Organise a staff training in the field of interculturality
Category of recipe: Internationalisation through the development of international skills for staff members.
Objective: Developing global competence and employability skills; Improve academic quality / offer; Inclusion; Academic, professional and personal growth.
Short description: Organise an interculturality-focused training programme that combines experiential learning, critical reflection, and applied strategies, to address cultural diversity, promote inclusive communication, and navigate intercultural challenges effectively.
Academic recognition: Certificate of attendance.
Level of difficulty: Basic.
Calendar and time needed:
Preparation: 6–8 weeks.
Training duration: 3–5 days (divided into theoretical and practical sessions).
Post-training review: 1–2 weeks.
Cost summary: €€.
Language and level required: Local language (B2 or above) or English (B2 or above).
Roles and responsibilities:
Programme coordinator: Oversees planning, content development, and scheduling.
Administrative team: Manages participant registration, logistics, and communication.
Professors and expert trainer/s in interculturality: Deliver training sessions focusing on interculturality.
Institutional support services (e.g. Unita Office): Provide support in cataloguing and promoting training opportunities.
International Relations Office: Coordinate institutional collaborations, support participant outreach, and facilitate mobility logistics.
Advisor in internationalisation (if there is such a person in the university): Supports integration of the training into broader internationalisation strategies and helps identify funding sources.
Pedagogical engineers (if there is such a person in the university): Assist in designing the training methodology, ensuring the inclusion of digital tools and interactive learning techniques.
Ingredients:
A team of expert trainers and professors in intercultural education.
A group of motivated participants from your institution and other universities.
Training materials on interculturality, including theoretical frameworks and practical tools.
Multilingual training materials to ensure all participants can access and engage with the materials.
Digital tools for hybrid participation and ongoing learning.
Networking opportunities through both structured and informal activities to help participants connect and build professional relationships.
Evaluation tools including feedback forms, surveys, and reflection templates.
Steps:
Step 1: Define objectives and build a collaborative network
- Identify the specific intercultural competencies that need to be developed among university staff members.
- Reflect on how this training will address the needs of your institution and other partner universities.
- Reach out to colleagues in partner institutions to identify others who might share an interest in this programme.
- Develop the curriculum collaboratively with representatives from partner universities, ensuring diverse perspectives and tailored content.
Step 2: Secure resources and funding
- Explore internal funding sources or external grants (e.g., Erasmus+ calls) to cover costs such as expert trainers, materials, and logistics.
- Prepare a detailed budget proposal and apply to relevant funding opportunities.
Step 3: Programme design
- Develop the curriculum collaboratively with representatives from other universities, ensuring diverse perspectives and tailored content.
- Decide whether to include a hybrid format to allow participation in person and online.
- Create a programme that includes:
- Theory: Introduce intercultural competence literature (e.g., Byram (1997), Deardorff (2009a) or Landis et al. (2004)).
- Practice: Include role-playing, case studies, and simulations to address real-world intercultural scenarios.
- Reflection: Facilitate guided sessions for participants to analyse their experiences and cultural biases.
Step 4: Promotion and recruitment of trainers and participants
- Identify and invite expert trainers with proven experience in interculturality and education.
- Share programme details widely through institutional networks, Erasmus+ channels, newsletters, and targeted outreach to partner universities.
- Establish a simple and clear application process, requesting motivation statements, institutional representation and CVs to ensure alignment with programme objectives.
Step 5: Plan the logistics
- Reserve a suitable venue, either at your institution or a central location accessible to participants.
- Arrange accommodations for visiting colleagues and ensure all necessary facilities (e.g., internet, classrooms) are in place.
- Prepare all training materials, ensuring they are multilingual and accessible in both digital and print formats.
Step 6: Execute the training
- Finalise the agenda collaboratively with experts and partner institutions.
- Ensure the programme integrates theory, practice, and reflection, allowing flexibility to adapt to participants' needs.
- Facilitate networking activities to strengthen connections between participants and foster a community of practice.
Step 7: Outcomes and networking
- Collect feedback through surveys or group discussions to assess the training’s impact on participants and its alignment with the original objectives.
- Measure satisfaction levels of the participants, trainers, and programme coordinators.
- Provide access to learning materials, recorded sessions, and follow-up activities to support continued intercultural development.
- Create a professional network or community to facilitate ongoing collaboration and knowledge-sharing across institutions.
Budget description:
- Cost for the organising institution: Includes expert fees and training materials. Additional costs may arise for logistical support (e.g., accommodation, transportation for visiting trainers) and participant support, networking activities, and follow-up resources.
- Potential funding sources: Institutional budgets, international grants (e.g., Erasmus+ mobility grants, European Commission grants), and potential external sponsorships from organisations interested in promoting intercultural education.
Non-mandatory items[edit | edit source]
Tips and tricks:
- Engage participants early with pre-training materials.
- Include diverse trainers for a richer perspective.
- Communications and dissemination: Engage with your institution’s communication services to prepare a brief dissemination note or press release about the training programme. This will help in raising awareness and showcasing the programme’s impact, both internally and externally.