Cultural season at Khartoum Comboni College

This symposium was preceded by an exhibition displayed in the central building of CCST where the students could have a visual idea about the contribution of Fr. Vantini to Sudan´s history with some photos of the two archaeological expeditions in which our confrere took part, the Polish one in Faras (1965-1969) that uncovered the wonderful Cathedral of that medieval site, and the Italian one with La Sapienza University at Sonqi Tino (1967-1970), that rescued the treasures found in a small medieval church. The frescoes of these two temples can be visited today in the National Museum of Khartoum.

During the Symposium I presented the life of our confrere as consecrated person and scholar and the reasons why he was considered a world authority in Nubian Studies. Dr. Mohammed Jalal Hashim, a Sudanese linguist and Nubiologist, explained the journey done by scholars concerning Nubiology and the role of Fr. Vantini in the progress of this science.

During the third day, Sudan Film Factory broadcasted three short films produced after a long intensive workshop held at Goethe Institut Sudan in 2010.

Sudanese film industry was completely finished after the application of Islamic Law in 1983.

A former student of our CCK-Secondary School, Talal Afifi, started a project to develop Sudanese cinema anew. The Sudanese filmmakers that realized the three films were present during the projections and discussed with the audience about their challenges. As a consequence of this collaboration, a workshop in filmmaking will be organized by CCST and Sudan Film Factory.

The fourth day instead was organized by the Italian Embassy that proposed the film “The room of the son” by Nanni Moretti. The movie was presented by the Deputy Head of Mission of the Italian Embassy in Sudan, Ms. Valeria Romare.

During the second week instead, from 17^th to 20^th August, the students prepared an exhibition with ten stands that exposed to the visitors the different programmes of the College, some aspects of their original cultures (Ethiopian, Eritrean, South Sudanese, Sudanese), the work of the Sudanese visual artist Ibrahim Mohammed Osman, the scientific contribution of Fr. Vantini and the history of CCK and CCST.

Through the academic stands, the students (Computer Science, Information Technology and English Language and Literature) had occasion to share with the thousands of visitors what they studied in a didactic and interactive way. The Cultural Season ended with a concert in the courtyard of the Secondary School by the famous Sudanese singer Nancy Ajaj. This wonderful concert was possible thanks to the sponsorship of a local company, Dal Motors.

All these activities have strengthened the links between the College and Sudanese society, have expressed the role of a university as mediator of culture with the society in which it is inserted and became a wonderful educational experience for the students who assumed heavy responsibilities and carried them on until the end. The students prepared the design of the fair, the marketing project to get sponsors and assumed all the responsibilities related to the organization.

The activities had a great impact in the local media. Three radios stations (Hala, Sawa and Sahirun) broadcasted programs on the exhibition, the life of Comboni and the educational vision of CCST and several newspapers published different articles on the event (Akhir Lahza, Al-Ayaam, Ar-Ray Al-Am, Al-Jarida).