The visibility of the EU-funded programmes, Erasmus+ in particular, is an issue of vital importance not only for the implemented projects themselves but also for the institutions in which these projects are being implemented. Although this is a contractual obligation clearly set in the grant agreements signed between the EU Commission and the projects beneficiaries, its importance comes from the linkage to the overall communication plan, the institutional ownership of the projects results and the internationalisation strategy of each beneficiary institution. It also shows the way each institution is reaching out to its different stakeholders, students in particular.
A preliminary scan that has been conducted over the websites and other social media of 37 Lebanese universities out of which 65% are involved in one or more of the Erasmus+ international actions, showed that there is a diversity of practices in disseminating the EU-funded projects in terms of the access to the information, the visual identity of the action used and the level of the presence of these Erasmus+ actions.
The remaining 13 Lebanese higher education institutions that are not covered by the pre-event scan represent less than 1% of the higher education student population in Lebanon and do not have a website or any other social media tool. Moreover, none of these institutions has ever benefited from an EU-funded programme.
The meeting aims to discuss this visibility issue by exchanging practices, benchmarking with different models adopted, suggesting possible measures for improvement and underlining its importance at the eve of the launching of the new phase 2021-2027 of the Erasmus+ programme. It also aims to reflect on the reinforcement of the HEIs communication plans towards a transparent international identity.
The meeting will also provide an opportunity to update the audience on the upcoming new call for proposals under Erasmus+ 2021-2027 and to revisit the national impact study carried out about the CBHE projects implemented in Lebanon with view to draw those recommendations addressing the visibility issue.
The 27 CBHE projects implemented in Lebanon between 2015 and 2020, VPs for Internationalisation, International relations officers and people in charge of implementing institutional communication plans are invited to this meeting.
Expected outcomes: Raising awareness about the importance of the visibility issue, exchange of practices, recommendations for the future.
Visibility of Erasmus+ in the media tools of the Lebanese higher education institutions
Thursday October 28, 2021
Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3736380377?pwd=MXdaaVAyckZkSDNjZ0dqRmt1QVU5UT09
Agenda
10:30 – 10:35 Introduction by NEO Lebanon
10:35 – 10:45 Update on the new programme by Clivio Casali (EACEA)
10:45 – 10:55 Conclusions from the National Impact Study on CBHE projects
10:55 – 11:00 Poll
11:00 – 11:20 Findings of surveying EU visibility and scanning the universities’ media tools
11:20 – 12:20 Panel discussion over the following issues:
- How much are the institutions aware of the contractual obligations about visibility of the EU-funded projects as set in the signed Grant Agreements?
- Level of satisfaction with the visibility of the EU-funded projects across the institutions’ communication tools? What measures, if any, can be taken to improve this visibility?
- Linking the issue of visibility to the internationalisation strategy, the institutional ownership of the project results, the dissemination policy among stakeholders (students in particular) and the attractiveness of each institution.
Panel participants
Rami Abboud, Vice-President for Internationalisation and Engagement, University od Balamand
Carla Edde, Vice-Rector for International Relations, University Saint-Joseph of Beirut
Rima Mattar, Deputy President for International Affairs and Global Initiatives, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik
Soubhi Abou Chahine, Dean of Student Affairs, Beirut Arab University
Nael Alame, Provost, Modern University for Business and Science
Dina Abdul Rahman, Director, Office of International Services, Lebanese American University
Hala Dimchkie, Director Office of International Programs, American University of Beirut
12:20 – 12:30 Conclusions
| Hala Dimechkie | AUB |
| Maya Nabhani | AUB |
| Noura EL Hassan | AUB |
| Hiba Othman | AUST |
| Amani Bsat | BAU |
| Rima M. Chehab | BAU |
| Sobhi Abou Chahine | BAU |
| Clivio Casali | EACEA |
| Orla Colclough | EU Delegation to Lebanon |
| Dima Hamidi Sakr | LAU |
| Dima Abdelrahman | LAU |
| Walid Marrouch | LAU |
| Zoya Zahabi | LAU |
| Anwar Kawtharani | LIU |
| Clovis Francis | LU |
| Marie Karam Aboujaoude | LU |
| Pascale Salameh | LU |
| Selim Mekdessi | LU |
| Joyce Kheir | LU |
| Rania Saikaly Braidy | Ministry of Education and Higher Education |
| Nael Alami | MUBS |
| Rania Najem | NDU |
| Najib Metni | NDU |
| Amer Helwani | NEO Lebanon |
| Yasmine Al Gharib | NEO Lebanon |
| Aref Alsoufi | NEO Lebanon |
| Odile Feghali | UA |
| Rony Darazi | UA |
| Najib Gerges | UOB |
| Makram El Bachawati | UOB |
| Mantoura Nakad | UOB |
| Melanie Shehadie | UOB |
| Michael Salem | UOB |
| Rami Abboud | UOB |
| Sabine Saba | UOB |
| Yara Nasr | UOB |
| Rima Manneh | UOB |
| Marianne Saba | UOB |
| Melissa Greck | USEK |
| Randa Al Chidiac | USEK |
| Rania Succar | USEK |
| Rima Mattar | USEK |
| Darine Geara | USEK |
| Roger Matta | USEK |
| Walid Harb | USEK |
| Rania Honein | USEK |
| Joan Samaha | USEK |
| Frederic Zakhia | USF |
| Soeur Marie Marguerite | USF |
| Carla Edde | USJ |
| Nayla Hocheimy | USJ |
| Nizar Hariri | USJ |
| Christine Wazen |