BZU, University of Paris III to establish a center for Media and Information Literacy

A delegation from the University of Paris III: Sorbonne Nouvelle, headed by the Media Information Literacy (MIL) professor and researcher Bérangère Blondeau visited Birzeit University and discussed the prospects of establishing a “Smile Center”; a project that allows youth to create and produce their own media and technology.

The delegation met with the University President Abdullatif Abuhijleh, the Vice President for Planning and Development Mirvat Bulbul, and professor of electrical and computer engineering Wasel Ghanem.

President Abdullatif Abuhijleh reaffirmed the university’s mission to provide tools for educators to advance critical analysis, innovative skills and to create of quality media and digital content. “We offer several programs and projects that encourage our students to invent, design, code, create and compete.”

Blondeau introduced the concept of the project. “The Smile Center is a French model that will be adapted to the local environment’s needs. It will include a number of stakeholders and will be a research-based center that combines theory with practice.”

“We aim to empower youth to become active citizens”, she continued. “Active citizenship can only be reached through unified values and notions. Technology and Media can make boundaries vanish”.

 Birzeit, according to Blondeau will be the main partner along with other universities and the UNESCO Chair.

“The MIL center will seeks to educate youth in a Holistic manner that will allow freedom of expression in an informed and responsible manner. “ The project will allow youth to create and produce their own media technology whilst learning about the creation of media in respect to the seven competences of Media Information Literacy (MIL): Comprehension, Creativity, Critical Thinking, Citizenship, Consumption, Inter-cultural Communication, and Conflict Resolution,” Blondeau concluded.