Intercultural Virtual Societal Challenge Debrief
Students from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid sat down and shared some of their thoughts on the five-week Intercultural Virtual Societal Challenge undertaken with students from the University of Rennes2 and Matej Bel University. We asked them what their biggest takeaways were from the experience were, as well as what they found most challenging.
Below, we’ve gathered some highlights for you to enjoy.
What did you learn?
The Trip project was a valuable experience for multiple reasons. First of all, our team-working skills improved, as we were asked to work together, research and create an interesting and professional PechaKucha video presentation, with students from our campus but also from another university. We also had to meet Teamchers’s expectations and coordinate with and consider each other’s contrasting ideas and opinions. Moreover, we got new insights into the topic of racism on the UCM campus, analyzing if and how minorities are represented and dealt with in the university environment.
*
Having a different background than a typical person brought up in the EU, I was fascinated by the fact that racial diversity is not only a problem for countries in eastern Europe but also for those in western Europe, like Spain. I was also really happy that we had the chance to discover the UCM does have some groups and clubs that are promoting diversity and celebrating different cultures and backgrounds.
*
I learned to work in group and to meet deadlines. Every week we sat together and reviewed what the next steps were in the project. We also learned to cooperate with people from other countries who accompanied us in the trip project. On the day of the presentation, we saw how students around the world had approached the trip project.
*
I expanded my knowledge on racism, its implications and how we should have more open conversations about this topic to be active allies. Regarding the issue of racism, I feel this project has helped me be more aware of the problem because most students feel rather indifferent to this issue. At a technical level, I learned how to collect data on a bigger scale and how to use Canva in a different way than the way I’ve always used it. On the other hand, I have become aware of the racism on our campus and how specific policies to fight it need to be implemented.
*
This challenge gave me the opportunity to find out more about the students at UCM and the university's approach to diversity on campus. I was quite surprised to see that some students didn't feel treated equally to others, but it was interesting to find out how everyone felt.
*
This project on the representation of students on our campus has been an enriching experience. It has given me a much deeper understanding of the issues surrounding diversity and inclusion within our university community. Working in collaboration with my classmates and another university was particularly instructive, as it allowed me to explore different points of view and to confront my own ideas with those of others. In addition, this experience has helped me to develop my research, analysis and communication skills through our survey. Finally, this project has also made me aware of the importance of social commitment and action to promote equality and inclusion in our environment.
What were some of the main challenges you faced?
The TRIP project was challenging on different levels. At the end of the project, our overall feeling was very positive, and we were proud of the work we did. The challenge brought us satisfaction for our work, but also a lot of connection when discussing with our peers, as well as interesting and diverse point of views on the topic of racism, which we wouldn’t have thought about as much on our own. It also provided me with new technological and writing skills, thanks to the format of our final project.
*
For my team, not really having at least one Spanish speaker and being extremely new to the university itself meant it was quite hard for us to gather the data for research. But we successfully overcame this problem.
*
As with every group work, especially since it was composed of 6 people, it was very difficult at the beginning to organize ourselves for the project and to listen to everyone’s proposals. In the end, though, we were able to find the perfect solution for everyone. I think this was the most challenging issue for the project.
*
The TRIP project was a fun and interesting experience where I learned much about different social issues, specifically about racism. I improved on my research skills implied in practice. During the project I learned how to research the topic of racism, and research social issues in general. We thought the research would be done there but it was far from that…We had to find a way to engage people into responding to our survey and specifically people who might have experienced racism. This certainly wasn’t an easy mission. Other than that, I learned more about myself and my groupmates and how to operate during working in bigger groups. At the end I volunteered to present the whole project. Presenting being one of my passions was a very good experience for me to improve my skills and to train my public performance. The presentation being recorded in one take made it ever more challenging.