AEC Annual Meeting for International Relations Coordinators 2022
“Shaking Hands Again” – Enhancing resilience through internationalisation
Now that we are experienced online collaborators and zoom meeting zombies, it is time to meet in person and shake hands again. Shaking hands to greet each other, to re-connect after this dreadful period and to shake hands on new agreements and projects which we develop together and carry out with our partners. This edition of the AEC Annual Meeting for International Relations Coordinators we will be focused on how internationalisation can be developed by cross-cultural communication and synergies and by being resilient in a challenging and globalised cultural sector.
September 2022 will be again the “IRCs month” where 2 online sessions on 9 and 19 September will take place before the hybrid event in Monopoli (and online) on 22 – 24 September. In the first online session on 9 September Frauke Velghe and Dimitrios Marinos, IRCs WG members, will e-welcome newcomers. This introductory session will be followed by a presentation by Marcel van der Poel on Internationalisation at home. The online sessions on 19 September will be led by the Diversity, Inclusion and Gender Equality (DIGE WG) and the Lifelong Learning (LLL WG) Working Groups from the new AEC – Empowering Artists as Makers in Society (ARTEMIS) project, funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Commission.
During the first day of the IRCs hybrid meeting 2022 the researcher and lecturer Errol Boon will reflect on how to re-set our view on internationalisation so that we could prepare our students for the challenges of a globalised cultural sector. The parallel sessions will give the opportunity to the participants to explore different topics related to well and not so well known topics in the Internationalisation field such as Blended Intensive Programmes (BIPs) and the new Erasmus+ scheme, digital means and the global perspective of internationalisation beyond Europe.
The second day of the conference will start with an inspiring lecture by Lukas Pairon on the social impact of music making. After this session, the participants will have the opportunity to immerse themselves on engaged discussions on the topic during the breakout groups moderated by IRCs WG members. In the afternoon, the in presence participants will visit the beautiful town of Alberobello, placed in the heel of the Italian’s boot, as a part of the IRCs traditional networking activity. Alberobello and its unique trullo buildings, which have been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site, will be the perfect backdrop to meet and network with international colleagues in an informal setting.
On the third and last day of the IRCs meeting we will dedicate a special session on how to help, how to manage and how to comfort people who are affected by the war in Ukraine the most, where participants will gain first-hand experiences and good practices from colleagues who are in the midst of this ordeal.
Last but not least, participants will be able to present international projects, initiatives and activities at the Information Forum and Market.
The very last session of the conference will be intended not to shake hands but to other very noble use: eat and drink. Don’t forget to bring the most special or typical food or drink from your country or region and share it with your international colleagues!
We are looking forward to welcoming you at the Conservatorio di Musica “Nino Rota” in the lovely town of Monopoli (get to know our hosts by watching this video!). We invite you all to enjoy the hospitality, the atmosphere, the food and wine and most of all the company of great colleagues and friends.
Let’s shake hands again!
