Training series EU-Trends - Intercultural competencies and professional project management improve the collaboration within European projects
It is common in European projects that partners from several countries work together. This means the conjunction not only of cultures of the different countries, but also of the organisational cultures of e.g. universities, SME, research institutes and service companies as well as of the cultures of different economic sectors. In order for the communication within the project to be successful, the project manager faces the challenge of showing sensitivity towards the cultural differences of the partners.
SEZ Karlsruhe carried out a training series for young researchers and students. They were trained for a successful collaboration within international research projects or exchange programmes. This training series started in October 2008. Until 210 several seminars were offered. The project was financed by the Landesstiftung Baden-Württemberg.
Already in 2006 SEZ Karlsruhe started a training series with two seminars teaching the intercultural competencies. Participants were asked to play different roles within fictitious European projects and to formulate joint project proposals. This gave practical suggestions for the project management and did also convey know-how about how to deal with cultural differences. The seminar was professionally supported by ZAK, Zentrum für Angewandte Kulturwissenschaften at the University Karlsruhe, the IECS, Ecole de Management de Strasbourg, Mannheim University and the Deutsch-Französisches Institut Ludwigsburg. Target group were young scientists already taking part in or planning European projects.
Contact:
Dr. rer. nat. Jonathan Loeffler, Tel. 0721 93519 12
Email: loeffler@steinbeis-europa.de
Dr. rer. nat. Sabine Preusse, Tel. 0721 93519 11
Email: preusse@steinbeis-europa.de