An-Najah University Celebrates Students and Faculty Who Participated in the Intercultural Dialogue Virtual Exchange Programs
On Tuesday, February 14, the Virtual Exchange Collaborative under the supervision of the Office of International Development and External Affairs and the Office of Vice President for Academic Affairs, organized a recognition ceremony for the participants, alumni and faculty of the fall semester Soliya Connect Programs. The event aimed at recognizing outstanding participants who had high attendance and participation within the program and professors who allocated course credit to their students' participation.
The event was led by the An Najah Soliya ambassadors, a group of outstanding alumni who helped with recruitment, registration and mentorship throughout the fall semester.
Opening remarks were made by the Assistant to the VP of Academic Affairs, Abdel Khaleq Issa who emphasized on the University's priority of providing quality intercultural learning and virtual exchange education opportunities to our academic community that prepare them for the 21st Century job market.
Following Dr Abdel Khaleq's remarks, Ms. Asma Abdelrahman who is a Connect programs coordinator for Soliya joined via zoom from Egypt to show her appreciation for the students, ambassadors and faculty who have made this program a success.
The Connect programs are 8- and 4-week cross-cultural education programs offered by the international NGO Soliya Inc., that enables college students from the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) to connect, collaboratively explore the relationships between their societies, establish a deeper understanding for the perspectives of others around the world on global issues, and develop critical 21st century skills.
Each student is placed in a different online group with approximately ten students from around the world, and each group meets online once a week for two hours via a videoconferencing platform. During the weekly sessions, students meet with their peers, share opinions, and hear groupmates’ perspectives about critical issues that are important to them in a student-centered format. Topics covered during the program typically include, but are not limited to: identity, culture and stereotypes, global challenges, intercultural communication, values and social norms, life experiences and worldviews, the economy and job market, and youth empowerment. Through participation in the program, students develop and / or improve upon skills such as leadership, critical analysis, cross-cultural communication, teamwork, collaborative problem-solving, and engaging with differences constructively.
An-Najah University has the largest number of participants per semester in this program compared with all other international participating institutional partners, with an anticipated 160-180 students participating in this Spring 2023 academic semester.
To learn more about the An Najah Virtual Exchange Collaborative, visit this page: https://www.najah.edu/en/virtual-exchange/ or contact [email protected]
