Emeline Jacquet (UMONS) participated in the EUNICE staff week ‘Intercultural Competences and Communication”, organized from 27 November to 1 December 2023 at the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg in Germany
I had the great opportunity to take part in a EUNICE Staff Week focused on “Intercultural Competences and Communication”, organised by Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU), the University of Mons (Belgium) and Polytechnic Institute of Viseu (Portugal).
The first part of the programme was a virtual phase aimed at refreshing theoretical basics through the concepts of narratives, storytelling and listening. The second part was a one-week on-site workshop at BTU where we were offered all kinds of practical exercises, case discussions, role plays, job shadowing and tourism.
The main focus of the first three days in Cottbus was intercultural competence itself. Through a series of original and funny activities, we were made aware of the communication difficulties that can be faced in intercultural contexts. We learned how to develop effective communication techniques, how to avoid and mitigate misunderstandings and conflicts in intercultural contexts, and to facilitate constructive responses when they arise.
I’m now conscious of mistakes I won’t make again and can implement strategies to communicate more effectively with the dozens of international students that we welcome at the Faculty of Translation and Interpretation of UMONS (my place of work) every year and who may experience culture shock when they arrive in Belgium.
The last two days were dedicated to job shadowing: I observed, followed and discussed with people working in administrative positions at BTU, in order to gain insights into their roles, responsibilities and work environment. An excellent way of sharing best practices and learning from each other’s expertise and approaches!
Spending a whole week with administrative staff from all over Europe also meant communicating in English from dawn till dusk, which boosted my self-confidence in English. Not only did I gain in self-confidence, but I also learned a lot about myself, my position in a group, my communication skills, my way of reacting when I’m out of my comfort zone.
Last but not least, this staff week in Germany was above all about meeting people, connecting, networking. It was for me a truly wonderful human experience I can only recommend to every member of the EUNICE network.
THANK YOU, EUNICE!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Emeline Jacquet works as an administrative employee at the Faculty of Translation and Interpretation of the University of Mons. In close contact with many international students in her job, she applied to the Staff Week to develop her intercultural skills.
