Developing Across Differences: Intersections

Level requirements

The DAD is for multipliers who help individuals, organizations and societies better recognize, appreciate and use differences as a way of better communicating, working and thriving together.

These are (in-house and external) trainers, educators, consultants, coaches, researchers, scholars, facilitators, HR staff, advanced-level (MA+) students, and professional development specialists with 5+ years of experience/study in the greater Differences field. Contact the organisers at ic rug.nl or info iddifferences.org for consultation about appropriateness and eligibility.

It is expected that the participants have a sufficient command of the English language to actively participate in the discussions and to present their own work in English.

Participant profile

This course is for you if you are a consultant/trainer/multiplier/educator wishing to:

• Expand your conceptual horizons by diving into intercultural communications, diversity, equity & inclusion, global learning, and global competence,
• Identify Differences areas, concepts, or models that are relevant to your work and that you would like to continue exploring beyond this program,
• Identify distinctions and overlaps between these narratives to advance and expand your understanding of how you and those you work with can develop across differences,
• Work with real-life questions , challenges, and case studies to broaden your repertoire of approaches and tools to help individuals, groups, and organizations develop across differences.

While this course is open to all who are interested in exploring intersecting areas of the Differences narratives, we expect participants to be established and experienced (5+ years) in at least one of these or related narratives (i.e., intercultural communication, diversity, equity & inclusion, global competence, and global learning).

In this course, you will learn how to help yourself and those you work with so that you/they can better:

● Broaden your knowledge beyond your current expertise to explore from a practitioner-scholar standpoint the key theory and practice underlying four Differences narratives.

● Explore and discover intersections between your area(s) of expertise and other narratives to expand your understanding of how to support your learners, clients, or team in developing across differences.

● Begin to apply and incorporate that understanding into your work to increase your impact.

While this course is open to all who are interested in exploring intersecting areas of the Differences narratives, we expect participants to be established and experienced (5+ years) in at least one of the narratives (i.e., intercultural communication, diversity, equity & inclusion, global competence, and global learning).

Workload

18 hours of in-class learning and active participation using experiential methods.

Upon successful completion of the programme, the Summer School offers a Certificate of Attendance that mentions the workload of 18 hours (28 hours corresponds to 1 ECTS). Students can apply for recognition of these credits to the relevant authorities in their home institutions, therefore the final decision on awarding credits is at the discretion of their home institutions. We will be happy to provide any necessary information that might be requested in addition to the certificate of attendance.

Sunday, 7 July
15.00-18.00 Optional networking event

Wednesday, 10 July - Friday, 12 July
09.00-17.30

Learning approach

This course will combine in-depth input and discussions with guest experts across the Differences narratives with phases of critical reflection, synthesis, and application facilitated by intersections faculty to expand our understanding of intersections between narratives and inspire specific strategies of helping individuals, groups, and organizations develop across differences.

To make the most of our exploration of intersections between the various Differences narratives, we strongly encourage you to bring specific challenges, case studies, or questions from your work and area of expertise to use during the course when exploring and applying intersecting areas and insights.

While within three days this course cannot help you become an expert across all four narratives, the aim is for it to enable you to more clearly identify areas from these that are relevant to your work for further exploration to help you strengthen your impact.

Jana Hollá, PdD
Having lived and worked internationally for 20+ years in combination with her academic training in Cultural Anthropology, Dr. Jana Hollá assists organizations, teams and individuals to make the most of the differences they encounter.

Based in Cairo, Egypt and southern France, Jana lectures and provides consultancy, training, and facilitation services primarily in the areas of Cross-cultural Competence Building, Diversity Management, and International Mobility. Her interventions explore the nature of difference, knowledge and learning as a means of developing and transforming individuals, teams and their organizations who seek to build effective and meaningful working relations across cultures and differences.

Additional faculty with expertise in one or more of the three areas will make guest appearances (live and online) with Dr. Hollá during the three-days.

Faculty statement: “The focal question of my work of late is how we can embrace the complexity of human experience in our learning interventions that focus on Culture and Diversity & Inclusion. Readiness to walk out of our comfort zone is a big part of the answer: ‘To embrace complexity is to treasure diversity. To eliminate uncertainties is to limit possibilities.’ (Kelvin Chau)”

Please note that as all courses are subject to meeting minimum enrolments, the DAD team will confirm on or before 17 May 2024 that your course is taking place. We strongly advise you not to book non-refundable travel until you have received this confirmation. In all cases, refunds for courses are not available except in the case of course cancellation by the DAD organisers. In the case that your preferred course is cancelled, you are welcomed to enroll in an alternative course or request a refund. You will be notified on or before 17 May 2024 if the DAD course is cancelled. This policy is different from that of other University of Groningen Summer School and Language Centre courses. Full details are available on the Developing Across Differences (DAD) Learning Lab & Community Week Terms and Conditions page.