Masterclass in Intercultural communication : Let’s talk

A Masterclass in Intercultural Communication: Let's Talk is a certificate programme co-created by six European universities. It aligns with the Council of Europe's Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture and offers students a unique opportunity to develop intercultural awareness and sensitivity, fostering creativity in culturally diverse and interdisciplinary contexts.

The competences developed through this programme are among the most highly valued by employers. The course aims to enhance effective cross-cultural communication and collaboration by developing skills in active listening, mediation, and critical thinking. These competences promote acceptance of and respect for cultural diversity while preparing students to meet the challenges of today's globalised and multicultural academic and professional environments.

Pedagogical Objectives

The course combines lectures, collaborative learning, and reflective activities to provide students with both theoretical knowledge and practical experience in intercultural communication.

Lectures

Lectures are delivered by professors from diverse academic disciplines, including languages and humanities, law, and history. They introduce students to current research on topics related to cultural diversity, including:

• The influence of culture on behaviour, communication, and language;
• The relationship between culture and narratives in today's world;
• Cultural value systems and cultural dimensions;
• Different ways of recognising, expressing, and addressing microaggressions and conflict;
• The biological and societal foundations of bias;
• The impact of culture on law, discrimination, and scientific perspectives.

Collaborative Learning

Alongside the lectures, students work in small international groups to explore themes related to intercultural communication, such as:

• Religion;
• Science and culture;
• Gender equality;
• Generational differences;
• Discrimination;
• Other contemporary intercultural issues.

Each group collaborates on a common project. This collaborative component enables students to experience the opportunities and challenges of living, studying, and working in culturally, linguistically, and academically diverse environments.

Competences Developed

Throughout the course, students will develop the ability to:

• Mediate meaning in plurilingual and multicultural environments;
• Recognise and address misunderstandings, disagreements, and conflict that may arise during online collaboration;
• Provide constructive feedback during drafting, editing, and revision processes;
• Develop leadership and teamwork skills by coordinating collaborative group work;
• Communicate effectively across cultures using active listening, empathy, and mediation strategies;
• Demonstrate flexibility, adaptability, and openness towards different cultural perspectives, beliefs, worldviews, and practices.

Students will also participate in self-reflective activities throughout both the lectures and the collaborative project in order to strengthen their intercultural awareness and personal development.

The course promotes critical understanding of oneself and of the wider world—including cultures, politics, law, human rights, religion, history, language, and communication. These competences are essential for defending and promoting human rights, democracy, and the rule of law, participating actively in democratic societies, and living peacefully in culturally diverse communities.

Validation of Competences and Certification

The competences developed throughout the course are aligned with:

• the Council of Europe's Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), Companion Volume, particularly the descriptors relating to  Mediating Communication in Plurilingual Environments; and
• the Council of Europe's Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture.

Students who successfully complete the course will receive a certificate recognising the competences acquired.

Course Structure

The course consists of:

• 11 hours of lectures covering the theoretical foundations of intercultural communication;
• 3 online teacher-led sessions supporting the collaborative project:
  • 1 kick-off session;
  • 2 follow-up sessions;
• 5 student-led online video meetings in groups of 5–6 students. These meetings take place without the teacher's presence and are organised independently by the students at mutually convenient times.

To successfully complete the course, students must:

• attend at least 8 of the lectures;
• participate in at least 4 of the 5 student-led video meetings;
• actively contribute to the collaborative group project.

Lectures

Lectures take place on Tuesday mornings via Zoom (see timetable attached).

Teaching is provided by professors from the following EUGLOH partner universities:

• UPSaclay – Université Paris-Saclay (France)
• USZ – University of Szeged (Hungary)
• UPorto – University of Porto (Portugal)
• UAH – University of Alcalá (Spain)
• LMU – Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (Germany)

Online Collaborative Project

In addition to the lectures, students will be assigned to international groups of 5–6 participants from several EUGLOH universities.

The purpose of the collaborative project is to provide students with first-hand experience of working in culturally and linguistically diverse, interdisciplinary teams.

Each group is expected to organise and participate in five online video meetings within the following time frames:

• 1st meeting: by 25 October
• 2nd meeting: by 1 November
• 3rd meeting: by 8 November
• 4th meeting: by 15 November
• 5th meeting: by 26 November

The exact dates and times of these meetings are determined by the students themselves to accommodate their schedules. Active participation in both the meetings and the collaborative project is a requirement for successful completion of the course.

Enrolment: Limited to 30 students (first come first served basis)