PhD, associate professor of the Department of International Economic Relations Oksana Zamora has participated in a 3-day international training “Learning through Engagement Lab“, which took place in Berlin from 5 to 7 October 2023, and targeted students, Higher Education Staff, and workers of Civil Society Organisations. The project Enriching Communities through Engaged Mobilities (ECEM) is coordinated by the Erasmus Student Network (ESN). The lab brought together 30 participants from wider Europe who are active members of local civil society organizations, community leaders, representatives of higher education institutions, universities, and students. It was a wonderful opportunity to explore the potential of stronger collaborations between community organizations, students, and universities to address local needs effectively and delve into transformative and innovative solutions to societal challenges through co-creation within the framework of Community-engagement learning programs for international students.
Community-engagement learning has emerged as a powerful educational approach that fosters meaningful connections between students and their host communities while promoting civic engagement, cultural exchange, and social responsibility. Through this Lab, participants delved into the benefits and challenges of implementing community-engagement learning programs tailored specifically to the needs and aspirations of international students.
During the Lab, there was the opportunity to:
- Engage in thought-provoking conversations on the potential role of service-learning in higher education and community engagement.
- Share experiences, best practices, and innovative ideas in fostering community engagement for international students.
- Network with active members of civil society organizations, community leaders, representatives of higher education, universities, and fellow students.
- Learn from case studies and visit Berlin-based service-learning projects
- Explore opportunities for collaboration and partnership to collectively enhance community engagement through service-learning initiatives.
Lab approach created an environment of deep listening, sharing, and reflection, enabling participants to explore the complexity of the challenges via active participation and sharing of experiences, learnings, approaches, and challenges in order to secure collective co-creating and envisioning potential scenarios, recommendations, and actions to be taken. As a result, the participants received certificates of participation.
