University of Luxembourg
Transatlantic Dialogue 2014
Conference Manifest
3 June – 5th June 2014
Neumünster Abbey, Luxembourg
rd
Transatlantic Dialogue 2014
Conference Manifest
3 June – 05th June 2014
Abbey Neumünster, Luxembourg
rd
CrossBorder Network of History & Arts ‘Landgang’
© Wim Coudenys
Table of contents
Introduction
Day 1:
6
Conference Opening
6
Plenary session
7
Press Conference
10
Policy
10
Policies to foster a culture-friendly environment in
higher education
10
Transatlantic Lessons: Deconstructing Culture and
Global Citizenship
11
Pedagogy & Practice 36
Approaching Student Services through a Multicultural Lens: Advancing the Propensity for
Student Persistence and Success in Global
Environments
36
The International Yehudi Menuhin Foundation and its work in the field of intercultural dialogue
37
Pedagogy & Practice 10 37
61 Years in European School
38
International Student Disputatio
39
Scholarship of Culture 39
Service learning: Action speak louder than words – an
innovative teaching method in higher education
12
Music Making as a Learning Laboratory
39
Scholarship of Culture 5
41
Policy 4
13
Culture as an intercultural challenge
41
Pedagogy & Practice 14
Culture and Language Teaching
14
The Academy Fights Back: Reasserting the Role of
Culture in the Context of STEM Education
41
Pedagogy & Practice 2
14
Cultural Diplomacy
42
Culture, a tool for Diplomacy and Education
42
Creative Atelier 43
Cultivating intercultural maturity: Exploring the
intersection of identity development and cultural
competency through the art of intergroup dialogue
15
Creative Atelier 3
43
Cultural mediation
16
Creative Atelier 4
43
Pedagogy & Practice 5
16
Fraternities and Sonorities in America
17
Day 3: 44
Scholarship of Culture 18
Plenary session
44
Scholarship of Culture 1
18
Policy
45
Culture and Higher Education
45
45
How the worst moments in our life makes us who we are
19
Multiculturalism in US Higher Education
19
Cultural Diplomacy
20
Implementing Policy Decisions at the Institutional Level to Advance Student Development and Civic
Engagement Learning Outcomes
20
Pedagogy & Practice 46
Cultural Diplomacy and the U.S. State Department
20
Pedagogy & Practice 13
46
Creative Atelier 21
Pedagogy & Practice 14
46
21
Scholarship of Culture 47
Creative Atelier 2
21
Concert ‘Got Music’
22
International Engagement – Experiential Learning a Modular Response
47
Scholarship of Culture 9
48
Day 2:
31
Cultural Diplomacy
48
31
Academic Mobility
48
Editorial team - Summary
49
Cultural Diplomacy 1
Creative Atelier 1
Tibetan Meditation
2
3
Plenary round table
31
Policy
33
Policy 5
33
Global education starts in elementary school
34
Immigration Policies and Global Literacy
35
Introduction
Over 6 years ago Miami University, Ohio and the University of Luxembourg started this exciting journey interacting
with partner institutions and organizations all over Europe and the United States through ‘Culture’.
It is thanks to all those past and present protagonists that we were able to celebrate six years of not just running
this exciting project, but being successful at it.
The focus of this 3rd conference was to examine the critical role of culture / broad education for developing students
and teachers who think broadly, who recognize and respect cultural diversity and heritage and whose engagement in
the life - arts serves as a conduit to personal authenticity and innovation in a ... ‘lifelong learning’ process.
I strongly believe that cultural diversity and diversified cultural expressions are among the most wonderful and
precious treasures of mankind built up in the ‘Curriculum Vitae’ of human development and that cultural diversity
creates visionary identities, which distinguish one nation or ethnic group from another and makes our world so
unique.
This dialogue on the significance of culture for fostering global citizenship comes in the context of a wavering support
for the value of a liberal education in both the US and Europe.
Many of us agree that culture is considered as a complex process of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and
emotional features that characterize each individual and that have created a distinctive image of each country and
served as a solid foundation for social development.
Globalization and integration should go along with preserving, safeguarding and promoting the values of national
cultural identity and at the same time enhance the international cultural exchange in order to absorb the best
shades of global culture to enrich one’s own citizenship.
Today though, enjoying ourselves is the ambition, not looking at tomorrow but celebrating the present. So thank you
for connecting.
‘Culture is the process by which a person becomes all that they were created capable of being.’ Thomas Carlyle
Culturally yours...
François Carbon
Conference Coordinator
3
Transatlantic Dialogue - Opening Remarks
Good morning and welcome to Luxembourg.
I am pleased to be here today for the opening of the third edition of the ‘transatlantic dialogue’ which brings together
Americans, Luxembourgers and people from many nationalities from all over Europe.
Meetings such as this one are vitally important to each of our cultures, it helps us to learn about one another, it gives
us a chance to share ideas and generate discussions and finally, it allows us to come up with answers to solve
problems and to create meaningful transatlantic relationships.
One of the American things I am most proud of, our greatest export in fact, is our system of higher education in the
US. Broad education, or as we call it in America, a liberal arts education, is instrumental in allowing our young people
to learn about many different topics, keeping their study options open and introducing them to many different fields.
This broad education allows them to learn about the world, themselves and areas they might not have ever explored if
they did not have a liberal arts curriculum.
I enjoy speaking to young people and have recently completed a tour where I spoke to students from every high
school in the country. What often struck me about the students I met was that they were already very focused in one
field of study. I always encourage international students to consider studying in the US for their higher education
years so that they can experience our system of higher education and liberal arts.
The many international students who do study at American universities also help us to achieve our goals of
internationalization and to teach our American students about other cultures. These international exchanges are
often life changing and meaningful and educational for all of the parties involved.
Congratulations to all of the organizers and I wish you all a very meaningful and productive conference.
H.E. Robert Mandell
Ambassador of the United States of America to Luxembourg
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Royal Highness, dear ambassador, distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentlemen
It’s a pleasure to be here today and to have the opportunity to express the EU’s voice in the context of the 3rd
transatlantic dialogue organised by the University of Luxembourg. If you allow I will address the dialogue from the
EU-US policy perspective.
The US and the EU have a lot common. They are economic allies, and have the same cultural roots through
immigration from European Union countries. But why do they have so many difficulties when it comes to negotiating
agreements or start collaborations?
There are cultural differences!
Robert Kahan, a foreign policy specialist and former advisor of Ronald Reagan wrote a book “Americans are from
Mars, Europeans from Venus”. With reference John Gray’s bestseller “Men are from Mars, Woman are from Venus”
on gender psychology, Kahan used the planet image to analyse fundamental societal differences between Americans
and Europeans. He analysed why the US and many EU countries did not agree on the way to handle external policy
stress situations, in particular the case of Iraq. He comes to the conclusion that the Americans are less tolerant for
insecurity due to the fact that they possess the military power. They use that power to restore order while the
Europeans, traumatized by a bloody 20th century and US protection in the Cold War, (more or less vainly) try
diplomacy with dictators.
Kahan’s book is from 2003. Are his conclusions still valid today?
Jeremy Rifkin, an economic and social scientist and advisor to the EU and many European governments (in particular to
Mrs Merkel and Mr Sarkozy) identified a difference in expectations: the European dream versus the American dream:
•While the American dream has at its core the ideal of individual freedom, the opportunity for prosperity and
success for each citizen, and that all individuals have equal rights,
•The European dream is that individuals find security NOT through individual accumulation of wealth, but through
connectivity (e.g. The Dutch quest for “Geselligheid” (social together). Europeans are supporters of the social
market, economic planning.
Allow me to give you two recent examples:
In context of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) currently in negotiation, there are
fears on both sides of the Atlantic, but they are different.
•The US fear of losing economically and in terms of wealth. For example new public procurement rules could oblige
American authorities to buy European rather than American, with a negative impact on employment.
•Europeans on the contrary are afraid of losing social standards, such as free market education, public services
(US companies buying water supply entities and imposing market rules, forced liberalization of book prices, etc.),
as well as quality of life (less safety and quality of food products, lower standards in the use of chemicals, etc.)
Why do Europeans and Americans have different approaches towards health-related risks? The EU apply the
Precautionary principle (everything is considered dangerous unless it is scientifically proven healthy), while the
Americans use an approach, that considers chemical substances safe unless it is scientifically proven that this is not
the case. The “Generally Recognized As Safe” (GRAS) principle applied by the American Food and Drug Administration
gives exemptions to substances that are “generally believed” safe, while the Europeans are worried until it is proven that
the substance is safe. Classical examples of dispute in TTIP are hormone-treated meat, genetically modified crops, etc.
Another example is Data protection. The European Commission has proposed a new regulation (not yet adopted,
but currently in discussion in the European Parliament and Council) setting a general framework for data protection in
the EU. Its main novelties are: Right to be forgotten (a reference can be made here with the “Google” ruling of 13 Mat
this year where the European Court of justice requires service providers like Google to remove links to personal date
on request; Right to own data; and “Data protection first”, not as an afterthought
The European approach is clearly different from that of the US, with its values of social connectivity and thrust clearly
prevailing.
