RHU Associate Professor in the Languages and Liberal Arts Unit at RHU’s College of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Grasiella Harb, participated in the EB Conference 2025, which brought together educators and researchers from across the MENA region. In her insightful presentation, Dr. Harb highlighted how globalization, the internationalization of education, and the increasingly diverse learning styles are reshaping classrooms and interactions.
Dr. Harb emphasized that while these dynamics promote collaboration, they can also cause misunderstandings unless educators see such tensions as learning opportunities with the proper intercultural tools.
Transitioning from theory to practice, participants explored strategies to build inclusive and compassionate learning environments. Through hands-on activities, they discovered ways to increase learners’ openness, empathy, and reflective awareness, key elements for meaningful interaction across differences. Using the Critical Incident Technique Tool and UNESCO Story Circle methodology, participants engaged both intellectually and emotionally, analyzing real-life scenarios, sharing experiences, and connecting through a shared sense of humanity.
“Intercultural communication is not just a soft skill but a survival skill for coexistence,” Dr. Harb emphasized. “Students move beyond tolerance to develop a mindset of ‘we’ instead of ‘us versus them,’ aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals 4 and 16 on inclusive learning and peaceful societies.”