Intercultural Seminar

Category of recipe: Internationalisation through national and international students; Internationalisation through pedagogical activities and development of international skills.

Objectives:
Bring students some basic intercultural knowledge for both personal and professional contexts through diverse pedagogical activities and interactions with those with experience in the field.
Showcase the cultural diversity that exists within the group of participating students.
Contribute to making students aware of different cultures, with their inherent values, beliefs and ways of doing things.

Short description: The 3-day Intercultural Seminar is divided into four main parts (see Programme in Appendix 1 of this Recipe):
Workshops (mornings, 8 am–11 am): from the 4 workshops on offer, in our version, students do 3. Each workshop lasts 3 hours.
Presentations by participating students (mornings, 11 am–12 pm).
A time of presentation and exchange with QLIO1 students from outside France: an extremely formative activity for the students concerned. They were able to present and explain their culture of origin OR an international volunteering experience.
Exchanges with professionals (afternoons): each one presented his or her 'international' experience in a company, through a job/project abroad, contact with international colleagues and/or colleagues at work with a different cultural background. This was followed by a discussion with the students.
A piece of work to hand in that requires the students to reflect on and take a step back from what they learnt during the seminar (see Appendix 4).

Academic recognition: In our context, the Intercultural Seminar is part of a module called “Communication Skills”. Therefore, there is ECTS recognition indirectly. An additional use of this seminar could be as preparation for another type of international activity, such as a semester of mobility or a BIP.

Level of difficulty: Basic.

Calendar and time needed: In our academic year, the Intercultural Seminar takes place mid-March each year. It is part of a “Communication Skills” module.

End of previous academic year:

• As the whole year group will be participating, it is essential to block off the days and necessary rooms in their timetable.
• Contact the guest lecturer(s) from the partner university and/or those invited to do a workshop on their native country to confirm availability.

4 months before:

• Contact the professionals you wish to invite.
• Ask the university’s Community Manager or Communications department to take photos and prepare a short article for the university newsletter or website.

1 month before:

• Ask students who have a family origin other than where the Intercultural Seminar is taking place to present that country to their colleagues.

1 week before: Prepare the student lists, room posters (see Appendix 2) for the different activities and the main Intercultural Seminar poster.

Cost summary: €. The costs involved are:

• Paying the teacher and workshop leaders (hours are budgeted as part of the teaching programme).
• End-of-seminar soft drinks (optional).

Language and level required: Most of the workshops and presentations are done in the native language (in our case, French) so that the challenges of interculturality are better understood. However, in previous years (see Step x) we have invited a guest lecturer from a partner university to come for a STT mobility and give their “Country workshop” in English to several groups of students.

Roles and responsibilities:
Coordinators: This seminar is coordinated by the English teacher and the Communication Skills teacher in the department. Both have a profound interest in all things intercultural! They have the following roles:

• Build the programme.
• Recruit the different workshop leaders, students and professionals.
• Liaise with the timetable coordinator for the rooms.

Workshop leaders: As teachers, they are responsible for the content of their 3-hour workshop. They are given a general framework as detailed below:


• Ask the students what they know about the country and its’ culture.
• Present the culture in a fun way (e.g. via quizzes). Another example is a calligraphy activity used in the Japan workshop. This ‘hands-on’ activity is very popular with students. We buy any materials that are necessary.




Ingredients:
1st-year university students.
Workshop leaders.
Students with a different cultural family origin.
Professionals with intercultural/international experience.
Classrooms.
Material for the cultural activities, like calligraphy.



Steps:
Step 1: Decide on the length and dates of the Intercultural Seminar.
Step 2: Reserve rooms and block periods in students’ timetables.


• NB: the four parts of the seminar described in “Short description”, and the times given are based on the author’s experience and context. These activities could also be separated and done over a longer period. Advantage: it will allow the students more time to think about things.

Step 3: Choose countries/activities for workshops and recruit leaders:


• A1) Country workshops:
  • Led by a native of the country.
  • Objectives: basic cultural knowledge, Q&A, cultural comparisons.
• A2) Alternatives:
  • Intercomprehension workshop (Romance languages).
  • African dance workshop (group coordination, cultural expression).
• B) Student presentations:
  • 10-minute presentations on family country of origin.
  • Use Appendix 3 structure; encourage music, dance, fun elements.
  • Avoid sensitive topics; include Q&A with peers.
• B2) Alternatives:
  • Invited students returning from mobility, internships, or volunteering.

Step 4: Select professionals for afternoon sessions:


• Contact colleagues and partners.
• Prepare discussion points (Appendix 3).
• Include a UNITA team presentation.

Step 5: Prepare administrative documents (posters & attendance sheets).
Step 6: Run the Intercultural Seminar.



Non-mandatory items

• Name of the author: Paul Jones, Université Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB).
  
• Questions / comments:
• Why organise an intercultural seminar?
  • We live in a ‘global village’.
  • Students need intercultural exposure before mobility or professional life.