Insights into KuWi teaching… 3 questions for Raj Sethia

In a globalised world students must be able to understand intercultural characteristics. People from all over the world are working together in companies. Without competencies in the field of interculturality you cannot keep up. The course Intercultural Management of Project Teams focusses on leading, managing and creating in teams with an intercultural and multilingual background.

Can you share some details about your course “Intercultural Management of Project Teams”? What exactly is it about?

This course valorizes the importance of cultural differences in international project management and is designed to improve the intercultural competencies of professionals working on projects in multilingual and multicultural contexts, like international projects, global media, etc. This course is conceptualised as an interactive, modular workshop and offers ample opportunities for experiential learning. Moreover, the learning focus is not narrowed by a culture-specific approach but addresses the key elements of intercultural management such as leading and working with culturally diverse teams, conflict management, team development and coping with multilingual workplaces.

What do you want your students to take away with them after attending your course?

My sincere endeavour is to ensure that the students enhance their competence for dealing with cultural diversity and for leveraging it for maximising creativity and innovation in a multicultural team. The course supports the development of skills such as proactive communication, meeting management in intercultural teams and conflict resolution. They are encouraged to apply the learnings from this course to solve real problems in their professional context.

Why is your course relevant today?

Globalisation has catapulted intercultural competence to the top of the skills agenda in the contemporary context of managing international businesses. To ensure success in a challenging economic scenario, the International Project Manager has to play the role of intercultural facilitator. The ever-increasing geographical spread of multi-national companies and the recent compulsions to operate in virtual teaming mode makes this course more relevant than ever before.