Overcoming the Communication challenges at the EUSAIR Communication Academy 2.0
At the start of July, from the 5th to the 6th, the Communication Academy 2.0 was organised with great success in Thessaloniki, Greece, as it welcomed a diverse group of participants, including journalists, key implementers, and government communicators from the EUSAIR region. By uniting these three distinct groups, the Academy has tried to address challenges in the communication of the EUSAIR.
Refining Essential Communication Skills
The Academy focused on improving essential communication skills and participating in compelling workshops. To further enhance their proficiency in conveying the fundamental "Five W + H" of the EUSAIR: What, Where, When, Who, Why and How.
By doing so, the participants learnt in practice how to present complex and abstract issues in a straightforward and compelling way, making them understandable to all, EUSAIR stakeholders and the public.
The sessions and workshops of the Communication Academy provided a valuable platform for learning and growth. The participants put a lot of effort into improving their communication skills within the EUSAIR context. During the informative workshops, participants acquired valuable insights into different aspects of EUSAIR. For example, they explored topics such as understanding the goals of the EUSAIR, as well as how to present these goals to the public.
During the workshops, the main emphasis was translating complex topics into simple, easy-to-understand messages. Moreover, the Communication Academy presented innovative approaches in integrating the latest technological advancements, such as Artificial Intelligence - AI, in communication
The participants attended the following sessions.
EUSAIR - EU’s… what?! (Dino Subašić, Journalist)
The lecture and discussion focused on simplifying the basic principles of EUSAIR for an inquisitive audience, emphasizing the importance of clarity, encouraging all questions, and promoting widespread understanding and engagement throughout the region.
I’m sorry, I’m not sure I understand what you meant (Katja Kek, Communication consultant)
The workshop aimed to address the common challenges of communication in today's distractive world by teaching techniques to transform complex issues into simple and easily understandable messages, considering the challenge of limited attention spans and selective focus.
Plain language (Gabriel Alvarez, Communication Consultant)
During this session, participants gained the skills to communicate with clarity, enabling the audience to understand quickly the content through various techniques focused on concise and effective messaging. The participants also took part in a practical exercise of rewriting a EUSAIR text and applying the newly acquired knowledge.
From Complicated to Clear: Leveraging ChatGPT for EU Program Messaging (Dimitris Dimitriadis, Futurist, Institute for Futures & Foresight Research - IFFR DAO)
During the workshop, the participants had the opportunity to learn how to use OpenAI's ChatGPT language model to simplify and clarify complex language commonly found in EU-funded programs. The goal was to make the messages more inclusive and accessible to a wider audience while also utilizing Artificial intelligence - AI to enhance communication effectiveness within the EUSAIR. The workshop included real-world examples to help participants learn practical skills.
What to communicate (Gabriel Alvarez, Communication Consultant)
This session emphasized the importance of aligning communication with organizational goals. It outlined the necessary steps on what to do, with a particular focus on stakeholder mapping and key messages. The participants followed a practical exercise to craft effective key messages to test their skills.
Communication with media (Gabriel Alvarez, Communication Consultant)
This session guided participants on effectively communicating project achievements to the media. The participants worked together to create a press release to share the achievements of a EUSAIR project.
