Project information 2008

The project will explore student identity today. What does it mean to be a student in Europe?

The project “Borrowed Identity” aims at creating an intercultural learning environment based on virtual and real mobility. The multi-disciplinary project is targeted to Business, Technical and Humanities students in Germany, Lithuania, UK and Hungary and will focus on combining computer mediated academic work, face-to-face meetings and intercultural communication.

• Phase ONE: preparatory E-Learning course at the participating universities Oct.-Dec.
• Phase TWO: 14-day Intensive Programme on Achill Island, Ireland, early Feb.

This combination will provide students with a new perspective of their own cultural identity as students and the cultural identity of their foreign fellow students and hosts in Ireland. Their work will focus on analyzing as well as “putting into practice” common theories and models of intercultural communication and the management of cultural diversity. Role-plays, workshops and seminars will allow students to explore the dimensions of culture in a growing European Union, which involves issues related to gender, age, race and nationality.

Below is a set of tasks that students will be expected to complete in preparation for their residential stay on Achill Island. The tasks will be embedded in the teaching at the respective universities. During the residential stay in Ireland, the students will continue to explore the concepts of “identity and culture” and take part in a series of workshops. Students will also be asked to maintain an on-line learning blog that will detail their work and include their reflections on each task.

Summary of the Workshops in Achill

Workshops are taking place in the mornings and continue as field work in the afternoons.

• Andrea: Workshop “Global Responsibility”
• Anne: Workshop “"Media Workshop" - The Online Intercultural Journal - using creative techniques from diverse cultural backgrounds”
• Dianora: Workshop “Cultural artefacts”
• Lisa: Workshop “European studies - Europe goes to school”
• Reka: Workshop “How to become an intercultural expert?”
• Scott: Workshop “Representation of foreign cultures in the Irish society”
• Theo: Workshop “Borrowed Identities”
• Thomas: Workshop “European career strategies and intercultural experiences”

Summary of the Lunchtime-Lectures

• Laurent: Lecture “Culture as the software of the mind”
• Reka: Lecture: “Cultural clashes”
• Scott: Lecture: “The role of nonverbal communication”
• Dianora: Lecture: “National stereotypes”
• Anne: Lecture: “Proxemics”

Summary of the Workshops Dublin

Workshops are taking place in the mornings.

• Reka: Workshop “Workshop – Dublin Architecture”
• Dianora: Workshop “James Joyce”
• Katja: Workshop “European Career Planning Workshop”
• Theo: Workshop “International Photo Story”