The aim of this course is to raise awareness of the factors that influence interaction in intercultural settings, to introduce approaches to intercultural communication and intercultural management, and to provide students with tools to enable them to work and communicate effectively across cultures.

The course is taught in ENGLISH.

After completion of this course participants will be able to:

• Define "culture" as a complex concept and anticipate the effects of cultural differences on different areas of life.
• Be aware of their own cultural background.
• Reflect on stereotypes and prejudices participants may have about other cultures.
• Be able to perceive differences in behavior as cultural differences and identify the reasons for certain patterns of behavior.
• Be aware of the role of "culture" in communication processes and use the concepts acquired in the course to apply new communication strategies.
• Analyze critical incidents using a solution-oriented approach.
• Develop empathic skills in cross-cultural interactions through experiential modules like role plays and simulations.
• Be aware of cultural adaptation processes and develop coping strategies.

Attendance is mandatory in at least 80% of in-class sessions. Absence is to be agreed upon in advance and has to be compensated for with an academic paper or equivalent task.​

You will receive further details from your course instructor at the start of the course.

The course will involve interactive teaching methods, including cultural simulations, group discussions and presentations.

The assessment of the course will include the following criteria:

• Class participation (20%)
• Group assignment, incl. oral presentation and written report (40%)
• Written final exam (40%)

Grading key (points/percent)

• 90 - 100   Sehr gut (1 - Excellent)
• 80 - 89     Gut (2 - Good)
• 70 - 79     Befriedigend (3 - Satisfactory)
• 60 - 69     Genügend (4 - Sufficient)
• < 60         Nicht genügend (5 - Fail)

The written exam for all participants of cross-cultural competence courses that end before the respective exam date is scheduled at the same time and and is centrally organized. The exam date is included in the course dates (please see above the 2-hour time slot).

The exam will be carried out as a "Remote Take-Home Exam". Details will be communicated at the beginning of the course.

The exam is based on the readings and in-class content/discussions. You can find sample questions on Learn@WU.

You will be informed about the assessment criteria details during the course.

This course is aimed at students who participate in a WU exchange program, after the official nomination by the WU International Office only.

PLEASE NOTE: Waiting list registration applies to this course.

This means you first sign up for the waiting list within the specified time frame. After that, you will be formally registered if you are a student nominated to study abroad at a WU partner university. If you participate(d) in a Short Program or internship abroad, please send an e-mail to the course instructor to be assigned to the course.

If you do not meet the course prerequisites but would like to attend the course out of interest, please also sign up for the waiting list – in this case, it is essential that you send an e-mail to the course instructor with a short motivational statement. Admission will then take place depending on the capacity of the course.

Please log in with your WU account to use all functionalities of read!t. For off-campus access to our licensed electronic resources, remember to activate your VPN connection connection. In case you encounter any technical problems or have questions regarding read!t, please feel free to contact the library at readinglists@wu.ac.at.