I would finally use as a last example that of Climate change. Here again social benefit prevails for the Europeans
against productivity and private company benefit for the Americans. The recent call of President Obama to reduce by
30% the emissions of power plants can however be seen as a positive sign from the European perspective. Maybe
this a first sign of renewed convergence, with hope for a better understanding in the future…
I thank you for your attention and wish you a most successful conference.
Georges Bingen
Head of Representation of the European Commission in Luxembourg
5
Day 1:
Conference Opening
François Carbon, Chargé de Mission Culture, University of Luxembourg
François introduced the conference and provided the context for this transatlantic dialogue. He briefly summarized
the conference’s goals and themes regarding the significance of a broad cultural education for traditional students,
teachers, and life-long learners. Cultural diversity is a precious treasure for mankind, helping us to be visionary. He
noted the importance of this transatlantic conversation now, in this historical moment, because of wavering support
for liberal education in a world where priorities are increasingly market-driven. This kind of expansive thinking
(whether one calls this liberal arts or cultural education or broad education) is a critical and foundational component
of global citizenship.
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Robert Mandell, US Ambassador to Luxembourg
The Ambassador thought it is important for us to have meetings like this because it is important to all of our cultures
to share ideas and develop solutions. Liberal education is beneficial for students to learn about areas they would have
never thought of. International exchanges are beneficial to all parties involved. He encouraged all international
students to study in the US and finds that these students tend to be the best ambassadors for the US.
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Prof. Dr. Rolf Tarrach, President University of Luxembourg
Prof. Dr. Tarrach mentioned, that culture means something different to him. He related culture to the idea of a broad
education, the education in more than only one field of science. This was his crucial point which he repeated
highlighting, especially in the plenary session, which started after the opening. Moreover he explained some facts
about the young university of Luxembourg. There are many different cultures, the challenge is to bring those cultural
groups closer together.
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Achim Meyer auf der Heyde, Secretary General Deutsches Studentenwerk (DSW), Berlin
Achim Meyer auf der Heyde, Secretary General of the Deutsches Studentenwerk, opened the third Transatlantic
Dialogue with the question, ‘Does anyone know what culture is?’ Lifestyle, language, and art are just a few of the many
facets of culture, he explained. Culture cannot be defined by only one of these aspects. They work together to create
what we call culture.
He went on to explain that the student population is increasingly diverse. Questions of competing cultures have
arisen. Mr. Myer auf der Heyde believes that universities should take care to integrate the different cultures, as this
integration determines context.
mc
6
Georges Bingen, Head of Representation, European Commission, Luxembourg
‘Americans are from Mars, Europeans are from Venus’ (Robert Kagan, foreign policy specialist in Ronald Reagan’s
administration)
Cultural differences between the US and Europe are visible whenever there are new topics on the agenda of the
alliance between the US and the European Union. The controversial debate about TTIP, data protection and climate
change are examples showing that in general Americans have a strong appreciation of individual freedom, prosperity,
success and equality for each individual. However, Europeans believe, that individuals find security through social
connectivity. Further, Americans have a lower level of tolerance for insecurity than Europeans, whereas Europeans
tend to impose the model of EU-style negotiation and compromise on the rest of the world, and vainly try diplomacy
with dictators. The historical roots of these cultural differences need to be understood in order to overcome
negotiation misunderstandings.
pg
Ainhoa Achutegui, Director General Cultural Center Abbey Neumunster, Luxembourg
The opening session of the 3rd Transatlantic Dialogue ‘Connecting through Culture. A vision for Global Citizenship’
started in the Robert Krieps Hall, located in Abbey Neumünster, where the conference takes place. Abbey
Neumünster is a suitable cultural center which hosts the meetings and sessions of TAD14. A former Benedictine
abbey, military bastion and prison, it is located in the old quarter of Luxembourg, classified as a World Heritage Site
by the UNESCO.
Ainhoa Achutegui, Director of Abbey Neumünster, greeted all participants and welcomed them to ‘one of the most
beautiful cities in Europe’. ‘We’re happy to welcome so many students’, commented Achutegui, and she explained
that ‘culture is a good concern to us and our first mission’. Besides she added that culture is not only arts, history or
reflections. On the other hand, she was sure that Abbey Neumünster ‘will be the perfect context’ commune with
culture and each-other. Finally, she was proud because in the first TAD there were 80 participants, which had grown
to 180 in the second conference and now to 280 persons.
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Plenary session
‚Why a culture of learning‘
Moderator: Dr. Wim Coudenys, University of Leuven
Dr. Elizabeth Minnich, Senior Scholar for the Association of American Colleges & Universities, U.S.A.
Elizabeth made many significant points; I felt that three were central:
1. Culture is the fabric of meanings and meaningful works into which we are born that helps us, in our times, make sense
of our lives in ways that are both personal and political. Cultural expressions include languages, works of art, knowledge,
ways of thinking, and, importantly, the stories we tell and are told about ourselves. The more astute awareness we
achieve concerning our own and others’ cultures, the more sophisticated we can be as thinkers and actors on a world
stage. (It is interesting that Dr. Minnich’s early research dealt with feminist theory because the political importance of
personal stories is, of course, a tenet of feminism). Dr. Minnich reflected on the photographs of Rwandan Tutsis exhibited
at the Abbey and discussed ways in which the need for humans to make sense even of such ‘unthinkable’ horrors as the
genocide for the Rwandan people remains intensely theirs even as it is also our human need and that of all global
citizens. This was a telling example of a cultural work making sense even where words fail: these photographs, each of
one unique individual standing tall and directly meeting our eyes, retrieve their subjects from being remembered by the
rest of the world only collectively, only as victims. Such encounters with differing individuals, different cultures, horrific as
well as noble histories, as well as experiences of our neighbors around the world allow us to think, to feel, and to act in
ways that help us to become more humane, effective, and responsible public/civic/political beings.
7
2. Educational deprivation is cultural deprivation, and cultural deprivation is itself a violation of the most basic political
virtues. Principle political tenets, virtues, and values such as FREEDOM, EQUALITY, and JUSTICE are essential to achieving
our full individual and collective humanity, and these should-be ‘inalienable’ rights (as core U.S. documents put it), and
are things that we can only have access to with a broad education. Those who are denied education, or whose education
is limited only to job training via specialization, are being denied the freedom to participate in the making of meanings
that is culture. They are thus being treated unequally – and to deny equality and freedom is also to withhold justice.
Education is, then, intrinsically related to these core political, public values and virtues. Without knowledge that explores
far beyond any specialty (as Rolf said—we need to know about Mozart and Shakespeare as well as physics and
mathematics – and vice versa), there can be no responsible work done as global citizens toward the achievement of
freedom, equality, and justice for all people.
3. ‘Democratization’ and ‘Economism’: The third major point is that we should be very proud that democratization of
education has brought in many people who would never have been allowed in before. We must now deal with the
realities of this success, lest we fail to meet its promise. One pressing reality is that we can no longer pretend that
broad education need bear no relation to work, to jobs. Broad education, meaningful cultural education, shares ways of
making sense of what it means to be human with rising generations of citizens, individuals, workers. Work is a large
part of human life: we must make it humane, just sense of it, and not leave all of that to job training – where it will not,
at present, happen either. At the same time, it is also, and still more, worrisome if the values of the market (not the
same as ‘work’) become primarily to those who are making the decision about what all students can and/or ought to
study. Human life, meanings, achievements, values, aspirations ought not all be submitted solely to what Dr. Minnich
calls ‘Economism.’
em
Prof. Dr. Rolf Tarrach, President of the University of Luxembourg
What do we live for? What gives meaning to my life? Let´s explore the columns which support this meaning and why we
require ‘a culture of learning’. What are the challenges which humankind faces, which are likely to need ideological
changes and thus ‘a culture of learning.’?
Let me start with the question what does ‘culture of learning’ mean?
There are two different approaches to this question:
1) There are large problems we face and we cannot solve without humanities.
2)Culture has to make meaning for the way of doing things and this is also not possible without humanities.
There is a new role for humanities in university education. Many problems of humankind, we cannot solve even though
we do have the technology. For example, with fertilizers, we can feed 7-8 billions of people, but we do not do it. Solving
these problems has to do with human beings, with understanding each other’s values, philosophy of life and ways of
sensing things. That has to do with connecting and in order to be able to do this, you have to understand diversity, and
you need more than one way of sensing or solving a problem. Therefore, learning another language is essential, as it
teaches you to understand the history of another country, the ways of looking at a problem and the approaches to
problem solving.
Let me give you an example: Imagine you have 20 people in a room from 20 different cultures. If you ask what is right or
wrong, you will get 20 different answers. If you solve the problem with mathematics, either all 20 are wrong or 19 are
wrong and one is right. Reality however is much more complex – you cannot compare one solution to another just by
using numbers.
We tend to reduce complexity, as knowledge is categorized and developed into disciplines. Disciplines cry for
interdisciplinary, but they all have their separate culture, professional budgets, and only limited experiences of
working collaboratively. A real challenge of talking to professionals outside of your discipline is that this conversation
might lead you to think about your own discipline.
We have to decide what we expect from our professors: 80 publications in their field or 60 publications and 20 %
more time to grasp the idea, concepts and methods of other disciplines. Do we want specialists that have spent time
to understand other professions?
