There are so many theories and concepts dealing with intercultural competences and standards. They can certainly help in some situations but they often fail to work in real life.

You probably know that people from different countries need different personal spaces. But you still feel uncomfortable if somebody stands too close or too distant from you while you are talking to him/her. – Of course you are aware that the importance of punctuality differs in different societies, but you are annoyed anyway when you have to wait for your cooperating team partner for the fifth time a week.

In interactive exercises you can find out how to cope with unexpected situations and how to communicate with people who have different opinions from your own. There is not a standardized right way. Everyone has to develop his own strategies how to deal with intercultural uncertainties and misunderstandings. The first important step is to reflect upon your own cultural attitudes and values.

This course is also the basic module of the Certificate of Intercultural Competence .

Topics we will tackle:

• Notion of Culture
• Cultural awareness and cultural imprinting
• Cultural identity
• Cultural values and attitudes
• Different communication styles