Cross Cultural Competence Handbook

Cross Cultural Competence Handbook

START YOUR EXPERIENCE !

TABLE OF CONTENTS

VI. I PHASE: pre-departure

I. Introduction

XI. Cultural Mapping Activity

VII. Objectives

II. Where are we?

XII. II PHASE: mid-term online reflection

VIII. Learning outcomes

III. Who are we?

XIII. Cultural Mission

IX. CrossCulturalCompetence Training program

IV. Pathway: three main phases

XIV. III PHASE: post-mobility

X. Tell us more about you

V. Notes

INTRODUCTION

A dedicated Cross-Cultural Competence pathway has been developed by the Cultural Awareness Support Team (CAST) as part of NEOLAiA’s commitment to fostering and enhancing cultural awareness among students. This pathway is designed to accompany students throughout the three key phases of international mobility, before departure, during their stay abroad, and after their return offering structured support, tools, and reflective activities to strengthen intercultural understanding. By engaging with this pathway, students are encouraged to develop critical awareness, openness, and adaptability, which empower them to navigate diverse cultural and academic contexts to become active and responsible global citizens.

ARE YOU READY TO EXPLORE NEW CULTURES ?

WHERE ARE WE?

NEOLAiA is an alliance of nine young, dynamically developing higher education regional universities:

• Bielefeld University (Germany)
• University of Jaén (Spain)
• University of Nicosia (Cyprus)
• Örebro University (Sweden)
• University of Ostrava (Czech Republic)
• University of Salerno (Italy)
• “Ștefan cel Mare” University of Suceava (Romania)
• University of Tours (France)
• Šiauliai State University of Applied Sciences (Lithuania)

FIND THE SPOT !

WHO ARE WE? A multicultural team of trainers

Šiauliai State University of Applied Sciences (Lithuania)

UNIVERSITY OF SALERNO (Italy)

UNIVERSITY OF JAÉN (Spain)

UNIVERSITY OF OSTRAVA (Czechia)

Rasa Pocevičienė

Diego Rascón Moreno

Alexandra Bočková

BICE DELLA PIANA

• Full Professor of Management and Communication department;

• Extensive Erasmus+ teaching experience.

• Associate Professor of English Philology;

• Life experience in 5 countries.

• Associate Professor of Cross Cultural Competence;

• Scientific Director of the Research Lab 3C-Lab.

• Lecturer on intercultural competencies;

• Erasmus+ international coordinator.

FIND OUT MORE

FIND OUT MORE

FIND OUT MORE

FIND OUT MORE

PATHWAY: three main phases

II. MID-TERM

I. PRE-DEPARTURE

III. POST-MOBILITY

Before departure, you take part in a cross-cultural competence training that fosters reflection on your cultural identity, biases, and assumptions. The session also includes a T0 self-assessment survey to map each student’s intercultural competence.

At the midpoint of the mobility there is an online reflection session to reconnect with the home university and reflect on the Cultural Intelligence development. This is a semi-structured conversation, led by your home university coordinators.

At the end of the mobility, you complete a T1 self-assessment survey that invites you to reflect on the development of your cultural awareness and encourages personal reflection on the entire international experience.

NOTES

PRE-DEPARTURE SESSION

I. PHASE:

WHAT IS CULTURE?

CROSS CULTURAL COMPETENCE TRAINING: MODULES

HOW TO DEVELOP CULTURAL AWARENESS?

ABOUT CULTURAL INTELLIGENCE (CQ)

PRE-DEPARTURE SELF-ASSESSMENT THROUGH 3C-BUBBLE TOOL

OBJECTIVES

• Strengthen connections and foster a sense of belonging among students within the alliance and their sending institutions, creating a supportive intercultural learning and professional NEOLAiA community.
• Reduce the impact of cultural shock by equipping participants with the awareness, mindset, and strategies needed to navigate new cultural environments with confidence and adaptability.

• Enhance intercultural awareness and competence through structured training before, reflection during, and self-assessment survey after the mobility experience.
• Foster critical self-reflection on cultural identity, assumptions, and personal biases, encouraging an open and respectful approach to cultural differences.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

• Identify and describe key components of intercultural competence, including empathy, openness, curiosity and behavioral flexibility.

• Critically reflect on their own cultural identity, biases, and assumptions, and explain how these influence your interactions in multicultural settings.

• Apply respectful and inclusive strategies when engaging with cultural difference in academic, social, and professional contexts.

• Engage in structured group reflections and collaborative discussions to share experiences, maintain connection with the sending institution, and foster a sense of belonging within the NEOLAiA community.

• Recognize signs of cultural shock and apply coping strategies to manage emotional, cognitive, and behavioral responses in unfamiliar cultural contexts.

• Demonstrate resilience and adaptability in intercultural situations by using tools and methods introduced during the training sessions.

LET'S DIVE IN: Discover the Training Program

Tell Us More About You

NAME AND SURNAME:DATE OF BIRTH: COUNTRY: HOME INSTITUTION: HOST INSTITUTION: ACADEMIC YEAR: FIELD OF STUDY: HOBBY:

Register now for the Pre-Departure Cross-Cultural Competence Training!

Cultural Mapping Activity

It’s your turn ! Identify, analyze, and reflect on key cultural similarities and differences between your home country and host country.

Home country Host country

Suggestion. Do this activity twice:

• Before mobility → based on your current knowledge, assumptions, or research.
• After mobility → compare your initial map with your real-life experience.

MID-TERM ONLINE REFLECTION SESSION

II. PHASE:

You are in the midpoint of your international experience. It is time to connect with your HOME UNIVERSITY Check out the Common Guide to stimulate your reflection with your university home coordinator!

it’s time to pause, reflect, and share!

NEOLAiA HOME COORDINATOR CONTACT LIST

Cultural mission

Try to complete one mission per week during your stay abroad. These small challenges will help you explore, interact, and reflect on the host culture.

Talk for 10 minutes with a local student about a cultural topic. Attend a traditional event and write down three things that caught your attention. Order at a restaurant without using English.

POST-MOBILITY SESSION

III. PHASE:

Let's celebrate together your transformation.

1. you'll reflect on your mobility experience 2. to assess your growth in cultural awareness and intercultural skills by filling out the survey t1 during an online meeting.

Every culture you encounter enriches you. Every experience transforms you !

Think global. Act aware. Start enhancing your cross-cultural competence.

@3CLAB

@NEOLAiA

FOLLOW US !

The last part focuses on assessing your cultural awareness before departure (Phase I). You will complete an initial survey (T0) and receive tools designed to help you explore new cultures and enhance your intercultural competencies.

Cultural Intelligence (CQ) is the ability to understand, relate, and work effectively in culturally diverse situations. It encompasses four key dimensions: motivational, cognitive, metacognitive, and behavioural. It is an essential skill for thriving in today’s interconnected and multicultural world.

This module shows how to understand and respect different cultures, following Byram et al.’s (2002) model. It explains how our own culture shapes us and how intercultural experiences help build openness and communication skills.

In the first part of the training we will look at the notion of culture, cultural frameworks and socio-historical development of the concept and how to perceive it within today's global context.

Home coordinator contact list

It’s packed with questions to spark your reflection and make the mid-term session more meaningful.