultural immersion made the mobility experience both fruitful and unforgettable.

This initiative was made possible through the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union, within the framework of the inter-institutional agreement on International Credit Mobility (ICM) between Antonine University, the University of Palermo, and the Mediterranean Universities Union (UNIMED) — a network of higher education and research institutions that actively promotes academic cooperation across the Euro-Mediterranean region, as well as in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and the Western Balkans.

For Ms. Mechleb, the mobility offered not only new insights into communication strategies but also a deeper appreciation of how universities can act as bridges to society. It was, in her words, a journey that combined “learning, inspiration, and the warmth of Sicilian life.”