It was a week of educational diplomacy between the School of Media and Communication, Taylor’s University and the University of Split, Croatia in a spirit of international exchange partnership. The forging of this global academic partnership collaboration funded by the European Union under the ERASMUS+ Programme, was led by Prof Dr. Neethiahnanthan Ari Ragavan, Executive Dean of Faculty of Social Sciences and Leisure Management and Ms. Prema Ponnudurai, Head of School of Media & Communication from Taylor's University; Professor Dr. Silvana Tokić and Ms. Mia Vatavuk, Head of International Relations & Mobility (ERASMUS+) from University of Split, Croatia.
The prestigious ERASMUS, an acronym for "European Region Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students" is a programme founded by the European Commission in 1987 with the aim to foster international educational exchange programmes and the ERASMUS+ was established to promote cooperation between universities and higher education institutions across Europe with global institutions to which Taylor’s University is a member.
The students and academics from the Bachelor of Mass Communication (Hons) (Digital Media Production) programme benefitted greatly through the lecture session conducted by Professor Dr. Silvana Tokić, titled “Film as a Socio-Political and Propaganda Tool”, providing insights through the European socioeconomical and political lens. During the lecture session, the students also had the opportunity to understand the vast prospects for mobility and other exchange possibilities through the ERASMUS fund in order to leverage on the international experience while enabling them to manage educational costs efficiently.
Additionally, this programmes also provided opportunities to pave the way for sustainable partnership collaborations, academic exchanges between both institutions and set the stage for avenues to enable students and faculty members to engage in research, faculty exchange and study programmes at each other’s campuses.
The heart of this collaboration revolves around fostering a symbiotic relationship delving into the possibilities provided by the ERASMUS+ funding from the European Union, for the benefit of international educational exchanges, gaining exposure and expertise from both institutions for quality education.