8
We also have to accept the unknown – Sometimes there is no answer to complexity. What we see is that complex
problems, which have been studied long enough, will develop into a new discipline – there is still need for specialists in
the future, but with some understanding of the others. When we limit ourselves to our own field, we will automatically
limit our conversation with others. We should keep our curiosity expanding into other fields – for example as Erwin
Schrödinger a Physics Noble Prize Winner did. His book ‘What is life?’ highly influenced the development of molecular
biology.
So what can we do to make young people want to learn about other disciplines? We have to make them curious by
giving them something to understand. If they understand, they become curious. If you don´t know anything, you don´t
get curious.
Regarding the second approach, I would like to share a more personal approach with you. In my view, humans need a
purpose, need a meaning. For some it is their belief, for others including myself, this does not work. My personal
meaning is that I want to be happy and that I want to make others happy. Based on my experience, I find 5 concepts
helpful to achieve this personal meaning:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Understanding
Deciding
Acting
Feeling
Sharing
Understanding has to do with learning and puts more weight on hard sciences than humanities. It is how to get from
information to knowledge. When it comes to deciding, it is important to enjoy it. The problem I face is that within 30
seconds my right brain finds an answer for a decision needed. But I do not follow this immediately, but let the left
part of my brain start analyzing data, facts and figures. Then, I switch back to the right side and compare both
decisions. It is the interplay between the right and the left side of the brain, using both, facts and knowledge of
humanities which enriches the decision making process and improves the outcome.
Acting implies a low weight on humanities, but when it comes to feelings, humanities are dominant. Enjoying Schubert,
Monet, loving, empathy, gastronomy just to name a few examples, would be impossible without humanities. Finally,
sharing is also a part of humanities – therefore my personal view is that in order to live a meaningful life there is a
balance of 50/50 needed – 50 % science and 50% humanities.
Prof. Dr. Tarrach has a background in theoretical physics. Why is culture important to him? Culture is a broad training
and a broad education. He has already started to implement a broader education in his university with the tool of
credit points, but he mentioned that they are still far away from where they want to be. There are two points of view,
a broad one and a personal one.
-The broad: He mentioned that the difficulty of humanity is to deal with people. There is no measurement to measure
value this way; therefore there is no interest of politics at all. One other point of the importance of culture to him is
that people should speak at least 1 foreign language, because this gives you a different way to look at problems. One
other fact he mentioned is, that humans have a horrible feature, they often believe that their culture is better than
all others. But you cannot compare cultures. Culture is too complex.
-The personal: Why am I here? We need a purpose. We get it from other beliefs or you have to find one’s own
purpose. His concept of 5 essential things to be a happy person are:
•• Understanding (Information, Knowledge, How we teach, major challenge to teacher: world changes, do things
differently)
•• Deciding (analyze the problem). There has to be a interplay between the point of views ‘hard sciences’ to
‘humanity’
•• Acting
•• Feeling (enjoying/feeling empathy – if it’s a painting or gastronomy)
•• Sharing
‘Getting a job can be essential if it makes you happy. If you commit suicide, it was not essential’.
pg dw
9
Press Conference
Radio Channel 100.7, as well as the Luxemburger Wort and the Journal, national newspapers, attended the press
conference on Tuesday.
A collection of some of the remarks:
-
‘Who are we today and where are we going in the future?’
-‘Educating a person without culture is essentially like programming a machine. Culture is what makes us human.’
-‘Culture is the core of society and humanities play a crucial role in both education and culture.’
-
‘Intercultural competence is of extreme importance especially today.’
-
‘Education transmits culture.’
-
‘Culture and the arts are bringing people together.’
-
‘A healthy society needs culture to survive.’
mc
Policy
Policy 1
Policies to foster a culture-friendly environment in higher education
Dr. Thierry Leterre, Dean Miami University Dolibois European Center Luxembourg
Dr. Thierry Leterre is the Dean of Miami University in Luxembourg. He has worked as an academic and in administrative and
senior management capacities, in France, Ireland, South Africa, and now works in Luxembourg for an American university. He
addresses the question of ‘policies’ in higher education as regards culture from this diverse and international standpoint he
has gained throughout his career. He notes the question of policy might seem radically at odds with the purpose of
developing higher education institutions as places for culture. However, we get a clearer view of the question at stake when
we take it the other way around: how could we develop a cultural environment in the current higher education ecosystem
without sets of policy? Four questions are raised: What policies enhance connection through culture? Why do we need
policies? Should culture be reduced to policies? Can we identify examples of successful policies? He identified 2 types of
policy, those which broaden the curriculum and those that enhance attitudes and openness to culture. He discussed the use
of major and minor subjects, electives, foundations, double majors and combined honors as curriculum policies which
broaden the curriculum. He applauded the adoption of the Bologna Process in Europe which introduced a standardized credit
system. His presentation stimulated a number of questions. Firstly, ‘Must a diversification of the curriculum be for credit as
part of the formal curriculum or can it be optional and non-credit bearing to be valued?’ A second questioner asked ‘How far
does the European system accept American Liberal Arts Education?’ Finally the discussion moved onto the role of the
University and/or the Students’ Association or Students’ Union in providing cultural enrichment and student support. The
impact of the ‘massification’ of higher education leading to the necessity to provide a student support service was noted.
The role of the University in providing and coordinating university cultural activities as exemplified in Cordoba, Spain and
Umea, Sweden was discussed although it was also recognized that in other universities cultural enrichment activities arose
organically out of the intrinsic interests of groups of students.
bc
10
Policy 2
Transatlantic Lessons: Deconstructing Culture and Global Citizenship
Dr. Michael Coomes, Associate Professor Higher Education and Student Affairs
Bowling Green State University
Dr. Judith Rogers, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Professor Educational Leadership School of Education, Health & Society
& Crystal Harris, & Amanda Watson, Miami University, Ohio
A) Lessons from previous dialogues
1. The first TAD employed a US approach to focus on how to engage students in the out of class experiences.
Examples of the topics covered included engaging students in leadership, working with millennial generation students,
working with international students, engaging disabled students. Sessions also focused on how the different
functional areas in student affairs are structured in the US higher education system. Each session was led by an
American and European speaker to offer alternative perspectives on the topic.
2. The second TAD took a more European approach that highlighted the way to make students citizens of the world by
fostering their engagement with the arts. The ultimate goal was to use creative activities to help students think about
the role of culture in their education and their lives. In addition to formal presentations all conference attendees had to
participate in creative workshops. Creative workshops employing methodologies like improvisation, photography, dance
and other forms of art where used to engage in conversations about culture. The final outcome of the formal workshops
and creative activities was the understanding that US point of view focused on the experience of culture as personal
development while the European perspective focused on refining and re-identifies Europeans use of culture by crossing
boundaries to help them identify ‘Europeaness’.
3. The goal of the 3rd TAD was to examine the intersections of cultural diplomacy (call to action), culture as a lived
experience (Europeans), and cultural competence (American idea). This conference also emphasized the importance
of providing a holistic educational experience for students.
B) Effects of Liberal Education
In the US, student identity is explored by emphasizing the intersection of identities. Identities can only be fully
understood by examining concepts of privilege and oppression and their impact on who has access to higher
education. While the goal has not been accomplished, there is a very strong ethical commitment to making education
more open and equitable. The goal of a liberal education in the US is to empower individuals, liberate the mind from
ignorance, and cultivate social responsibility. This is important in order to help students deal with complex issues. The
work of Student Affairs is compatible with liberal education objectives in that both focus on the holistic development
of the students. For example, through program interventions and formal educational experiences student affairs and
the liberal arts perspective emphasize social perspective taking, esthetic development, intellectual and academic
competence, and the development of personal identity. The interconnectedness of student learning keeps the
student at the heart of the educational experience.
C) How students grow and develop by using arts and culture
Art influences intrapersonal development by enhancing creativity, a sense of self and self-discovery, learning
strategies and personal expressions. All of these skills help students to explore their identities. In addition, they are
also able to develop psychologically and socially related attitudes towards school and academic goals. Lastly, the arts
help students to develop social skills such as cooperation, empathy, and positive relationships.
11
D) Evolving importance of arts in.....
The US: There has been a steady increase in the frequency of funding cuts for the arts. Because of this numerous
initiatives outside the education system have emerged to ensure that students are receiving the benefits of
exposure to the arts. These include the emergence of many non-profit organizations that solely focus on engaging
students through the arts. Research has shown that the arts and sport are two key interventions that help students
stay in school. Europe: there have been numerous initiatives at the governmental level to ensure that students
benefit from learning about art and culture. A few examples include the launching of the Culture, Creativity, and the
Young Project (1995), a proposed European Agenda for Culture (2007), and the Year of Creativity and Innovation
(2009). Comment from graduate student: I have been able to use art to help me better understand myself. I have
also gained a greater appreciation of my Hawaiian culture because of the art history that was shared with me while
growing up in the Hawaiian Islands. Comment from audience member from Belgium: After starting a non-profit
organization, I have been able to connect children with 50 nationalities and 30 languages in a way that allows them to
communicate through art. This is the one thing that brings them together.
an
Policy 3
Service learning: Action speak louder than words – an innovative teaching method in higher education
Prof. Dr. Steffen Hütter, Dean Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Saar (HTW), Germany
The Business Faculty at HTW Saar has 2,000 students, mainly undergraduates enrolled in our business administration
or business engineering program. As we teach in small groups, we know our students personally and have a good
student/professor ratio.
