Mélanie Lalieu on assignment in Senegal
Mélanie experienced some pivotal events within these institutions. In particular, she participated in the graduation ceremony of the 51st class of CESTI. On this occasion, she handed over media material to support our partner, after the riots of June 2023 destroyed part of the buildings. This donation, as well as Mélanie's presence as a representative of IHECS, were particularly noted and appreciated during the ceremony.
In her capacity as president of the Master in Cultural and Social Communication, Mélanie also met with the heads of the Master in Arts and Culture Professions at Gaston Berger University in Saint-Louis. Given the many aspects in common between the two programmes, these exchanges made it possible to share ideas and practices, while strengthening the ties between Belgium and Senegal.
In addition, Mélanie took advantage of this mission to identify projects and potential collaborations between IHECS, universities and professionals in the sector in Senegal. The objective is to develop joint projects and create internship opportunities for MaCCS students. Among the places visited, the Aminata Cultural Center in Gandiol stood out as an excellent potential site for our students' internships, thanks to its cultural and social commitment. During this mission, Mélanie was accompanied by Codou Loume, a well-known personality at IHECS. Codou spent a four-month advanced training programme at IHECS thanks to an ARES scholarship and was one of the speakers at the European Journalism Conference in Brussels in November 2022.
This trip was also a source of personal enrichment for Mélanie. She had the opportunity to discover local initiatives such as the justice houses, which work to mediate conflicts, often related to debts or domestic violence. These experiences strengthened her understanding of local social issues, which she will share with her students during future departmental meetings and courses.
This trip to Senegal, particularly to Dakar and Saint-Louis, allowed IHECS to strengthen and develop its relations with its partners, while promoting our institution in this region of the world.
