Students from 11 higher education institutions from Malaysia, Thailand, Bhutan, Cambodia and the Philippines are visiting VUM in Bulgaria. 49 winners of the FRIENDS digital story-telling contest of 2022 are in Bulgaria for the FRIENDS Boot Camp that began on Monday, 6 June 2022 and will finish on 1 July 2022. Modules to be taught are in the areas of cross-cultural studies, creativity and innovation, and event management.

The main objective of the project is to develop the global competence of Partner countries universities’ students through the integration of intercultural dimensions into universities’ formal and informal curriculum.

In addition to the planned modules for training, they will have the opportunity to enjoy the lively Bulgarian Black Sea coast and summer life. Travelling and meeting new people always involves getting to know new food and cuisine from all over the world. At the very beginning of the FRIENDS Boot Camp at VUM, students had the chance to participate in a snack exchange. Exchange of goodies, delicious treats and sweets from the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia and Bhutan were a fun way to celebrate the first week of the boot camp.

Students from Royal Thimphu College, Svay Rieng University, Dewey International University, Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation, Berjaya University College, Saint Louis University, University of Cebu, Cebu Technological University, Prince of Songkla University, Payap University, and Mahasarakham University attended the Bootcamp in-person, while their peers from the Royal Institute of Management were prevented from travelling and attended online.

Agenda of the FRIENDS Student Bootcamp