Intercultural Skills Award

Area of competence 1
International experience related to the study programme

Students expand their professional competence in a foreign language and a new cultural environment and are able to experience their field of study from a different perspective.

This includes the participation in one of the following BOKU mobility programmes (e.g. Erasmus+, CEEPUS, Joint Study, KUWI, etc.):

• Study abroad (at least 2 months)
• Research stay abroad (at least 2 months full-time)
• Internship abroad (at least 2 months full-time)

• Confirmation of stay and experience report

Area of competence 2
Foreign languages

Students improve their communication skills needed in an international work or research environment.

These include:

• BOKU language course (at least 1 semester or intensive course)
• Tandem language course (at least 1 semester)
• Language course at a partner university as part of a BOKU mobility programme (at least 1 semester or intensive course)

• Transcript of records or

• Tandem certificate

Area of competence 3
Courses on intercultural competence

Students address intercultural topics on a theoretical level and acquire strategies for successful interaction in an international context.

This includes (at least 2 ECTS):

• BOKU lecture 120999
  Intercultural competence - Changing perspectives in a diverse (working) environment
• BOKU lecture 735336
  Intercultural communication
• BOKU lecture 120303
  Summer/winter school: Intercultural training for the Danube region and regional aspects in agriculture and food production
• BOKU lecture 120998
  Security training for studying and field research abroad - raising awareness for critical and emergency situations
• Other relevant BOKU courses
• Intercultural courses of partner universities (exchange via BOKU mobility programme as part of a BOKU study programme)
• Additional qualification: BOKU eLearning courses on 'Intercultural Competences' and 'Unconscious Bias'

• Course certificate/ transcript of records (for non-BOKU courses additional short course description required)

Area of competence 4
Intercultural involvement

Students put their intercultural skills into practice, thereby expanding their international network and contributing to the internationalization of BOKU.

These include:

• Participation in the BOKU buddy programme (at least 1 semester) & activity as "Ambassador - BOKU goes international" (participation in a BOKU-IR event incl. a presentation (e.g. experience report about the stay abroad) & at least 3 social media postings about the experiences abroad)
• Engagement in an international student organization (AIESEC, IAAS, IAESTE, ESN, ELSA, ÖH Department for International Affairs, ÖH- Department for Foreign Students or similar for at least 1 semester)

• Confirmation of BOKU-IR about the Ambassador activities & Buddy confirmation or
• Official confirmation of commitment from the respective student organization