In the winter semester, students of the Faculty of Education at Palacký University Olomouc will have an opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills in intercultural communication while also improving their English communication skills. Thanks to a Visegrad Grant, Dr Olha Misechko will visit our faculty and teach the course Communicating Across Cultures: Skills for Modern Professionals for one month.
Dr Misechko’s month-long stay at our faculty builds on a long-standing cooperation and relationships established through International Week, the traditional event organised by the International Relations Office, which celebrated its tenth anniversary last year. Over the past six years, Dr Misechko has taken part in this international event three times. During her most recent visit last year, she delivered lectures for students of the Department of Social Sciences about how national anthems and proverbs reflect the values and identity of different cultures.
Thanks to the willingness of Dr Pavel Krákora, her course in intercultural communication will now be offered by the Department of Social Sciences in the winter semester. However, the opportunity is not limited to students of programmes offered by the department. The course is available as a Category C elective to students across the entire university. And what topics can students look forward to?
The course will offer students an opportunity to gain a better understanding of different cultures, develop their intercultural awareness and acquire the skills needed for effective communication across cultural boundaries. Students will explore the relationship between culture and communication, cultural diversity and stereotypes, culture shock, cultural identity and differences in non-verbal communication. They will also examine barriers to mutual understanding between people from different cultural backgrounds and learn how such misunderstandings can be prevented.
Practical activities will also form an important part of the course. Students will analyse specific situations involving intercultural misunderstandings and explore ways to prevent and address them effectively. They will have an opportunity to develop their cultural and personal self-awareness and reflect on how their own cultural background influences the way they perceive the world and the people around them.
The first month of the course will be taught in person, while the remaining sessions will take place online. A seminar room at the faculty will continue to be available to students, where they can connect to online lessons on their own device. The course assessment tasks will be completed in written form.
Our sincere thanks go to Dr Pavel Krákora, who, in cooperation with the International Relations Office, has helped make this unique opportunity possible for our students.