Introducing Service Learning four years ago was a method for us to teach our students more than just knowledge.
We wanted them to act while they are still studying, to do something in the real world, and to explore a world
completely different from the business world. As one of the major outcomes, we expected personal development,
such as an increase in social competence. This will make them more attractive for potential employers, as there are
complains that young employees lack team work experience and young leaders lack social skills. In order to show, that
we acknowledge the student´s effort, we integrated the Service Learning projects into our regular curriculum and
award credits for it.
How did we organize our Service Learning projects? Charity organizations around Saarbrücken were asked to send
project ideas and present them to interested students. We built interdisciplinary projects teams working for one
semester for the charity organization. The work environment was unfamiliar to our students, as they had to work with
people they did not know before and in a social surrounding they did not know before. To facilitate this process, we
prepared them through a one day workshop together with the representatives of the charity organizations.
Overall, the results for the charity organizations were:
••
••
••
••
solutions for urgent problems,
new approaches to solving a problem by using external perspectives,
forming a community of future managers who know how to work with socially deprived people,
recruit volunteers.
So students helped the institutions to learn methods of solving problems, and the number of volunteer’s increases,
as every year out of 60 students in the project, 2 stay with the charity organization after the completion of the
project. Our biggest success in working with the charity organizations is that now in its fourth year, they approach us
with project ideas
12
Student Outcome
••
••
••
••
applying learned methods and theories outside the university context,
understanding of a different and never experienced social reality,
gaining team working experience, and
proof of social competence.
To conclude: Service learning for us is a dialogue between our students and people with migrant backgrounds,
different social backgrounds, and with different institutions. It exposes our students to connect and understand
different cultures which so far have not been part of their personal and professional world.
pg
Policy 4
Dr. Edward G. Whipple, Senior Consultant Keeling & Associates Change for Learning, Bowling Green, US
More than ever, employers are looking for graduates who think critically and are able to solve problems independently.
While no one denies the importance of these skills, the question still remains: ‘Who is responsible for this type of
learning?’
Dr. Whipple argues it is Student Affairs. He suggested that to provide holistic, seamless, and integrative learning,
academia and Student Affairs need to be aligned.
Research shows that when a student is actively engaged, they receive better grades, graduate, and enjoy their time
at the university.
Some practices, which have shown to have the highest impact on students are:
••
••
••
••
study abroad
undergraduate research
service learning
academic advising
To further their reach, Student Affairs needs to take as many aspects into consideration as possible. For example,
since students learn differently, there can be no cookie-cutter approach.
Karl-Erik Norrman, Ambassador
Secretary General European Cultural Parliament Germany /Sweden
‘Culture is the core of society’
According to Mr. Norrman, cultures suffer by allowing global culture dominance.
To ensure that culture thrives, children should be taught to appreciate the arts very early on. Additionally, universities
should offer degree programs in art and music. Mr. Norrman argues, although it’s not plausible to employee every
artist in the art industry, to take away the ability to study in this field and work in another would be unjust.
Following the speeches, students in the group were asked to discuss. At one point in the discussion, there was a
debate regarding the definition of culture. Is culture only the arts or is it more? There were students on both sides.
mc
13
Pedagogy & Practice
Pedagogy & Practice 1
Culture and Language Teaching
Janine Goedert English teacher, freelance literary and theatre critic, Luxembourg
Janine Goedert talked about teaching English in Luxembourg, a country that she defined as a ‘strange mix of
languages’. In this regard, she explained that children learn to write and speak in Luxembourgish and German in the
beginning. When they are 6 years old, they begin to learn French and in the high school they study English. Besides
she showed that 44,5 percent of people who live in the Grand Duchy are foreigners, mostly from Portugal. Students
from the country find especially attractive to study English, a language that they consider very important.
Goedert, who teaches Drama at the University of Luxembourg, commented that her working method includes the
reading of important books of English literature. The students have the opportunity to read the works of
Shakespeare, Mary Shelley, William Blake or Seamus Heaney. These classes also teach about responsibility and other
values such as cruelty or vanity. Not surprisingly, she told us that the aims of school and University are not only to
study. ‘These institutions have to give us tools essential for life. We need not only understand the world as it is, but to
imagine it’.
Returning to her working method, she explained that she taught with books and sometimes films because ‘you have
to bring them into playfulness’ and ‘encourage them’. Finally, she said that it is ‘a pity’ that the arts are separate
from a person who studies engineering in Europe because of the separation between sciences and humanities,
something dating from the Age of Enlightenment.
fg
Pedagogy & Practice 2
Kent Beausoleil, SJ, Ph.D., Society of Jesus, Jesuits Miami University, Ohio
Kent Beausoleil is a priest and member of the Society of Jesus. This Jesuit Society has 28 private universities in the US.
The pedagogy and teaching tradition goes back to the founder of the Jesuits St. Ignatius of Loyola, who was himself a
teacher and life-long learner. Today Ignatian schools of Higher Education applying the old educative principles of the 15th
century still exist in 56 countries of the world. The most important characteristics of Jesuit education are:
••
••
••
••
••
••
••
Magis: passion for quality
Study of humanities
Focus on big questions like ethics, values and social justice
Role of spiritual / religious experience
Discovery of the purpose of life
Cura personalis: care for the whole person
Diversity (also in economic terms)
Why does broad education matter to you?
During higher education we want to expand a person’s horizon and train graduates to be active in society, engage in
the world and service to others. In order to achieve this goal our curricula offer a large number of credits in liberal
arts and sciences as well as the opportunity to travel, explore other cultures and do volunteer work abroad.
Who is responsible for broad education?
In higher education in the US private, religious universities like ours include broad education in their mission
statements. We want to form global citizens by teaching liberal arts and sciences in our degree programs. As the
Xavier University in Ohio has only around 4000 students, we can focus more on the personal, broad development of
our students in comparison to large public institutions.
jf
14
Pedagogy & Practice 3
Cultivating intercultural maturity: Exploring the intersection of identity development and cultural
competency through the art of intergroup dialogue
Meghan Morris, Jen Van Ewyk, Karl Turnlund, Virginia Engwall
Miami University, SAHE master’s students
‘Cultivating Intercultural Maturity: Exploring the intersection of identity development and cultural competency
through the art of intergroup dialogue’
There is both a practice and a theory to the art of engaging diverse perspectives across groups of people. This session
explored both through a theoretical overview and a practice dialogue conversation that focused on the central tennets of
the TAD, culture and broad education.
Theoretical Overview
1. The presentation group first explored a primary American student development theory, self-authorship, which
understands student development as an ever-growing complexity of mind that allows students to more critically
internalize external messages they may receive from faculty, parents, or the media. This authoring, viewed as more than a
simple encouraging people to think for themselves, is a driving developmental lens in American student services work.
2. Intercultural maturity, being able to authentically understand the perspectives of diverse others, is an extension of
the self-authorship theory. As students develop interculturally, they move from understanding only pieces of their
own culture, to questioning their cultural beliefs and navigating the fear they may experience when interacting with
others from a different culture. An intercultural mature person is someone who can engage with diverse others
without feeling threatened, fearful, or disloyal to one’s own culture.
3. These theories were then combined as the presenters explored the theoretical underpinnings of intergroup
dialogue. Being much more than a conversation intergroup dialogue is a face to face facilitated conversation between
two social identity groups that strives to create new levels of understanding and action. Engaging in such a dialogue
requires a certain understanding of the self and others, which can be understood at least in part by self-authorship
theory.
Practical Application
Participants then put the theories to action and engaged in a short discourse about studying abroad and the role
that broad education should and should not play in education. There was disagreement over whether or not education
should be purely utilitarian in nature or be more broad and encompassing. Perspectives were shared from both
European and American perspectives and one American undergraduate participant remarked that, as a result of the
session, he was able to think more critically about his summer study abroad experience and how he interacts with
people he has had the opportunity to meet with daily.
Following the workshop, participants remarked that beginning their TAD experience with this session was helpful in
recognizing that they may have biases in their understanding of both education and culture that could influence how
they think about the purpose and intention of education. Like the American undergraduate who started questioning
his cultural position, perhaps all participants stand to gain from taking a step back to reflect on what dialogue means,
what it requires, and what we all can do daily to engender those shared discussion experiences in our lives and work.
kt
15
Pedagogy & Practice 4
Cultural mediation
Ainhoa Achutegui, Director General Cultural Center Abbey Neumunster, Luxembourg
Ainhoa Achutegui’s speech was about the teacher’s approach to improve cultural mediation in school. She explained
that a cultural education leads to better results. Not every young child has access to education because some families
have little or no cultural background. The consequence is, that teachers have to take over that issue. Mrs Achutegui
highlighted some preschool subjects such as signing and drawing which should have a bigger focus. Singing is a very
important tool for communication, language skills and it improves group dynamics. She also remarked that it is
important to give children more creative freedom in painting by not correcting them. ‘Teachers and parents may not kill
the ‘Picassos’ in them’. Moreover the organizers should follow some guidelines, especially the events should be more
compatible to the childrens’ age, otherwise the children could lose their interest on joining such events.
The crucial points of her speech were:
•• Integration of a good balanced mix between the French- and American approach.
