We are happy to welcome a new Interreg Volunteer Youth (IVY) Reporter to the Joint Secretariat of the Interreg VI-A IPA Hungary–Serbia Programme. IVY gives young people an opportunity to experience European territorial cooperation first-hand, while supporting Interreg programmes and projects in communicating their activities and impact.
Over the next six months, our new colleague will contribute to the Programme’s communication activities, bringing her background in visual communication, photography, filmmaking and media production to our team. But rather than introducing her ourselves, we asked her to tell us more about her journey, her first impressions and what she hopes to discover along the way.

Could you tell us a little about yourself and what attracted you to the IVY Reporter role?

My name is Fatema Alzahraa Kadry, and I am very excited to be joining the Interreg VI-A IPA Hungary–Serbia Programme as an IVY Reporter for the next six months.
My background is in visual communication, photography, filmmaking and media production, and much of my academic and professional work has revolved around one central idea: how stories can be communicated in ways that people can connect with. I am Filmmaker and Assistant Lecturer with a master’s degree in applied arts, focusing on viewer perception in cinematography and how visual elements can shape the way audiences understand, interpret and emotionally engage with what they see.
This is why the IVY Reporter role immediately appealed to me. It brings together communication, creativity and storytelling, but places them in a completely new context. I now can communicate the impact of cross-border cooperation and to help make the work of the Programme and its projects more visible and accessible.

Why did you choose the Interreg VI-A IPA Hungary–Serbia Programme, and how have your first days here been?

I was particularly drawn to the IPA Hungary–Serbia Programme because it offers the chance to work at Programme level and to engage with many different projects, topics, and communities. I hope to deepen my understanding of Interreg, European Territorial Cooperation and the role communication play in bringing everything closer together.
I came here expecting to learn professionally, but it has only been a few days, and I already feel that living somewhere new is changing the way I observe and understand the world around me. There is something exciting about having to pay attention to things that would normally feel ordinary. I flew across a continent, to learn, and experience a different culture, so every day brings something unfamiliar, whether it is a new place, or a new conversation, and I find myself becoming more curious, more open and more willing to step outside what is familiar to me.
What has also made these first days especially encouraging is the atmosphere at the office. Everyone I have met has been welcoming, kind and positive, which has made stepping into such a new environment feel much easier. It already feels like a place where I can learn, ask questions, exchange ideas and genuinely enjoy the experience.

What are you most looking forward to during the next six months, and what would you like to bring to the Programme?

That is perhaps what excites me most about the months ahead: not knowing exactly what I will discover, who I will meet, or how much I will change through the experience. And I hope to contribute by bringing a creative and visual perspective to the Programme’s communication activities, from social media and the newsletter to project stories and event coverage, while learning as much as possible from the people, projects and places I encounter along the way.