Lara is an honours student International Business at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. While doing her internship at a multinational company, she decided to follow the honours course Intercultural Communications. The knowledge she gained from this honours, she could immediately apply within her communication internship. Lara became aware of the cultural differences in her multicultural workplace and was able to adjust her communication towards different cultures with the help of the Hofstede dimensions. Lara’s highlight of this honours was working together with a team of multicultural students in order to get a better understanding of her own cultural background and the existing cultural differences amongst the students. Lara states that upskilling your intercultural communications skills is a must for becoming successful in the international business environment!

Safa is an Honour’s Business student at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. During her studies she decided to follow the Intercultural Communication course, lectured by Mrs. Rutland. As a student of Pakistani descent who grew up in the Netherlands, she has an intrinsic understanding of intercultural communication. With a passion for learning, she tries to find ways to tie a broad number of subjects together. She believes that cultures and people impact anything and everything. From the arts to businesses and financial markets. Everything can and will be influenced by the diverse groups of people that interact within these spaces. Her goal for the course was to delve into the impact of cultures on businesses and to gain a better understanding of her own cultures’ intricacies. The courses provided ways of doing so through class discussions and by way of applying the theories and teachings of Hofstede to analyse the unique behaviours within cultures. During the course she could share her experiences with her fellow students, while gaining new insights. She believes that the course has offered her skills and knowledge that will further het academic and professional growth. Furthermore, she hopes to continue learning more about the way cultures impact the way we interact with our surroundings.

Iman is a BK honor’s student at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. Born and raised in the Middle East she always had a taste for culture and grew up in a multi-cultural environment. The first course she followed was Inter-Cultural Communication. We always think we know everything about culture and diversity, we don’t. Even though she grew up in the Middle East she was still very interested in not only what theory says about culture but also to hear about other people’s experiences and views and how in a multi-cultural community we can achieve a good atmosphere for everyone. She was also participating to educate people about her experiences with culture and diversity. By participating in this course, she developed a new view on not only her own culture, it made her approach situations differently. She believes she will benefit from this in her professional career but also in her private life.

With a passion for critical thinking and sense-making, Tim, who is a Belgian student at the Cologne Business school in Cologne, moved from Germany to Warsaw Poland to participate in a semester abroad at Kozminski University to complete his degree in Business Psychology. As a part of the module international Entrepreneurship, lectured by Dr. Kosowski, he participated in a Collaborative Online International Partnership (C.O.I.L) The Model To Practice Dialogue™ which partnered him with an Honours Amsterdam International School of Business student. Together, he and his C.O.I.L partner participated in a peer cultural review of each other and a case model that investigated a cultural critical incident. Through this project, Tim not only identifies with the values of The Model To Practice Dialogue™, but also wants to further explore how cultural values relate to the goals of his current study. In doing so, he hopes that cultural awareness and the impact of this investigation will foster a more tolerant society and an ethical one.

Tymek Filipczuk is a Polish honours student at the Amsterdam School of International Business. Having lived in the multicultural society of the Netherlands for over a decade, he is well versed in matters of intercultural communication. With a strong drive for self-improvement, he is passionate about lifelong learning, always pushing himself to go above and beyond and develop himself to the fullest extent possible. Looking for a unique addition to his usual study programme, he participated in the Honours Module “Intercultural Communication”, lectured by Emily Rutland, where he immediately felt right at home. Together with a Collaborative Online International Partnership (C.O.I.L) partner from Akademia Leona Koźmińskiego, he participated in a mutual, peer cultural review, looking at the respective cultures through the lens of the theory of Hofstede and Weaver. His highlight of the module was the culmination project, where he developed a case model that investigated a cultural critical incident via The Model To Practice Dialogue™. He is able to identify more with the values of the model as a result, enhancing his awareness of the importance of cultural awareness in society, as well as how it relates to his goals for his current study. He hopes to be a positive impact in the lives of others, endeavouring to be a driving force of good in society.