How do you experience the cultural differences in your daily life as a student? Do you find it easy to work with or make friends with fellow students from other backgrounds than your own? How do you deal with differences in attitudes, habits or views? Join us for an interactive evening to get to know each other better from each other's different cultural contexts and explore the challenges and opportunities these different backgrounds bring.
This program is jointly organized by TINT and Studium Generale.
You surely recognize it: friend groups consisting solely of people from the same country, preferring to speak their native language. Or perhaps you’ve experienced working in groups where “being on time” has vastly different interpretations. And maybe you’ve cooked with a friend who has a very different idea of what “not that spicy” means.
We are all used to our own habits and customs, but when interacting with people from other parts of the world, you will discover that your way of thinking and engaging with others is far from universal. At TU/e, our community is made up of individuals from many cultures: From the Dutch to other Europeans and from Africans and Asians to Americans and Pacific Islanders. And we often interact without fully understanding each other's backgrounds. Despite the possible confusion and misunderstanding this can bring, it can be very enriching if we are open to exploring the differences.
TINT and Studium Generale invite you to an interactive evening with experts Kirtika van Hunen-Malla and Ineke Hurkmans to explore what happens when cultures meet. From your daily life as a student - whether in classrooms, student dorms, sharing meals together, meeting up with friends, or even in first professional or romantic encounters - this event will provide insights into navigating cultural differences. We’ll explore not just the Dutch vs. the internationals, but also the dynamics among internationals themselves. By setting aside assumptions and taking time to observe and listen, we’ll take the first steps toward greater mutual understanding.
SPEAKERS
Kirtika van Hunen-Malla is a trainer, speaker, author and coach on intercultural communication and the founder of Between2Cultures, an organization that helps people master intercultural competence to work confidently across cultures. She draws on over 40 years of living and working with diversity in the East and the West. This year she published her award-winning book When Cultures Meet. In the first part of the evening, she will explain how culture affects communication and behaviour, unravel the experiences of you and your peers, and equip you with intercultural skills.
Ineke Hurkmans has been an entrepreneur for over 23 years, specializing in creating self-organizing processes in organizations and social impact programs. She developed the Jump Movement conversation method in 2011 and has reached over 800,000 people worldwide. It is used in companies, in teams, in social projects, in families, in relationships, in groups of friends, and in boardrooms. In the second part of the evening, she will invite you to burst your cultural bubble through the seven steps of the Jump method.
Ticket reservation recommended
To be assured of a seat, we recommend reserving a ticket (black "order" button). Doors open at 19:20.
SG & USE/ITEC registration
Please register for SG & USE/ITEC by scanning your student ID at the venue prior to the start of the program.
More information about SG & USE/ITEC can be found here.