As part of my collaboration with the School of German at UCC, with Dr. Claire O Reilly I taught a second year German class the theme of Intercultural Communications. This project was funded by Cork City Twinning Grant and is in Collaboration between the German Department at UCC, and the Institute for Business Economics, Cologne University of Applied Sciences. Below you can find an interview I carried out in 2016 with the German students at Youghal Community Radio.
This collaboration involves co-facilitating an intercultural exchange module between students at the two universities. It is aimed in particular at students aiming to study in the “other” country for the coming year.
This module, for the first time in 2015, will be run as an online, collaborative and intercultural learning exchange between students at the German Department at UCC, and students at the Institute for Business Economics, Cologne University of Applied Sciences. The objectives of the twinning project are:
- To develop modules “Living as a Student in Cork” and “Living as a Student in Köln”, which can be used and developed by future students from both universities
- Enhance intercultural communication skills and knowledge with a deep focus on Cork /Köln cultures
- Serve as a valuable part of student induction with a view to ensuring that students have developed friends before they travel thereby reducing anxiety for some students about going abroad;
- Enhance online collaborative skills.
Students learned from students in a type of peer-learning way, and we will be using both traditional forms of learning (Lecturer/Professor input in the form of lecture/talk) and non-traditional, newer forms of learning through digital channels and social media.
Here are the students receiving their award at the Aula Maxima UCC with the Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Chris O Leary.