•• The French approach is a passive learning method – e.g.: reading the play of Shakespeare - which is quite
common in Europe.
•• The American approach is an active learning method – e.g.: playing the play of Shakespeare – more common in
the USA
•• Imparting culture belongs to teachers, unfortunately this is a voluntary matter for teachers and has still to
attract more attention by the politics.
Her conclusion was:
•• Teachers, Organizers and Artists have to work together.
•• Every human being should have access to art.
•• Art and Culture should be treated in the same way like Mathematics and Sciences.
dw
Pedagogy & Practice 5
Frank Drews, Julia Pruy and Nora Thix Lycée Ermesinde, Luxembourg
The speakers are all teachers and members of the Research Group at the Alternative School sponsored by the Luxembourg
Ministry of Education. The basic philosophy of the school is that teachers go to school to learn. The school is a 12-19 years
High School founded in 2005 as a pilot public school with financial, educational and administrative autonomy. For example,
and uniquely in Luxembourg, it is an ‘ecole plein temps’ with a daily timetable commencing at 8.00am and ending at 4.30pm
five days per week. The structure of the school is interesting and includes pedagogical teams of 7 teachers responsible for
the education of 4 classes, the allocation of individual teachers as mentors to small groups of pupils (up to 12 in number) and
teacher research teams.
Research carried out by the teachers is vital to the operation of the school and whilst much research focusses on a
reflection on the strength and weaknesses of 21st century educational systems there is also considerable attention
paid to the child as a learner and the incorporation of the implication of new fields of research into Neuroplasticity
and Emotional Intelligence on the educational process.
16
With regards Neuroplasticity, the presenters discussed how recent advances in brain research could be incorporated into
the pedagogic process. For example, it was increasingly apparent that ‘the brain is like a muscle, train it!’ The brain is
compartmentalized and specialized and organic and ever changing and thus could be trained to achieve desirable outcomes
through teaching.
With regards Emotional and Social Intelligence the teacher research team took increasing interest in research projects
(such as the Mind with Heart and the Compassionate Mind projects) concerning the value of empathy, compassion
and mindfulness as ways of ensuring committed learning and preparing youngsters. In addition they were aware of the
importance of Happiness (see for example Halliwell’s 2012 World Happiness Report) to ensure motivation and
commitment and the development of caring and considerate young citizens.
bc
Pedagogy & Practice 6
Fraternities and Sonorities in America
Danielle Brush, Tiffany LeDonne, Christa Serluco, Margarita Reyes, Maria Bezmeinitsina,
Rok Primozic, Kerasia Sklavounou
EU-US International Master students
Gathered around a circular arrangement of tables, 10 students shared their experiences of culture and education.
Their individual presentations highlighted four distinct areas of educational experience:
•• The role that spirituality plays in American higher education and the challenges that exist in creating a campus
climate where varied beliefs and explorations of students’ beliefs are supported
•• How fraternities and sororities, community building organizations, affect students’ educational experiences in
America and the benefits and challenges of being a member of such an organization
•• The importance of promoting multi-linguicism and study abroad experiences in education, noting specifically the
important role that language plays in shaping how individuals hold complex concepts.
•• The value and power of students’ voice and the integral connections that both students and higher educational
institutions share with society.
At the root of their conversations and the discussion that followed was the question, why does a broad education matter?
Upon posing that question outright, the students explained their varied definitions of the term. Christa Serluco explained
how she conceptualizes a broad education as one where students may all pursue ‘unusual combinations’ of students and
extracurricular experiences. Another, Danielle Brush, explained that she thinks of a broad education as one that has little to
do with academics and more to do with the active learning students engage with in multiple contexts within society and
community outside of the classroom.
Humor brought these students together as they navigated their understanding of culture and its role in education.
Margarita Reyes aptly summarized their conversations in stating that, ‘it’s always a matter of culture and perspective,
and it depends on the cultural location. The learning experience should be both intellectually enriching and culturally
rewarding.’ Though nations may be different and varied societies hold different notions about what education should
be, when one opens the horizons of the mind in both familiar and foreign contexts, all minds grow. Perhaps the lesson
is that it is our task as individuals engaged in the education process to help our institutions create learning
experiences that promote rewarding broad educational experiences.
kt
17
Scholarship of Culture
Scholarship of Culture 1
Dr. Lyudmilla Nurse, Director Oxford XXI, Strategic Think Tank, United Kingdom
Dr. Barrie Axford, Professor of Politics and Director of the Centre for Global Politics, Economy & Society, Oxford Brookes University, United Kingdom
I felt that a theme of this presentation was to problematize the notion of global citizenship and globalization. Rather
than directly address the idea of why a broad education matters, they talked about the idea of global citizenship, how it is
constructed, how it is always in flux, and why these kinds of larger notions of globalization are problematic. This was not the
main point of Dr. Nurse’s paper the way it was of Dr. Axford’s paper but it was still a resonant theme.
Dr. Axford’s paper’s main theme was why the idea of globalization is problematic for scholars of political science etc.
Dr. Nurse’s paper’s main theme was how music might be a way to connect people across various cultural diasporas. I
should note that Dr. Nurse is a social scientist and her methodology is unfamiliar to me, so it was difficult for me to get a
full understanding of her argument.
The following was posed to both participants: ‘What does culture mean to you?’
Axford responded: Culture is meaning system, a ‘we feeling,’ a set of interpretive systems that often delineates
insiders from outsiders. This idea complicates the idea of global citizenship because it it suggests that as a global
identity is created—perhaps shaped by those with the most power (Westerners)—a distilling of culture can occur
that Dr. Axford referred to, borrowing another scholar’s term, as ‘occidentosis.’
He called for a more nuanced approach to creating ideas about global citizenry and argues that one approach might
be what he referred to as ‘practical citizenship.’ Practical citizenship has to do with the real way one might
connect across cultures. For example, a person with a particular bodily illness might make connections to someone
from another culture with the same problems.
Dr. Nurse responded, that culture as connected to identity is always changing, something that is always in flux.
The following question was then asked:
•• Q: Is there a way to construct a global citizenship that avoids the kind of dangers that you note? The danger
being that a global citizenship would be shaped by a western cultural script. Is it possible to connect in a more
universal way?
•• A: Practical citizenship might be a way around to approach this that creates a more nuanced approach to
citizenship. This is where both scholars had a connection point because music was thought to be a way that
people could communicate.
em
18
Scholarship of Culture 2
How the worst moments in our life makes us who we are
Dr. Gabriela Reljic, Scientific Collaborator University of Luxembourg
Luxembourg / Bosnia
Dr. Reljic’s very interesting presentation about her life referred to her experiences of the Serbian war in 1999. It was
less an academic presentation than a personal reflective one. The whole presentation was highlighted with video-clips
and quotations referring to that extraordinary part of her life. Moreover the speech was supported with many
personal details, information and stories, like her controversial cultural experience after she left Serbia to move to
Luxembourg.
The two crucial points of her speech were:
•• How theatre and cinemas as part of culture can influence the consciousness of people of a problem (in this case,
the theatres were open until 1999 in Belgrade with forbidden plays which treated the problem of war. It was
officially denied that this war was happening right at that time).
•• Experiences like that shape the personality. Even if these are bad experiences, it can make you stronger. Without
those experiences we wouldn’t be who we are.
dw
Scholarship of Culture 3
Multiculturalism in US Higher Education
Prof. Dr. John Mueller, Assistant-Professor Department of Student Affairs, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
This goal of this presentation was to describe multiculturalism in the US higher education system in a way that outlined
the progression of its importance within this context. The presentation began with setting the context for diversity in the
US by describing a liberal education. It was defined as the surest instrument yet devised for developing civilizing qualities
of the mind. In addition, it is a way to open up the mind to a spirit of symphony (Freedman, 1996). This was important in
order to develop a common understanding of the meaning of diversity, multiculturalism, and social justice. Diversity was
described as a numerical representation of various groups based on sex, gender, ability, language, religion, etc. On the
other hand, multiculturalism was defined as embracing, respecting, and affirming that diversity and the co-existence of
diverse people, groups, and identities. This was considered to be a more active process when engaging with diverse
others. Most importantly, it is how we respond to conversations that infuse all of these topics. For the US, social justice
has become a new term that has been integrated into conversations around multiculturalism. This idea focuses on the
causes and consequences of oppression and seeks ways to disrupt systems that maintain oppression. Reaching a
common understanding of the language used within this presentation set the framework for what was to come. The
evolution of diversity in the context of the US has taken on many forms. This topic has initially been avoided or ignored
as a problem. Over time, there have been changes made in order to increase difference and structural diversity. For
some, this was a way to right the wrongs of the past (for historically marginalized groups). We have now reached a point
to where we are able to respond to diversity in a way that incorporates and embraces the complexities of these issues.
Throughout this history, the US higher education system was adding diversity but was not adapting to the needs of the
new demographics of students. In order to address this issue, it was suggested that examples of diversity and
multiculturalism should be used in the classroom as well as integrated this into the required curriculum. By allowing
diversity to grow, there is a greater level of satisfaction. Models highlighted to improve multiculturalism on the college
campus include the Dynamic Model of Student Affairs Competencies and the Multicultural Change Intervention Matrix.
