LAC in cooperation with universities from Spain, Lithuania, Portugal, Poland and Austria launches international training program for intercultural communication
From 20 to 24 January 2025, the Latvian Academy of Culture (LAC) will host an international training program (BIP) ‘Skillset and Mindset for Intercultural Communication in Higher Education Setting’. The Erasmus+ funded program is organised in cooperation with European University Alliance ACE2-EU partners from Spain, Lithuania, Portugal, Poland, Austria, Germany and focuses on effective intercultural communication in higher education settings.
“Intercultural communication lies at the heart of our daily work, whether we realize it or not. It’s not limited to collaborating with international colleagues or students – we are all multicultural, multifaceted, and shaped by diverse perspectives. Developing intercultural competence is essential for creating inclusive and enriching academic spaces.
This collaborative BIP aims to uncover the hot points of intercultural communication within universities and to develop the skills and mindset necessary to navigate these challenges with confidence and empathy”, says Signe Bahšteina, BIP Host, European University Alliance ACE2-EU WP6 Values subgroup coordinator at the Latvian Academy of Culture.
“Intercultural communication is essential for fostering understanding and collaboration in a globalized world. BIPs play a crucial role in promoting mobility, inclusivity, and the exchange of ideas across cultures and disciplines in the European University Alliance ACE2-EU,” says Chelo Pérez Ocaña, leader of WP2 of the European Alliance ACE2EU and coordinator of ACE2-EU, director of International Strategy in the Vice-Rectorate of Internationalization, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria
The foreign guests will also experience a Latvian dance evening, an intercultural theatre performance and creative tasks to find intercultural signs in Riga's urban landscape. During the programme, a work on setting guidelines for intercultural communication will be launched. The event is not only a step towards an international and inclusive academic environment, but also marks Riga as a place for exchange and intercultural encounters.
The international training program is organised in partnership with Carinthia University of Applied Sciences (FH Kaernten - Gemeinnuetzige Gmbh), Lietuvos Inzinerijos Kolegija Higher Education Institution (Lietuvos inžinerijos kolegijos), Santarém Polytechnic University (Instituto Politecnico de Santarem), Francisco de Vitoria University (Universidad Francisco De Vitoria), Technical University Ingolstadt of Applied Sciences (Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt) and Medical University of Gdańsk (Gdański Uniwersytet Medyczny).
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The ACE2-EU alliance aims to strengthen and transform institutional cooperation among its members in higher education, research, innovation, and community service. Within the project, LAC together with 8 other European universities will work jointly on developing student-focused and challenge-based learning approaches, creating new interdisciplinary study programs, stimulating joint research and innovation activities, promoting entrepreneurship, and supporting the research community.
The project is co-financed by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them. Project 101177596.
For more information about the ACE2-EU alliance and planned activities, visit: https://ace-eu.ipsantarem.pt/
