Business Intercultural Competence

About the course

The intercultural competence course is designed to give companies the capacity to examine global and intercultural issues, to appreciate the perspectives and world views of others, engage in open, appropriate and effective interactions with people from different cultures, and to act for sustainable development and collective well-being.

In this course, you will learn how to:

1. Evaluate information, formulate arguments and explain complex situations or problems

2. Identify and analyse multiple perspectives and world views

3. Understand differences in communication

4. Evaluate actions and consequences

Key areas covered

• Examine issues of local, global and cultural significance (e.g. poverty, economic interdependence, migration, inequality, environmental risks, conflicts, exchanges across cultures and cultural stereotypes);

• Learn how to establish positive interactions with people of different national, social, ethnic, religious backgrounds or gender;

• Recognise perspectives with an awareness of one’s own cultural lens and biases as well as those of other people;

• Examine communicative contexts, conventions and markers of respect;

• Weigh actions and consequences to identify solutions for issues within local, regional and global contexts.

Structure

Module 1: Examine the issues of local, global and cultural significance.

Module 2: Understand and appreciate the perspectives and world views of others

Module 3: Engage in open, appropriate and effective interactions across cultures.

Module 4: Take action for collective well-being and sustainable development.

The course is taught using a wide variety of teaching techniques and collaborative classroom activities.

The 4 dimensions of global competence

-Knowledge: Understand and appreciate the perspectives and world views of others

-Values: Engage in open, appropriate and effective interactions across cultures

-Attitudes: Take action for collective well-being and sustainable development

-Skills: Examine local, global and intercultural issues

Outcome

Help to develop a mindset that makes it possible for them to interact respectfully across cultural differences AND gives them the capacity to examine and act on global and intercultural issues.

Engage in open, appropriate and effective interactions across cultures.Take action for collective well-being and sustainable development.

Achieving intercultural competence is not merely a specific skill, but a combination of knowledge, skills, attitudes and values successfully applied to face-to-face or online.

Intercultural competency leads to:

• Respectful interactions in increasingly diverse societies to limit cultural prejudices;

• Help young people to more easily adapt, apply and transfer their skills and knowledge to new cultural contexts;

• Form new generations who care about global issues and get engaged in solving social, political, economic and environmental challenges.

“Education gives us the chance to understand that we are all tied together as citizens of the global community, and that our challenges are interconnected.” 

— Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General

A total of 17 classes of 90 minutes 12 are live online classes and 5 are meant for individual or group work.