Communication Studies Students Learn About the Work of the Jesuit Refugee Service Through Service-Learning

First-year graduate students of Communication Studies visited the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) in Zagreb on May 25 and June 1 as part of the International Communication course, led by Associate Professor Irena Sever Globan, PhD. The visit was organized within the Uniservitate project, which focuses on service-learning, and allowed students to directly familiarize themselves with the work of an organization whose activities are based on the mission to "Accompany, Serve, and Advocate."

During the two meetings, students organized a series of workshops for JRS beneficiaries dedicated to themes of non-violent communication, intercultural differences, and the specifics of non-verbal communication in various cultures. They also held workshops on creating high-quality CVs and language workshops aimed at assisting beneficiaries in daily communication and easier navigation within their new environment.

A special part of the activities consisted of conversations and interviews that the students conducted with beneficiaries, volunteers, and JRS project managers. In this way, they had the opportunity to learn firsthand about the experiences of individuals forced to leave their homes, while also discovering more about the challenges and opportunities of their integration into Croatian society.

Participation in this project provided students with a valuable learning experience outside the classroom and an opportunity to connect theoretical knowledge acquired during the semester with concrete social challenges. Through joint work and dialogue, they developed international communication competencies, gained a better understanding of different cultural perspectives, and became aware of the importance of creating an inclusive society, especially for persons of refugee and migrant backgrounds.

Such encounters confirm the importance of service-learning as an integral part of academic education and contribute to the development of students' professional and personal competencies. Simultaneously, they offer an opportunity to get to know the work of the Jesuit Refugee Service, an organization that, through its programs and activities, daily promotes dignity, solidarity, and intercultural understanding, remaining faithful to its mission to "Accompany, Serve, and Advocate."