Author: COIL Project Supervisor Elina Wainio, Senior Lecturer, Laurea
Understanding cultures and worldviews is an essential competence for everyone in the globalized world, especially for those acting in an international environment. But cultural awareness is not developed just by reading textbooks or attending lectures – just as you don’t learn to swim by watching videos or reading about techniques in a swimming guide.
You can only learn to swim by dipping yourself fearlessly in the water. Similarly, intercultural understanding develops when we dare to expose ourselves to authentic cultural experiences – in encounters, interaction and cooperation. Theory creates an important foundation, but real learning takes place through experience, reflection and challenging one’s own thinking. It is a matter of sensitivity, curiosity and the desire to understand the world through the eyes of others.
At the same time, it is good to notice that cultural guides are not totally useless. Based on sound cultural models and theories as well as experiences, they can provide practical tips to help you navigate multicultural situations – especially when your own experience is still limited. They can help anticipate possible misunderstandings and support your own growth into a more culturally sensitive actor. Knowledge alone is not enough, but it can make the first “dip” safer and more conscious.
One core task of higher education institutes is to equip students with competences -including international competences – they need to survive and thrive in the world of work. Aligned with that and their internationalization strategies, Laurea University of Applied Sciences, Finland, and UNAE – Universidad Autónoma de Encarnación, Paraguay implemented a Cooperative Online International Learning (COIL) course called Leading International Project Team in spring semester 2025. The participants represented diverse cultural backgrounds which made diving into cultural dimensions, ethics, leadership and virtual teamwork interesting and enriching. The COIL had prestigious beneficiaries: JCI Encarnación and El Centro SBDC-UNAE from Paraguay, and JCI Metropol from Finland. The Group CEO Egbert Scharm of The Culture Factor Group, was the esteemed “Godfather” of the course.
To get a good spark to the international teamwork, the course started with an onsite week at Laurea, with 4 students and 1 lecturer visiting from Paraguay. Towards to the end of the course, the intercultural student teams joined their forces to produce a Guide for Working Internationally.
The purpose of the Guide is to highlight unique features of different cultures and give practical tips to people who work in multicultural work environments. The theoretical framework was constructed by using various cultural models, like Hofstede, Tompenaars and Lewis. In addition, the students` own cultural knowledge and experiences enriched the contents of the Guide. Let´s hope it offers help in navigating across cultures!
Suurin osa Showcasen blogeista on toteutettu osana Laurean opintojaksoja. Koko koulutustarjontaamme voi tutustua nettisivuillamme. Tarjoamme kymmenien tutkintoon johtavien koulutuksien lisäksi myös paljon täydennys- ja erikoistumiskoulutuksia sekä yksittäisiä opintojaksoja avoimen AMK:n kautta!