Media design and integration

Approaches to the integration of refugees in the occupational fields
Media design and media technology

The theme of the 2017 Vocational Education and Training University Days in Cologne was “Respect – the current and future prospects for integration through work, education and employment in the region”. Under the title “Media Design and Integration”, the situation regarding the “Integration of Refugees” was presented and discussed at symposium 13 – Media Design and Media Technology – in various educational contexts for media design and media technology professions.

The success of integration is decided for each individual case in school, vocational and social practice, which is therefore also the focus of the symposium and documentation. The media industry is one of the most demanding and dynamic growth areas of modern societies, which also makes it clear that the education and training of refugees plays a key role in this future field. There are no recipes, but there are successful strategies from various fields of practice, which we looked at during the conference and publication.

If you take a look at the program and the contributions, you will see that it is not just about educational contexts. Working with people who have been traumatized and have had encounters with suffering, death and grief, they encounter a new and strange world here. The symposium discussed how vocational teachers can respond to this situation in a professional and appealing manner.

This conference volume shows different approaches to dealing with the topic and the challenges faced by educational staff.

On the first day of the symposium, procedures and concepts were presented on how to record the skills of immigrants. The experiences in the area of educational orientation and language support showed the challenges that exist in this area. Finally, the use and importance of digital media was demonstrated. The smartphone serves as a translator, learning platform and orientation aid and is therefore indispensable as a medium for the individual learning and living of refugees.

On the second day of the symposium, the creation of a film contribution was presented. In addition to the thematic treatment of the topic of flight among women, it is particularly interesting that cultural and emotional aspects also flow into this film project through the participation of refugees. The conference was rounded off by presentations on the promotion of learning behavior, international artistic work in Tunis, a platform for intercultural exchange, the art collection’s program for international classes and the Hamburg Media School’s training program for refugees.

Integration takes place on different levels, let the contributions convince you.