The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) in collaboration with the AREACORE partners, the Faculty of Mass Communication at Ahram Canadian University and the Institute for Media and Communication Studies at Freie Universität Berlin, organized the COSIMENA SummerSchool from 10-17 September 2023 in Cairo.
25 master’s students from 12 different nationalities: Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Morocco, Sudan, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, and Germany came together for this international program, along with students from India and Kazakhstan, bringing a rich blend of cultures. The discussed the theme “Cross-cultural communication: How can we understand each other?” The COSIMENA SummerSchool aimed to explore challenges and best practices in cross-cultural communication within different cultural and societal sectors, including media production, film, religion, migration and flight, and cultural heritage.
The SummerSchool contained lectures from experts such as Dr. Tarek Tawfik, Dr. Sarah El-Maghrabi, Dr. Fatma Zahraa Elsayed (Cairo University) and Dr. Sarah El-Richani (AUC). The group also visited Ahram Foundation including Alaa Thabet, Editor-in-Chief of Al Ahram, the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization and the Library of Alexandria. Partnering with the Goethe Institute in Cairo and with UNHCR Egypt the group discussed topics of integration and identity in relation to migration and refugees.
During the intense week, the participants also produced their own media product such as podcasts and short films, enganging with the theme of cross-cultural communication.