To conclude, final considerations were made in order to move towards becoming more multiculturally competent. It is
important to think long-term and big picture, expect resistance, and assess, correct, and recognize achievement. We
can only do what we can in our sphere. Additionally, the models used are fluid. Lastly, we should begin to think about
power and privilege not as a commodity but something that can be shared.
an
19
Cultural Diplomacy
Cultural Diplomacy 1
Cultural Diplomacy and the U.S. State Department
Mr. Robert Mandell, US Ambassador; Mrs. Carolyn Turpin, Public Affairs Officer
US Embassy Luxembourg
Cultural Diplomacy may best be described as a course of actions, which are based on and utilize the exchange of ideas,
values, traditions and other aspects of culture or identity, whether to strengthen relationships, enhance socio-economic
cooperation or promote national interests. Cultural diplomacy can be practiced by the public sector, private sector or civil
society.
Cultural diplomacy can be used to create pathways that can be leveraged to prevent or resolve conflict in the short
term – in that sense it is a tool for building dialogues, but can also be used for foreign policy purposes. Thanks to
Hollywood, American TV and music, the US culture is splashed all over the world – even if that not always represents
typical American culture.
Understanding what makes people work, how they think, their relationships, the dos and don´ts of their society
requires cultural awareness and aptitude. Through the use of cultural activities people and societies can learn about
each other which leads to cultural awareness and better communication. Not necessarily to the same outlook and
values, but this is not needed in order to be able to communicate and agree on many things. The US State
Department uses cultural activities such as exchange of teachers, students, sports, languages, literature and arts to
create a space for dialogue and understanding.
Cultural exchange counteracts the stereotypes that inform the attitudes of people everywhere, revealing the common
ground. Overseas we partner with local NGO´s, governments and businesses to teach English, give music workshops or
train women in work skills.
We truly learned the value of soft diplomacy at the State Department. It works in countries where hard diplomacy has
failed due to strained relations. It works with young people and people not in the government or the non-elites. And
the really great thing about it is that it is a two way street. For every foreign artist inspired by an American work of
art, there is an American waiting to be touched by the creative wonders of other traditions. Culture spreads from
individual to individual in exchange programs like the Fulbright, Humphrey, and Benjamin Franklin youth exchange
programs.
Concrete outcomes of cultural diplomacy can be illustrated for global programs, within Europe and specifically here in
Luxembourg.
At the global level, one of the greatest concepts of cultural diplomacy is the Peace Corps. Founded by President J.F.
Kennedy, American college graduates work abroad for 24 months after a three months training to promote world
peace and friendship in developing countries. To date 215,000 Peace Corps Volunteers have worked in 139 different
countries around the world mainly in education and in Africa.
The flagship education exchange program is the Fulbright program. Approximately 325,400 Fulbrighters, 122,800 from
the US and 202,600 from other countries have participated in the program since its inception more than sixty years
ago. Twenty nine past and present heads of the state are Fulbright alumni.
pg
20
Creative Atelier
Creative Atelier 1
Prof. Anna Bulanda-Pantalacci, Director; Johannes Ben Jurca, Assistant CrossBorder Network History/Arts,
Trier, Germany
Jean Ribouillault, Musician & actor, UL Théâtre du Silence, Luxembourg
This creative workshop was designed to encourage participants to move around a space, thinking with their bodies
and not necessarily with their intellects. Through a series of theatre games, participants connected to their bodies,
their bodies in space, and the special dimensions and movements of their partners in an attempt to unlock the right
brain and connect more to creative impulses that are non-discursive.
Three theatre artists (one from Germany and two from France—one a professional clown) led the group in the
following exercises:
••
••
••
••
••
••
Walking through the space with closed eyes, led by a partner
Walking through the space and striking poses based on an idea, color, feeling
Working with groups to create tableau that reflect an idea, color, feeling, emotion
Mirror exercises
Responding to music
Connecting with a partner through facial movement and eye contact
This workshop reacted to the day’s question by showing how participants from various cultures can connect through
body movements to work together. Also important is the idea that creative exercises can make us think, feel, and
work together in a different way.
Creative Atelier 2
Thierry van Roy, Artistic Director & Nicolas Ankoudinoff, Musician International Yehudi Menuhin Foundation Brussels, Belgium
The creative atelier run by Thierry van Roy and Nicolas Ankoudinoff tries to bring forth and recover the inner creativity
dormant in every human being. By activities experimenting with space, movement and sound, the participants should
raise group awareness and connectivity as well as a feeling of the energy between each other in a collective approach.
The exercises should also tempt participants to risk something and put themselves in danger by improvising and
breaking social conventions.
Participant’s reactions:
Friedericke and Annika Baerenfeld, Linda Langmaack (HS Trier, Communication Design):
Through performing and improvising we could learn about and experience ourselves. The exercises really play with
one’s sense of shame and it is interesting to see how individuals and the group together overcome this emotion. In
the end you realize that it was no big deal at all to jump around or make strange noises as the group dynamic
supports you.
How would you define culture for yourselves?
I think we all agree that for us the idea of culture is connected to fun, leisure time, travelling and meeting new people.
To go to cultural events is also an activity you do together with friends, so that the experience can be shared and
thoughts can be exchanged afterwards like in this atelier.
jf
21
Concert ‘Got Music’
Gathered together at the beautiful Luxembourg Philharmonie, TAD participants experienced a concert of four
performance ensembles. The University of Luxembourg Chamber Music Ensemble, the European School Choir, the
Waldorf School of Luxembourg’s Eurhythmy Ensemble and the University of Luxembourg Vocal Ensemble and Choir
comprised the show. Musical selections from across the globe were featured by each ensemble, which, in a way
offered cultural snapshots of cultures from nearly every continent and many cultural zones.
The music and dance brought a rich and deeply engaging life to the discourse that started at the conference today.
Encouraging base lines and floating youth soprano voices combined in magnificent harmonies while instrumentalists
and dancers shared equally vibrant talents with the audience. The bringing together of the talents, notes, and careful
preparation, showed a spirit of collaboration and exchange that left the audience with a pleasing evening of
expression that embodied culture in multiple ways, as well as reflections on the day’s conversation. One American
master student from Bowling Green State University, Stormy Walker, remarked afterward that she was impressed
and reminded of the importance of language as it relates to expression when one choir sang in not one, but six
different languages. Likewise, Master student Amy Ferree shared that she, like earlier in the conference day, was
again noticing the universality of the human experience, especially relating to humor.
Familiar and new tunes highlighted reflections on living, life, happiness, and dying, and through such emotional
engagement, and occasionally clapping along, the audience experienced a raw human component of the cultural
conversation that can perhaps get lost in the pages of the academy. The Master of Ceremonies, University of
Luxembourg master’s student Dany Weyer, captured the night’s experience beautifully when he said, ‘the rhythm of
life will always drive us forward with optimism.’ This rhythm is one that we as humans share, and tonight’s
performance reminded us that we can sing and dance and rejoice to that rhythm no matter who we are or where we
come from.
kt
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1
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1
Happening © Michel Brumat
2
Project ‘Landgang’ by night
© Wim Coudenys
3
Edudrame - Student Theater
© Michel Brumat
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5
8
4
Moving through space while reacting to the
other’s pace © Fernando Gomez
5
Rhythmic sound exercise © Fernando Gomez
6
Building a picture with body postures
© Fernando Gomez
7
Moving through space while reacting to the
other’s pace © Fernando Gomez
8
Pure Blue Grass by the University College
Virginia at Wise © Michel Brumat
9
Under the skin of the musicians II
© Florence Martin
10 Flashmob by Anna Bulanda-Pantalacci &
Jean Ribouillault © Wim Coudenys
11 Quattropole - Nico Mono & band
© Michel Brumat
12 UL DanceCluster © Michel Brumat
13 Welcoming © Wim Coudenys
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6
7
9
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14
15
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14 Networking – Linda Dixon, Kathleen
Manning, Maureen Wilson, Debora Liddell,
Keith Kennedy, John A. Mueller,
Edward Whipple, Kent Beausoleil
© Michel Brumat
15 ECStA in action © Michel Brumat
16 Im Reich der Mitte’ by Eva Mendgen
© Michel Brumat
17 Guy de Muyser, Erna Hennicot-Schoepges,
Adrienne Chang, Jigme Shogli © Delano
18 Thierry Leterre, Erna Hennicot-Schoepges,
Guy de Muyser, Adrienne Chang, Jigme
Shogli, François Carbon, Tom Ulveling
© Delano
19 Johanna Suo, Venu Dhupa, Karl-Erik
Norrman, Erna Hennicot-Schoepges,
Lyudmila Nurse, François Carbon © Delano
20 Wim Coudenys in good company
© Michel Brumat
21 Rolf Tarrach, Elisabeth Minnich,
HRH Princess Sibilla, François Carbon
© Wim Coudenys
22 Conference registration © Fernando Gomes
23 Open air audience © Michel Brumat
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24 Conference Assistants - Xiaohua Jin, Haythem Kamel Emam Badawy, Andreia Salvado, Dany Weyer © Michel Brumat
25 Touching © Wim Coudenys
26 Connecting © Michel Brumat
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27 Work in progress © Wim Coudenys
28 Judy Rogers, fc & Mike Coomes © Michel Brumat
29 Salut des Artists © Fernando Gomez
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30 Plenary session © Fernando Gomez
31 Applause © Fernando Gomez
32 See you in 2017 © Fernando Gomez
32
Day 2:
Tibetan Meditation
Jigmé Namgyal, Lama, Tibet / Luxembourg
The group walked into a room with empty seats, and while most had an idea of what meditation is, many were unsure
what exactly they’d be doing.
