Freie Plätze:
Well Prepared: What is American about the Academic Culture in the USA?
In a globalized world cultural differences seem to be restricted to where they meet the eye: when we are in contact with more distant and exotic cultures. Where similarities in lifestyle prevail the differences seem to become insignificant. Even more so when we share the professional context. Aren’t economy, mathematics or musicology in particular and academic culture in general universal and therefore the same all over the world?
Culture is something less tangible than our stereotypes want us to believe. Culture emerges between us in a multilayered social practice as an orientation and outcome of interactions, behaviors, beliefs and values. Similarities and differences come hand in hand, also in the academic context. Some particularities of the US-American culture, which affect also academic life, shall be presented and discussed in this workshop.
Target Group
This workshop is aimed at scientists who cooperate with US-American universities and research institutions or wish to prepare themselves for a stay abroad by deepening their knowledge about the US-American academic culture.
Workshop Goals
This workshop focuses on some characteristics of US-American culture, which also affect academic life. The workshop supports you to
- Gain a first insight into the USA-American higher education and academic system
- Raise your awareness for possible differences in work style, mindset and social interactions through short inputs and experience sharing
- Get an idea what to prepare for and how to establish your first contacts
- Become more aware of expectation when cooperating with research partners or colleagues from the USA.
Workshop Content
- Two approaches: Culture knowledge versus Orientation skills
- Cultural influences of US-American life on academic life
- Self-image and cultural experience – between adaptation and authenticity
- Case-studies and own experiences of the participants
Methodology
The differences and benefits of cultural knowledge versus orientation skills shall be introduced at the beginning. They allow us to structure what goes into experiencing cultural differences. Subsequently we will cover a couple of aspects of relevant cultural knowledge as well as orientation skills to support the participants in their concrete encounters. These skills will be practiced and applied in the workshop, preferably with own concrete cases.
Yet, neither the US-American culture nor the academic life in the USA is uniform. Therefore, at the end of day 1 we will discuss the diversity of experiences and cultural differences in a panel discussion with Prof. d`Arcy, Assoc. Prof. Bezemek and Mag. Zniva, amongst others. For a further exchange all workshop members and guests are welcome to an after-workshop-drink together in “Das Campus”.
On day 2 you will have opportunity to deepen the subject and bring in your specific questions. There will be also time to discuss and exchange experiences among participants.
Location, Date and Time
Thursday, 20 November 2014, 9.00 am - 5.30 pm
Friday, 21 November 2014, 9.00 am - 12.30 pm
All registered participants will be informed of the location by email one week before the event.
Fees and Registration
This workshop is open to a limited number of participants. The registration deadline is 6 November 2014.
Please note that you should notify us before the registration deadline if you are unable to attend the workshop. Otherwise the full fee will be charged.
Please let the Personnel Development and Planning Office know if you will not be attending. There are often waiting lists for the workshops, and this will give one of your colleagues the chance to attend. In addition, if we can fill the vacancy with someone from the waiting list, no cancellation charges will apply for you.
To sign up for this workshop, please click "Register" at the bottom of this page. For any further information please contact Elke Rittersbacher (elke.rittersbacher@wu.ac.at, DW 4448).
The course fee is €30.
Trainer
 |
Dr. Anette Hammerschmidt
|
Wir danken unserer Partnerin
für die freundliche Unterstützung.