The culture in which we grow up teaches us to differentiate between "good" and "bad" ways of doing things and to act accordingly. So when working together with people from other cultural backgrounds either abroad or at home, we are constantly dealing with people whose understanding of supposedly right and wrong ways of doing things differs considerably from our own. Without the necessary knowledge and skills to deal with such disparities, the outcomes can be disastrous and far-reaching for all involved - extending from the individual to the organisational level.

The aim of intercultural competence training is

• to develop participant awareness of both the opportunities and risks involved in intercultural cooperation,
• to help participants recognise true cultural differences, and
• to assist participants in developing intercultural skills and abilities

All training sessions are designed to incorporate each participant's individual experiences as a core learning element, with the focus being on experiential methods and practical exercises.

Intercultural competency training focuses on general interpersonal and communication skills for interacting with members of other cultures. Intercultural training for specific cultural groups is conducted in co-operation with local culture experts.

Intercultural Glossary

Key elements of intercultural communication and cooperation

Die Kunst des Brückenbauens

Standpunkte zur Vermittlung interkultureller Kompetenzen

Alexander Scheitza im Gespräch mit Prof. Juliana Roth in mondial - SIETAR Journal für interkulturelle Perspektiven 1/2010