Lama Jigmé started by saying, ‘most of you I’m sure are very educated, but I’d like to teach you what I know, because
I’ve studied the brain.’
‘Most humans have a crazy monkey brain.’
Lama Jigmé Namgyal explained that as we shower, we don’t think about showering and when we eat, we don’t think
about eating. He explained that our minds are living in either the past or the future, while our bodies are experiencing
the present. Therefore, we cannot truly live until the body and mind are united in the present.
A typical symptom of this disunity is insomnia.
While meditation cannot be learned in one day, just by taking an hour a day, it’s possible to slowly learn how to control
a ‘crazy monkey brain’.
After short instruction, the group first practiced how to focus their energy in the stomach. After 10 minutes the
group heard how some individuals have an easier time focusing their energy in their lower backs, so they were able to
practice this as well.
Many participants stated how relaxed they were after the course and how they were happy to have had this
experience.
mc
Plenary round table
‘Fostering global citizenship through a Culture of Learning’
Moderator: Duncan Roberts, Editor-in-Chief at independent publishing house Maison Moderne
Johanna Suo, Member ECP Youth Network and Artistic Director/Project Manager
London, United Kingdom
Johanna Suo is a founding member of the European Cultural Parliament’s Youth Network (ECP YN). This aims to have
activity in 47 countries (currently active in 15 countries) and works to boost the value of art and culture and pan-European
cooperation and best practice sharing. Johanna commented that culture is now in fashion in the European Union, it is a
way for the EU to expand and creating diplomatic relations with the rest of the world. One of the significant points of her
speech was the consideration of art and culture as one of the most important tools to generate a global identity. The ECP
YN promotes different programs of action and advocacy, some of which include notions about how gain entrepreneur skills
as a young student or professional and how the entrepreneurial skills should be compulsory in all artistic education.
She was asked about how can we prepare students to gain a broad spectrum of skills and she explained that in all
kinds of education one of the most important points to consider is who we actually choose to listen too. Is it
someone with the right experience and is this person capable of transmitting the experience in a good way. She was
in favor of using artistic elements in traditional education and training (STEM - STEAM) and also using art and culture
to promote STEM education and training. She meant that art can have an important role in creating critical,
independent and responsible citizens.
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Professor Dr. Flora Carrijn, Provost University of Leuven
President of the University Network of European Capitals of Culture (UNeECC), Belgium
The University of Leuven is a 15th Century Catholic foundation which as was the case during the Renaissance,
focused on both Science and Culture. One of the University’s aims is to rediscover this link. To this end it has a 5 year
plan to achieve this aim.
Apart from research and teaching excellence the University recognizes the need for its contribution to society and the city,
region and country for both economic and cultural reasons. Dr Carrijn gave a number of examples including the establishment
of a Musician in Residence scheme, and forming closer links with the city , local authority and cultural institutions including the
museums, the Philharmonic and theatre groups. To encourage student engagement the University provides a Culture Card
which is issued to each student and provides free and discounted entry to events.
UNeECC was formed in 2006 and draws its membership from 45 universities which are located in towns which have
been , are or will be European Capitals of Culture. Originally UNeECC was open exclusively to universities but now has
members from the arts sector and local authorities. The aim of UNeECC was to ensure and encourage a contribution
by the higher education sector to the planning, execution and evaluation of European Capitals of Culture. Since its
origins it has extended its remit to include cultural partnerships and collaborative exchanges of students and staff.
UNeECC holds an annual conference in one of the current year’s Capital of Culture host cities. This year, 2014, it will be
in Umea in Northern Sweden where the theme is Culture and Growth. A distinctive characteristic of the conference is,
firstly, that is multi and interdisciplinary in nature and, secondly, that it actively encourages a platform for new and
young researchers to participate alongside more experienced academics. In addition, UNeECC has published its own
annual Journal UNEECC Forum with an ISSN since Liverpool 2008.
bc
Stephan Gehmacher, CEO of Philharmonie Luxembourg
The Philharmonie Luxembourg, an eight year old institution, was founded with an educational mission that would bring
all aspects of music to society. Moving beyond honoring simply classical music, the Philharmonie hopes to highlight
how music adds to societal and worldwide dialogue. Gehmacher shared various examples outlining initiatives which
fulfil the mission and act as role models, such as ‘El Sistema’ in Venezuela which gives socially underprivileged kids
the possibility to play in an orchestra. Today more than a quarter of a million children participate, performing complex
traditional and modern music in youth orchestras all over the country, and occasionally moving forward to perform
professionally. Gehmacher stated that, ‘music has to be recognized as an agent of social development in the highest
sense solidarity,’ truly, through harmony, compassion, and the arts, entire communities, regardless of socioeconomic
position, can be united.
kt
Jean-Paul Hoffmann, CEO Radio 100,7 Luxembourg
This radio station is a sociocultural phenomenon that was created in 1993. He explained that public service radio is
more than show business. They are working to a public charter which defined its educational missions to:
••
••
••
••
••
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provide information and contribute to the development of a knowledge-based information of society
provide a platform to broadcast cultural events and activities
cooperate in Partnership with cultural institutions
feed the cultural activities of Luxembourg into a broader international network
distribute creative activities
The radio’s ambition is to reflect a multilayered reality in Luxembourg, where almost 50% of the residents are
non-native. The radio’s role is also to build bridges between these cultural economic and social layers of realities. But
there are also some challenges:
•• the lack of resources (public funding under pressure)
•• the need to diversify broadcasts language-wise, as a sizeable part of the potential audience are not citizens of
Luxembourg and do not speak the language.
Furthermore he said that radio and its environment are changing through the evolution of technology. Luxembourg
aims to be a knowledge based society and technology changes the way education works and is being brought to the
students. There are so many more opportunities today to have access to education than ten years ago (online
courses). Education used to be a limited resource, today, thanks to technology it becomes unlimited. This will entail
many changes in society and in the educational system.
dw
Dr. James Coyle, Associate Professor, Interactive Media Studies & Marketing Miami University, Ohio
Professor Coyle teaches marketing and interactive media studies at Miami University and discussed a project that Miami
students did with Coca Cola. The company had a problem to solve that they presented to a team of students. The students
were from a variety of disciplines including graphic design, studio art, business, and engineering. Dr. Coyle discussed the
‘experience economy’ suggesting a new paradigm in the business world, where employers are looking for T-shaped people—
those who have both a breadth of knowledge (along the horizontal axis of the T) and experience but also have broad
experiences (along the vertical axis of the T).
em
Dr. Ricardo Averbach, DMA, Director of Orchestral Studies Miami Unitersity, Ohio
Dr. Averbach also discussed T-shaped people essentially and said that the Harvard Business School suggested that
people needed more cultural awareness to be competitive in a global market. He noted that art can prepare our
minds for the revolutionary kinds of advances that appear in more STEM-based studies. He ended his talk by showing
a video made by Apple about important people who have made history; these were called ‘the crazy ones’, those who
dared think outside the box in creative or alternative ways.
em
Policy
Policy 5
Claude Turmes, Member and Vice-President of the Greens/EFA Group
European Parliament Belgium / Luxembourg
The session started by placing all of the chairs in the middle of the room. Mr. Turmes was interested in hearing why
participants joined Policy 5. Many were interested in climate change, while others joined to hear more about the EU
Parliament.
How the EU Parliament functions:
It was briefly explained that the European Commission drafts bills which are then sent to the European Parliament
where they are then amended. The Renewable Energy Law of 2008, for example, had some 900 amendments. After a
law is passed, the countries within the European Union have 18-24 months to make the EU law into a national one.
33
When asked about the major difference between EU politics and US politics, Mr. Turmes cited two key differences:
1.The EU has a multi-party system, whereas the US has a two-party system. These systems stem from differences
in the election process. EU uses proportional representation while the US has a winner-takes-all system.
2.A fundamental difference in election finances. In the EU the government pays for election costs incurred by a
party and each expense is documented and sent to the government for review. In the US the candidates receive
funding from private citizens and special interests/lobbies.
The Environment & Climate Change:
One of the questions that the group discussed was: ‘Why do we throw away items that still serve their purpose?’. One
participant suggested the idea of ‘built-in obsoleitism’. There is always something ‘newer, cooler, and more
technologically advanced’ to buy and consumers today are not willing to have the old model.
A participant asked, ‘How do we teach others to love the environment?’. Mr. Turmes listed 3 ways in which society
could do this:
1. Provide information and by requiring students from all disciplines to take a course on the environment.
2. Early childhood interaction with nature and animals.
3. Change society’s mindset of self-preservation to a group-preservation mindset.
‘Studies have proven that social change does not require 51% of the population wanting change, but rather 8-10%. The
bottom line is that small, determined groups can change societies!’
mc
Policy 6
Global education starts in elementary school
Pär Stenbäck, Minister, Chair Senate European Cultural Parliament, Finland
Pär spoke briefly about the role of student exchanges in the preparation of students to become globally literate and
responsible citizens. This lead to an extended debate amongst an audience of German, United States, Ghanaian,
Russian, Swedish and British contributors. Par noted that at any one time there are thousands of Chinese, Indian and
Africans studying abroad in addition to those from the USA and Europe.
