Cultural patterns of behavior and belief frequently impact our perceptions (what we see), cognitions (what we think), and actions (what we do). These patterns impact not only everyday situations but also how we understand each other, how we communicate and how we get things done in a professional setting. Unless you know how to decode Dutch educational culture, it’s easy to misunderstand certain situations and the people and students you work with. The goal of this workshop is to increase awareness of cross-cultural differences and more specifically, how cultural factors impact the Dutch cultural and educational environment. Information about cross-cultural theories will be provided in a comprehensible way and participants are encouraged to engage in interactive assignments to help enhance their effectiveness in dealing with cultural differences in the workplace. The emphasis of the workshop will be on shedding a light on Dutch educational culture (hierarchy, grading system, direct communication style, just to name a few) and how to best navigate this. 

The event will be hosted in the NU Building, in NU-2A65 (second floor of the NU Building).

A Dutch lunch will be provided to participants! The lunch will take place after the first part of the workshop, between 13:00 - 13:30. After lunch, the second part of the workshop will continue.

About Neira Becar, Trainer cross-cultural communication
Neira Becar is an exchange officer working at the International Office of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. As a result of fate, upbringing and professional choices, she has developed a profound interest in the topic of cross-cultural communication. Living in Bosnia, Spain, Italy, Curaçao and now the Netherlands prompted Neira’s interest in communication patterns of different parts of the world, which translated to setting up several projects for international (exchange) students and academic staff at VU Amsterdam.