To promote FRIENDS project’s key achievements and benefits to students of HEIs in Cambodia that are not FRIENDS consortium members, SRU and DIU run in early 2022 a FRIENDS Caravan campaign that included 7 face-to-face, 2 virtual and 1 hybrid FRIENDS Caravan events. In total, 491 students from 15 HEIs in Cambodia outside the FRIENDS project were reached out and got acquainted with the the Intercultural Passport virtual module.

FRIENDS Caravans by SRU

1st FRIENDS Caravan by SRU, December 2021

On Friday, 17 December 2021, SRU hosted on their premises the first FRIENDS Caravan. SRU was joined face-to-face by two local institutions while another four HEIs from other provinces joined via Zoom. Presentations were given in both English and Khmer to make sure the audience could understand freely. Teachers involved in the FRIENDS project outlined the history of the project and the theory behind the Intercultural Passport virtual module. SRU students who had been awarded with the Intercultural Passport shared their experiences of completing the MOOC and making their digital stories.

Students from the following institutions attended in person:
• Regional Polytechnic Institute Techo Sen Svay Rieng;
• Svay Rieng Provincial Teacher Training College.

Students from the following institutions attended via Zoom:
• University of Heng Samrin Tbaung Khmum;
• Chea Sim University of Kamcchaymer;
• Asian Institute of Cambodia;
• University of Kratie.

The whole event lasted around 3 hours with 62 participants. (1st FRIENDS Caravan by SRU Agenda, 1st FRIENDS Caravan by SRU Flyer, Digital Storytelling Presentation, What is Digital Storytelling?, FRIENDS Project Introduction, How to Register Tutorial, Speech of Sin Putheasath at the event, Video from the Event)

2nd FRIENDS Caravan by SRU, September 2022

The second FRIENDS Caravan led by SRU was held on Tuesday, 13 September 2022, on the premises of University of Heng Samrin Thbongkhmum (UHST). 60 students attended the event where Svay Rieng students, winners in the Digital Storytelling contest, gave speeches and told the audience about their intercultural experience during the FRIENDS Student Bootcamp in Bulgaria. Presentations of the IACD MOOC and the Importance of the Internationalization at Home were given by SRU. (2nd FRIENDS Caravan by SRU Agenda, Short Video Recordings from the Event – part I, part II, part III)

3rd FRIENDS Caravan by SRU, September 2022

Another successful event, part of the FRIENDS Caravans activities, was held by the SRU on the premises of the Chea Sim University of Kamchaymear on 14 September 2022. 89 students attended the event through which SRU, despite the delays caused by the global pandemic, once again found a way to promote the IACD MOOC as part of the Intercultural Passport virtual module and the concept of Internatiolisation at Home. (3rd FRIENDS Caravans Agenda by SRU, Short Video from the Event)

4th and 5th FRIENDS Caravans by SRU, October 2022

On 26 October 2022, SRU held two virtual Caravans, with respectively 63 and 38 attendees. The Caravans were attended by the students of Kratie University and National University of Battambang. (4th FRIENDS Caravan Agenda, 5th FRIENDS Caravan Agenda, Video Recording from the 4th Caravan, Short Video Recording from the 5th Caravan)

FRIENDS Caravans by DIU

DIU conducted 5 FRIENDS Caravans part of the activities in the FRIENDS project connecting 12 Asian HEIs and thousands of students through the IACD MOOC. All five caravans were organized during the course of summer 2022 on the following dates: 8 July, 12 July, 20 July, 3 August, and 30 August. Students who attended the FRIENDS Bootcamp shared their experience and explained about the advantages of completing the Intercultural Awareness and Cultural Diversity (Massive Online Open Course, or IACD MOOC) and receiving the Intercultural Passport.

A total of 179 participants attended the events hosted by DIU. Students from 5 different higher educational institutions were reached, namely:

– National Vocation Institute of Battambang (Agenda)
– International University, Battambang branch- IUBB (Agenda)
– Phreah Sihanouk Raja Buddhist University, Battambang Branch-SBUBB (Agenda)
– Regional Training Center for Health (Agenda)
– Phare Ponleu Selpak (Agenda)