Effective communication across cultures: Meet people instead of cultures & test different models

Cluster

Communication Skills

Competences as defined in ResearchComp

ResearchComp is a European competency framework developed by the European Commission. It provides a common reference framework that makes researchers’ competencies more visible and comparable—not only for researchers themselves, but also for universities, employers, and policymakers across Europe.

To get started with ResearchComp, you can consult this guide.

Competence Area	Competences
Cognitive Abilities	Analytical thinking;Creativity / innovative thinking;Critical thinking;Problem‑solving;Strategic thinking;Systemic thinking;
Doing Research	Research ethics & integrity;
Managing Research	Leadership in research settings;Negotiation and conflict management;Supervising or mentoring others;
Making an Impact	Teaching & delivering training;
Working with Others	Teamwork & collaboration;Networking & professional interaction;Promoting inclusion & diversity;Maintaining well‑being in research settings; Building mentor–mentee relationships;Managing intercultural communication;
Self-Management	Resilience & coping with pressure;Career management & development;

Target group

Members of the Doctoral School, both Belgian and international PhD students are welcome

Content

PhD students and postdocs come from lots of different countries and backgrounds, and several Belgian researchers work in an intercultural environment and will themselves go abroad later. In this 2-day interactive course we explore how you can get to know your colleagues with different backgrounds a bit better and learn from each other.

Often cultural dimensions are used to identify and overcome misunderstandings, and this approach can indeed make you aware of unexpected differences. But focusing too much on culture can also lead to stereotyping and cause misunderstandings instead of preventing them. In this workshop we combine different intercultural models, including one that that does not focus on culture but on communication. The key there is that you always meet a person, not a culture.

The workshop gives some theory but is interactive and hands-on: we will do exercises, watch film clips, talk to one another. We will even play a card game.

The workshop uses the intercultural variety in the group. Both PhD students with Belgian and different backgrounds/nationalities are very welcome.

Format

Meeting each other, group exercises, case discussion, some theory, card game

Time schedule & venue

Date	Time schedule	Location
18/01 + 25/01/2027	09:30 - 16:30	Leslokaal 0.2 (Campus Ledeganck)

Teacher

Ann De Ron, since 2008 trainer Doctoral School. In addition to her Master degree in Sciences and her experience as a journalist, she holds a Ba in Intercultural Management.

Registration fee

Free of charge for the members of the Doctoral School. The no show policy applies.

Registration

Please register here.

Cancellation of your registration can only be performed by sending an email to doctoralschools@ugent.be.