PowerPointPrsentation

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Intercultural Competencies in Higher
Education" some issues and experiences  with
an intercultural train-the-trainer course at the
Nekrassow University of Kostroma Russia
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Overview
Why? Intercultural competencies in Higher
Education What? Learning Goals and Learning
Contents Best practice / Lessens learned
Example Russia Experiences with an
intercultural train-the-trainer module How?
Teaching Methods Which instruments? What?
Contents of intercultural trainings
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Definition of Culture
A pattern of basic assumptions invented,
discovered or developed by a given group (as it
learns to cope with its problems of external
adaptation and internal integration ....) taught
to new members as the correct way to perceive,
think and feel in relation to these problems.
(Edgar Schein 1985)     This silent language
includes a broad range of evolutionary concepts,
practices and solutions to problems which have
their roots ... in the shared experiences of
ordinary people. (Edward T. Hall 1959)
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Why? Intercultural competencies in Higher
Education
Globalization Need for intercultural
co-operation in science and society Bringing
together ideas synergy effects Learning of
disputing (a lot of cultures have no
experience in free debating (changing
arguments)) -gt The Higher Education has to take
into account modules or subjects for gaining
intercultural competencies
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Example Russia
Especially in regions like Russia or Middle Asia
there is the need to learn open mindedness for
cultural differences beyond folklore and exotic.
In the last 100 years there was no chance to
identify differences as cultural moulded so
people have no experience in anticipating
cultural conflicts and in developing productive
solutions. In times of opening to the western
world students and scientists need such learning
chances to be able to join in international
scientific dialogues (keyword arguing culture)
complementing their specialized knowledge.
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What? Learning goals
Intercultural (self and foreign) awareness is
much more useful than learning dos and donts of
concrete cultures

• -gt Learning goals
• To adopt knowledge about foreign culture norms
• To reflect the own cultural programming
• To coordinate action modes which are different by
  culture
• To understand strange cultures

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Intercultural Competencies in Higher Education
Empathy and changing perspectives

• Sympathy is based on cultural similarities
• Empathy is based on the acceptance of differences

• The most important mechanism is the process
• of changing perspectives (G.H. Mead) put
  oneself in somebodys shoes

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2 Perspectives
German rules
Russian rules
?
overlapping understanding co-construction
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Intercultural competencies at the University
Kostroma Activities

• Developing a curriculum for an interdisciplinary
  subject
• Conducting a train-the-trainer (multiplicators)
  programme
• Research on differences in learning and teaching

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Thesis
1. Teaching and learning are cultural
determined! 2. So intercultural teaching and
learning have to take into account
intercultural aspects in a double way!
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Experiences with an intercultural
train-the-trainer-course in Kostroma (Russia)
best practices and lessons learned
Different points of interest Different
understanding of topics Different activities as
ways of learning Different social learning
settings
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Different points of interest. Example -
definitions of culture
Deterministic definition culture as collective
programming of the mind (Hofstede) Semiotic
definition culture as developed in communication
processes (system of meaning) (Geertz) Everyday
life definition culture as manners Cultural
studies definition culture as an expression of
the power-ful people media are important
transmitters (Birmingham School)
Conclusion The aspect of power, media and
culture (cultural studies) is in Russia much
more important than in Germany!
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Different understanding of topics
The words strange or foreigners dont exist
in the Russian language. Its difficult to
understand concepts for which your language has
no word. This aspect refers to another
traditional coping with foreigners as we are
experienced. Conclusion We have to take in mind
that there is not the same point of view.
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Different activities as ways of learning
Open discussions as we know in Germany are
unknown in Russia but reflections that follow
artistic approaches like painting (individual
cultural trees) or acting (nonverbal welcome
rituals) are more practicable than in Germany
the same is with analysing written material
(about cultural standards). Conclusion Russian
students are unable to discuss without common
ground (e.g. brainstorming) but they are very
well in debating about wordings.At the beginning
its useful to use a methodological mixture so
you can find out the best instruments.
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Example Cultural Standards
Hall Germany monochronic time
orientation Russia
polychronic time orientation Hofstede Germany
individualism Russia
collectivism
Task Reading and discussing wordings about these
cultural tendencies
Students reflected the relativity of cultural
standards Students discussed about self-picture
and foreign-picture
Conclusion The cultural standards dont fit
perfectly to an huge and varied country like
Russia.
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Different social learning settings
In games we very often implement the role of the
neutral observer. Russian students hated this
role and didnt manage it well. Why They are
collectivistic programmed and so nobody wants to
be put outside the collective. Conclusion 1.
The teachers have to be neutral observers. 2. We
have to develop new (collectivistic) methods to
compensate the functionality of an neutral
observer.
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Needs for Research
Cultural standards an euro-centric concept? How
to optimize? Cultural differences in teaching
and learning content and methodological
consequences for the transfer of intercultural
competencies modules How to resolve cultural
conflicts? The concept of changing perspectives
in intercultural interaction has to be developed
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Thank you! kumbruck_at_uni-kassel.de
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References

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  Fernstudien an der Universität Tübingen,
  Weinheim, 41ff.
• Birmingham School
• Geertz, C. (1994) Dichte Beschreibung. Beiträge
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  (suhrkamp)
• Hagemann, O. (2003) Introspektion und Empathie
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• Hall, E.T. Hall, M.R. (1985 ) Verborgene
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• Kumbruck, C. Derboven, W. (2005)
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• Machl
• Mead, G.H. (1968) Geist, Identität und
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Basics Definitions of Culture
collective programming of the mind which
distinguishes the members of one category of
people from another (Hofstede 1991) -gt
unconsciousness socialisation psychological
mechanisms emotions, cognition, behaviour
recipe for survival (Lewis1998) -gt
understanding of the roots (history, ecological)
the book of rules for the social game (Hofstede
2006) -gtsocial interaction and intercultural
misunderstandings
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Cultural Iceberg
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Self- und Foreign picture