The academic summer of HIT representatives in Belgium

Three students and five lecturers from the School of Multidisciplinary Studies participated in the "Summer School" at Thomas More University in Belgium.

For the third year, lecturers from the School of Multidisciplinary Studies have participated as teaching staff at the 'Summer School' held by Thomas More University in Belgium. Still, this year is the first time three undergraduate students from the Institute also traveled. "Summer School" is a gathering of students from around the world for two weeks to work in multidisciplinary teams on entrepreneurial projects that promote retail accessibility for minority groups - how to promote accessibility in supermarket shopping and stores for marginalized groups. This year, the event focused on visually impaired and blind people.

About 20 students from all over the world came to the Summer School held in the first half of September 2023 at the campus in the city of Geel to work together on a topic that combines sustainability with entrepreneurship. This academic summer event provided an opportunity to develop various entrepreneurial skills, such as teamwork, accelerated development of projects with a focus on innovation and creativity, intercultural awareness, and of course, multidisciplinary communication.

During two weeks of intensive work, the students received guidance. They were accompanied by experts in business entrepreneurship, social work, and design thinking, as well as cooperation with a local supermarket chain that promotes the implementation of solutions in sustainability and accessibility.

It was an experience I will never forget," writes Shenhav Gida, a third-year student at the Faculty of Instructional Technologies, on her LinkedIn page. "This year's Summer School focused on the blind and visually impaired - and how to improve their ability to shop more independently in the supermarket. We had two weeks to develop a business idea, design a prototype, build a presentation, and offer it to one of the largest retail groups in Belgium - Colruyt Group.

I was on the team with 2 students From Germany, one from Spain, and one from India. "I never thought of myself in such a diverse group, but it turns out we had much more in common than we thought.".

Together with Shenhav were Noa Idan, a student in the Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, and Adi Barel, a student in the Department of Digital Medical Technologies. From the School's academic faculty, Dr. Yoel Tawil, Dr. Galit Wellner, Dr. Noga Gulst, Dr. Yaron Katz, and Ms. Chen Iluz, head of the School's administration, contributed their part and gave lectures and workshops and guided the students Working on the projects.

HIT Holon Institute of Technology is proud to participate in an international activity with various academic and research institutions worldwide. The Institute maintains a cooperation network with about 130 academic institutions in 35 countries.

Thomas More is the largest university of applied sciences in the Flanders region of Belgium, where approximately 28,000 students study within more than 30 study programs offered on seven campuses.

Posted: 21/09/2023