Summary
Highlights
Christina Mookie Ava introduces the FRIENDS project, an Erasmus+ program aiming to foster international relations and intercultural awareness, emphasizing 'internationalization at home'. She introduces partner universities from Bhutan, Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines, and highlights the representatives from Turkey, Poland, Hungary, and Bulgaria present in Istanbul for the MOOC development.
Ayşe Erkin from Istanbul Aydın University details her institution's commitment to internationalization, with 39,000 students, including 5,000 international students. The university actively participates in Erasmus+ and other global cooperation programs, aiming to develop global competencies and intercultural communication skills in all students.
Júlia from Budapest Metropolitan University, the largest private university in Hungary with 20% international students, discusses its focus on arts, business, communication, and tourism. Her personal academic background in culture studies will contribute to the MOOC.
A representative from Silesian University of Technology in Poland, a public research university with nearly 20,000 students, highlights its strong international cooperation, particularly within Erasmus+ programs, and its active role in the FRIENDS project.
Metka from Varna University of Management in Bulgaria, though a small private school, welcomes students from 50 countries. It offers various programs and has been ranked number one globally for international orientation and student mobility by U-Multirank.
The team discusses the creation of a massive online open course (MOOC) focused on intercultural awareness and diversity. This MOOC is part of an 'intercultural passport' tool, a certificate designed to help individuals navigate cultural borders, both globally and locally, by improving intercultural competencies.
Metka elaborates on the MOOC's content, aimed at students to understand and navigate diverse cultures. Topics include understanding one's own culture, communicating across cultures, overcoming barriers, and practical strategies for intercultural communication, covering cultural norms, values, and beliefs.
Ayşe outlines Istanbul Aydın University's module, 'Culture Across Time and Space', which will cover ethnic, linguistic, and cultural diversity. Units will address understanding ethnic and cultural diversity, linguistic barriers as hidden dimensions of culture, and gender roles in different cultural contexts.
Júlia details Budapest Metropolitan University's module on European identity and values. This includes exploring European identities in the 21st century, their historical and political context, the European Union as a political entity, and how European values are represented in cultural and artistic products from the 20th and 21st centuries.
The Silesian University of Technology will contribute units on intercultural communication skills models. These will provide knowledge on the role of cultural factors in cross-national and cross-cultural communication, business protocol, etiquette, and strategies for working efficiently in multicultural environments.
The project concludes by emphasizing the MOOC's practical and theoretical approach, aiming to equip students with skills, competences, and knowledge for effective communication in diverse environments, fostering valuable experiences and opportunities for new connections.