Cultural Workshops & Courses

“The single most important skill that a 21st century student must master is ‘intercultural competence,’ which is the ability to navigate successfully among diverse groups in an increasingly globalized society.”

– Chancellor Robert Birgeneau

International House has been a nexus of international learning since 1930.  In 2009, under the leadership of our Board and Ambassador Martin Brennan, and at the urging of alumni and friends worldwide who appreciate I-House’s expertise in fostering intercultural and leadership skills, formal trainings in “Navigating Cultures” and “Intercultural Literacy” were initiated. 

These workshops and trainings serve residents, campus, and the local community, and were recently extended to the corporate sector with an inaugural corporate training at Google in Spring, 2011.    

Curricula developed with a multicultural team of experts including I-House alumni, residents, and staff as well as a broad range of intercultural researchers and trainers from around the world, courses emphasize principals of intercultural literacy, self-awareness, and practical tools for recognizing and bridging cultural divides.

Find out more by reviewing descriptions of available workshops below, or recent articles on this initiative in the IH Times Newsletter.  Contact Breidi Truscott for further details or to schedule a training.

Breidi Truscott
Intercultural Education Specialist

510.643.2806

breidit@berkeley.edu

 

Navigating Cultures Course For UC Berkeley Students
Fall 2011 (PACS 119.3)

Mondays from 2:00pm - 5:00pm International House Sproul Room

Over the semester we learn how culture shapes perceptions, defines relationships and influences outcomes. Our focus is both geographic and conceptual. Students develop cross cultural understanding with specific reference to China, Korea, and Japan, Mexico and the United States; the Arab world, the European Union and Turkey; Sub-Saharan Africa, and India. Through case studies and realistic simulations from business, diplomacy, politics and everyday life supplemented with guest lectures and occasional film clips, students are expected to acquire the cross cultural skills needed to live and work globally.
Instructors:

• Mr. Joe Lurie, President, Creative Consulting Across Cultures & Executive Director Emeritus, International House
  
• Dr. Liliane Koziol, Director of Programs, International House & Honorary Consul of Madagascar
  
• Ambassador Martin Brennan, Executive Director of International House
  

 

Cross-Cultural Workshops For UC Berkeley Staff

Intercultural Literacy: Use Your Emotional Intelligence to Bridge Cultural Styles at Work

Working in a university setting with a diverse population of staff, students and faculty can pose interpersonal challenges when languages, world views, and values clash.  This half-day workshop applies the concepts of emotional intelligence to address everyday intercultural and diversity experiences at UC Berkeley from encounters with colleagues and students from around the globe to more intricate aspects of collaborating in a multicultural work environment.  Participants in this workshop will receive tools that help them understand their own and others’ culturally-motivated behaviors, see the benefits and limitations of all norms, and cultivate empathy. This interactive workshop includes facilitated discussions, team-work, and individual introspection to get to the core learning of this workshop:  Curiosity as the antidote to defensiveness.  Each participant will also create a list of action items to apply at work, taking awareness of emotional intelligence to action, leading to a more positive, productive and inclusive work environment.

Intercultural Literacy is currently offered to UC Berkeley Staff on September 28, 2011 and International House plans to offer the workshop to members of the community in Spring 2012.

Led by intercultural trainers T. Glen Sebera of Renaissance Consulting Group and Breidi Truscott of International House Berkeley.