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Institute for Intercultural Communication

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Through interaction with different cultures, everyone experiences intercultural situations. The Institute for Intercultural Communication teaches and researches the optimisation of (inter)cultural sensitivity and competence.

The IIC

The Institute for Intercultural Communication (IIC) is a cross-faculty and interdisciplinary research and consultancy institute at Aschaffenburg University of Applied Sciences. It pursues the goal of analysing intercultural problems scientifically and developing innovative and applicable approaches. The institute promotes an intensive exchange between practice and research as well as teaching in the context of interculturality.

  • Institute goals and focal points

    The specific objectives of the IIC are teaching, learning and research activities to develop and optimise (inter)cultural sensitivity and competence at Aschaffenburg UAS and in internationally active companies and institutions. A particular focus of the institute's research activities is the examination of the role of interculturality in the following areas:

    • Cultural and communication studies
    • Linguistics
    • Service sector (especially in the fields of tourism, hospitality, wellness and health)
    • Business administration, law and engineering
    • Business psychology
    • Internationalisation
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  • International networking and events

    The Language Centre of Aschaffenburg UAS, which is closely linked to the IIC, regularly organises an International Language Week. The IIC also hosted the annual conference of the Society for Key Competences in November 2022.

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Team

Associated members

  • Birgit Kraus (cooperative doctoral student with Prof. Dr. Link)
  • Angela Warkentin (cooperative doctoral student with Prof. Dr. Link)
  • Zhenan Li (cooperative doctoral student with Prof. Dr. Link)
  • Mirian Seitz (cooperative doctoral student with Prof. Dr. Link)

  • The "bridge between the continents" in the west of the Icelandic peninsula of Reykjanes spans the rift between the Eurasian and North American continental plates (= Miðlina). The IIC also sees itself as a link between continents and cultures.

International Language Week

The interdisciplinary International Language Week (ILW) including Intercultural Communication will take place in Turku, Finnland, from 18 November to 22 November 2024 and promote international cooperation and intercultural communication. The ILW always benefits from new impulses due to the changing geographical location of the organising university and its national language and culture.

This year's ILW will be held under the motto "Bridging Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) through Multilingualism and Cultural Understanding". It will offer a suitable framework for expanding existing collaborations, but also for forming new intercultural and interdisciplinary partnerships to participants from all over the world. The ILW programme comprises academic lectures, innovative practical reports and interactive workshops.

PhD projects

The Institute for Intercultural Communication offers doctoral candidates interesting topics related to (inter)cultural sensitivity and competence. The iDok doctoral programme at Aschaffenburg UAS supports and advises doctoral candidates from the planning of the doctoral project to the publication of the dissertation.

  • Ongoing dissertations

    Name Title Co-operative university
    Kraus, Birgit Acquisition of language(s) and intercultural competence at the learning location 'foreign university' - quality assurance and quality development TU Darmstadt
    Li, Zhenan Qualification concept for company training staff in China FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg
    Seitz, Mirian Development of students' intercultural learning in the course of a study abroad programme University of Kassel
    Warkentin, Angela Intercultural leadership communication - how female managers communicate effectively in an intercultural working environment TU Darmstadt

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