3:35 – 5:35 PM CET

The first work session is opened at 3.35 pm, in the presence of the following participants:

Ola Hussein – Al-Quds University AQU

Enas Alzain – Al -Istiqlal University

Amer Shehadeh – Al -Istiqlal University

Rihab Alsadi – Al -Istiqlal University

Mohammed Assaf – Al -Istiqlal University

Anwar Abuhanod – Al -Istiqlal University

Omar Halabi – Al-Quds University AQU

Iyad El-Halaq – Al-Quds University AQU

Melina Aparici – Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Olga Soler – Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Xavier Biarnes – Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Ugo Pace – University Kore of Enna

Maria Karekla – University of Cyprus

Dafne Morroni – University of Cyprus

Daniela Stornaiuolo – Kore University of Enna

Peter Di Peter – CISS

Valentina Venditti – CISS

The beginning of the session is characterized by the presentation of the individual participants representing all the institutions participating in the project. In particular Aparici Aznar, Pace, Di Pietro and Venditti, belonging to Kore, Autonoma University and CISS, the three institutions that conceived the project proposal illustrate the motivations that led to the presentation of such a project to the European Community, underlining how a line of intervention such as that of International Capacity Building is fundamental for increasing educational capabilities in developing countries. Subsequently, the representatives of two of the beneficiary universities (Osama Hamdouna of Al Azar University, being the university located in Gaza, has many difficulties in connecting continuously), Ola Hussein, Enas Alzain, Rihab Alsadi, Omar Halabi from Al-Quds and Al-Istiqlal University underline how the increase in practical knowledge about psychological intervention is fundamental, especially in very critical times such as the one characterizing Palestine at the moment.

In the second part of the afternoon, the specific treatment of the intervention topics begins: to start the work is the scientific coordinator of the project, Ugo Pace who, as reported in the first point of the agenda, focuses the discussion on a fundamental preliminary aspect to the implementation on the ground of the first project activities. Indeed, partners and colleagues of the Palestinian Universities are asked for an update on the current situation experienced by them as by the entire Palestinian population both in the territories of West Bank and especially in Gaza, the scene of the dramatic humanitarian crisis due to the indiscriminate Israeli military operations.

In this sense, both Dr Iyad El-Halaq of Al Quds University and Dr Amer Shehadeh of Al Istiqlal University confirmed that, beyond the difficulties concerning the climate of uncertainty and tension suffered by the population even in the occupied territories, there are currently no impediments or objective limits to the implementation of activities on the ground. A completely different situation is obviously suffered by the staff of Al Azhar University in Gaza, where essential services and minimum safety standards are lacking. Considered the difficulty in accessing even remote activities, due to the lack of regular internet connections, as highlighted by Dr. Montaser of Al Azhar, the objective, shared by the representatives of the entire project consortium, is to postpone all the activities planned in the field, starting to implement that set of actions that can be carried out as desk work.

It is on the basis of these concrete conditions that Dr Pace and Dr Di Pietro of CISS shared with the partners, thanks to a presentation in PP, a general overview of the project framework, in terms of objectives, results, activities and expected timeline.

In particular, they focus on the tasks and activities to be carried out on the start-up phase, both at the level of project management and development of training contents.

Regarding the first aspect, Dr. Pace and Dr. Di Pietro converge on the priority to finalize the management outputs, starting from the Action plans and the Monitoring and Evaluation plan, on the basis of the actual conditions of feasibility in the ground, given how the situation is in progress. Anyway – they add – the KO meeting will serve to define the team of representatives composing, from each partner, the steering committee.

With regards to the second aspect, all the participants recognize the need to create the database – preliminary step to the development of the Capacity Building and Training program – by duly updating the set of data and information collected and analyzed for the previous elaboration of the project proposal.

On this direction, it is unanimously approved the methodological proposal made by Dr. Di Pietro to do a first update of the learning assessment during the work session of the 28th of May. To create the database, the partners agree on starting from the set of information and data that can be collected through desk work, such as interviews and focus groups to be carried out online, to integrate them – where possible or preferable – with field activities. The organization of the database will allow to verify the baselines concerning the specific training needs as well as the various obstacles faced by academic staff, such as teachers, students, researchers and experts. This will make it possible to adequately monitor the progressive achievement of the project outcomes.

At the end of this work session, the coordinators of the local research groups will be appointed, who will create the main working group through which to exchange opinions, intervention methodologies and intervention review processes. The task of the coordinators group, made up of the Principal Investigator and a representative for each institution involved in the project, will also be to manage the dissemination part of the actions carried out, especially the construction and management of the project website. Furthermore, the task of the group of coordinators will be to build and manage the e-learning platform in terms of content, involvement of participants and finalization of the project deliverables.

The group is made up of:

Ugo Pace , Principal Investigator of the Project

Pietro Di Pietro , Coordinator for the Ciss

Melina Aparici Aznar , Coordinator for University Autonoma de Barcelona

Alessia Passanisi , Coordinator for Kore University of Enna

Ola Hussein , Coordinator for Al-Quds University

Enas Alzain , Coordinator for Al-Istiqlal University

Osama Hamdouna , Coordinator for Al Azhar University

Based on this readjustment of the work plan for the second session, the first work session closes at 5.35 pm.

2nd SESSION

28th of MAY

9:15 – 12:45 AM CET

The second work session is opened at 9.15 am, in the presence of the following participants:

Ola Hussein Al-Quds University AQU

Enas Alzain Al -Istiqlal University

Rihab Alsad Al -Istiqlal University

Omar Halabi Al-Quds University AQU

Melina Aparici Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Olga Soler Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Ugo Pace University Kore of Enna

Dafne Morroni University of Cyprus

Chiara Vona University Kore of Enna

Peter Di Peter CISS

Valentina Venditti CISS

As agreed in the previous work session, Dr. Pace starts the meeting by organizing the updating activity of the need assessment. On this purpose, each Palestinian partner is called to validate, by integrating or modifying, the learning needs of his own academic staff, concerning both students and teachers and researchers.

With regards to the students’ needs, the representatives of Al Quds, Dr Ola Hussein and Dr Enas Alzain of Al Istiqlal identify, with respect to the thematic categories:

Educational needs: Improving and modernizing curricula and providing practical training.
Psychological and social needs: Improving psychological services. (ie Individual treatment, individual counseling, family and group counseling, counseling for students, orientation and guidance)
Vocational needs: Improving practical training and vocational application. (ie after universities, practical skills to find/apply for a job – preparation of CV, presentation, job application, tips)
Trainings to increase the ability to practice psychodiagnostic methods
Tutorials and trainings concerning design an individualized treatment plan
Sufficient practical applications in individual, group and family counseling sessions – practical skills for students when they start working/matching skills required from the labor market and skills of the students
Development of the study plan and course descriptions according to modern psychological trends

With regards to the teachers’ needs, they identify, with respect to the thematic categories:

Educational and training needs: Improve curriculum, training, and professional development
Special training on emotional speech from professors to students
Training on how to deal with psychological trauma for students and professors,
Training on coping strategies during crises, Psychology emergency
Training on the use of tools for professors and students.
Integrating technology into teaching methods (e-learning)
Trainings to increase the ability to practice psychodiagnostic methods

Given the impossibility of participating in the meeting, caused by the lack of internet connection, Dr Hamdouna of Al Azhar University subsequently integrated notes and notes on the needs analysis. He specifically highlights the main project outcome, that is upgrading the practical and theoretical students’ skills and competencies in order to effectively deal with psychological needs of the Palestinian community. To achieve the goal, Dr Hamdouna adds, it is necessary to improve the study plan making it more practical oriented. On this purpose, the members of psychology department must be trained on the practical aspects mainly concerning the main 2 processes of the psychological work which are:-

1- Diagnosis and every skills involved in this process such as, psychometric testing, holding the diagnostic interview etc…

2- The therapeutic process, including all of its techniques and skills, including the therapeutic approaches such as, CBT.

In addition, he focuses on the importance to build the scheduled infrastructure such as labs with their provided equipments.

Once led the general considerations about the need assessment update, Dr Pace discusses the organization of the project launch event, the International conference to be organized at the University of Enna with the online participation of experts and project coordinators of partners from Spain and Palestine.

It is agreed to set a date for the event within the month of September, to be established for the next project meeting, set for 25 June 2024. Before concluding the second work session, Dr Di Pietro reminds the partners to review the partnership agreements in a short time in order to forward them signed to the University of Enna.

Done a quick recap of the points covered in the two-day meeting, the KO closes at 12:45 am

PSYCHO-PRAC Project

Presentation

List of participants

Project meetings

Project Meeting, 27th of May 2024

Project meeting, 25th of June 2024

Project meeting, 21st of October 2024

Project Meeting, 5th of December 2024

Meeting pictures

Work Package

Materials