He then moved onto the European ERASMUS program and the belief that every student should spend time abroad.
He noted his disappointment that so few students took advantage of these opportunities. He also questioned
whether such mobility would inevitably lead to enhanced individual understanding of the global situation and respect
for differences or whether it would lead to a global uniformity and the emergence of a global elite with concerns
about Global Action Plans and, for example, the development of tax havens and the competition for global resources.
He then referred to ‘the Nordic Model ‘a more values-based education shared by teachers and pupils and whether
this approach might facilitate the emergence of a global citizen. He also noted the general dominance of a factsbased curriculum particularly in the engineering and medical education and the continuation of the CP Snow Science
Arts division. He advocated an emphasis on intercultural competence and life skills training.
Par then invited contributions from the audience. A Russian student in Germany spoke of the value of travel offering
new and different perspectives. Flora Carrijn of Leven, Belgium, thought that one reason for the lack of uptake of
ERASMUS opportunities was because of a lack of entrepreneurial spirit. However she also thought that exchanges
were no longer the privilege of the elite and also that it had become more common place. She had noted a
preference for the ‘more exotic’ locations such as China and Australasia. There was a general feeling that it is
important to have experiences beyond the USA and Europe.
34
Par then invited the formation of 3 groups to discuss the effect of studying abroad on individuals and how this might
make the USA a better place. One group comprised 4 US Study Abroad students. They noted their enhanced
understanding of the importance of language and their sympathy for those attempting to communicate in languages
other than their own. One girl who worked as waiter in a restaurant thought she would be much more sympathetic
and patient when serving non-English speaking customers. They were all convinced of the value of additional
languages to help ensure a better understanding of and sympathy for other cultures. This led to a discussion about
the value of home stay experiences whilst in Europe and it was the unanimous view of the US students that his was a
vital and valuable opportunity not only for language development but also to give more subtle insights into cultural
similarities and differences.
Another student noted the comparative ease with which European could enter politics as compared with the US
situation whether large amounts of money and personal affluence were an absolute prerequisite. Another point was the
expectation of many US students that a University education should lead to employment. The believed that this was
still not uniformly felt across Europe where education for its own sake remained to some extent (this view was
disputed!) At this point the US students were reminded that Europe was not homogenous and that there remain
significant differences and diversity within and between countries. The US students and the group in general noted a
perceived hierarchy of Universities across the world and that the Shanghai Rankings and other indicators of a supposed
superior education (viz Harvard, Yale, Oxfords and Cambridge) was not entirely helpful. Another observation was that
there was more social trust between people and Government in Europe than the USA.
Finally, one of the US faculty members involved in the Study Abroad programme for many years affirmed her continued
commitment to it and the value of it to enhance her understanding and authority when speaking of Europe. She was
pleased that Bowling Green University aspired to give 50% of its students an overseas or out of State experience during
their studies.
bc
Policy 7
Immigration Policies and Global Literacy
Dr. Maureen E. Wilson, Associate Professor and ChairDirector of Graduate Studies College of Education and
Human Development, Bowling Green State University, Ohio
Dr. Debora Liddell, Associate Professor and Departmental Executive Officer
Educational Policy and Leadership Studies University of Iowa
This session sought to explore how challenges and policies relating to immigration influence global literacy, which is
the vital competency comprised of intellectual skills and sociocultural knowledge. Being globally literate means having
the ability to analyze complex global issues and accurately challenge assumptions. Examples ranged from culturallybased etiquette to embracing the ambiguity that comes from being immersed in a new culture.
Some of the challenges the presenters explored were
-
-
-
the challenge students face in successfully obtaining a visa
the issue of documentation and educational attainment in the United States
the challenge in gaining economic justification for changing policies relating to these items
The presenters offered the following as direct changes to be made regarding immigration policy relating students and
global literacy
- regular policy dialogue between countries and education systems
- bilateral agreements that would allow students to study abroad with greater ease
- programs to encourage and support mobility of students across continental divides
-joint consortia scholarships to discourage financial burden as a deterring factor in choosing not to study abroad
35
Studying abroad and focusing on students specifically is only one way in which global literacy can be promoted. The
presenters also offered the following as ways to increase global literacy beyond study abroad:
1. Integrate goal into content courses and require work that requires students to work cross-nationally on real
community problem
2. Consider problem-based learning as models
3. Develop outcomes that are tied to the development of global literacy
4. Provide incentives for faculty to teach and research specifically with a global lens in mind
As discussion ensued, participants eagerly compared systems, the roles of the parent and institution in shaping global
literacy, the significance of approaching difference intentionally, and encouraging incremental change in both the
educational and political realms. Participants left with a greater sense of the intersection between identity, policy,
education, and the world.
kt
Pedagogy & Practice
Pedagogy & Practice 7
Approaching Student Services through a Multicultural Lens: Advancing the Propensity for Student
Persistence and Success in Global Environments
Ashley Barnes, Antoinette Newsome, John Rios, Master students Bowling Green State University, Ohio
As student affairs professionals, it is important to engage students and colleagues in ways that shape their multicultural
competence. This is of upmost importance in order to create global citizens. Staff and students alike must learn,
recognize, and develop skills and strategies to promote safe and inclusive campus communities. Throughout this
interactive presentation, participants were able to explore their own institution, department or office by using the
Multicultural Organizational Development (MCOD) Model (Jackson and Hardiman version).
By using the MCOD model, participants were provided with a new lens in which to evaluate their own institution,
department, or office by reflecting on the following questions: How does your campus community create opportunities
for students to succeed in a global environment?; Are student services/affairs being approached from a multicultural
lens?; and How can we implement change to ensure that inclusive practices are occurring in the broader institutional
context? Participants were then given time to evaluate their environment of choice to see what stage they were on the
MCOD model. In addition, they were put into groups to discuss strategies on how to get to the next level in order to
create a more inclusive environment. Lastly, participants were then provided with the opportunity to brainstorm ways in
which they personally could make change to assist in creating a more multicultural inclusive environment.
an
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Pedagogy & Practice 8
The International Yehudi Menuhin Foundation and its work in the field of intercultural dialogue
Marianne Poncelet, Secretary General; Thierry van Roy, Artistic Director International Yehudi Menuhin Foundation
Brussels, Belgium
Prof. Anna Bulanda-Pantalacci, Director; Johannes Ben Jurca, Assistant CrossBorder Network History/Arts Trier, Germany
Marianne Poncelet and Thierry van Roy started this sessions in which they explained the main targets of The
International Yehudi Menuhin Foundation. This Foundation aims to influence the European Commission decisions
in the cultural sector. Created in 1991 in Brussels, the Foundation works in 12 countries and in more than 500 schools
developing children’s wellbeing and teaching through the practice of the arts, creating acceptance and fostering
nonviolence and social inclusion. It is a multidisciplinary and multicultural program of activities mostly focused on
music, singing, dancing and all kind of arts.
One of the most interesting points of their speech was the fact that they work with artists and participants of
different backgrounds and disciplines. They encourage them to understand how to live together. ‘We always try to
have an impact in society through art. We believe in an alternative way of creating human groups through the
practice of arts’, said Van Roy, who continued by saying that their action line is based on the claim to create a
collective intelligence according to Teilhard de Chardin’s noosphere concept. Used also by Vladimir Vernadsky,
noosphere denotes a sphere of human thought, a third succession of phases of development of the Earth, after the
geosphere and the biosphere. In conclusion, they want to create solutions for society and think that art is the
smartest choice for it.
Secondly, Johannes Ben Jurca talked about the interdisciplinary and intercultural workshops of Nomadic University.
Operating in different countries, they have been involved in 7 projects with 600 students and 120 artists since 2007.
This University explores new ways of living together and explores the interrelation between science, design, art and
architecture. Normally their workshops last 10 days, with 8 days of learning and 2 for preparing the exhibition of
results. They encourage the people to be active participants and promote self-responsibility during the
workshops. They foster linguistic diversity and aim to become aware of the different ways of living on Earth.
fg
Pedagogy & Practice 10
Jacklyn Fisher, Meghan Olbrys, Master students
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Ardy Gonyer, Danielle Gross & Ashley Brown, Master students Bowling Green State University, Ohio
Part I: Fostering Development in the Classroom: The Liberal Arts Education Debate
[Jacklyn Fisher and Meghan Olbrys, Indiana University of Pennsylvania]
The main idea behind this presentation was the issue facing liberal arts education in the United States. Because the
cost of higher education is so great in the US, the emphasis on getting a job eclipses all other educational goals, and
rather than an education being a means or end unto itself, it simply becomes a means to getting a job in a marketdriven economy. Many lawmakers in the US are questioning the relevance of studying arts and humanities (even soft
sciences such as anthropology) in higher education. The discussion that ensued articulated the differences between
Americans who seem to live to work, vs. Europeans who work to live.
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Part II: Civic Engagement Using Student Conduct
[Ardy Gonyer, Danielle Gross, and Ashley Brown; Bowling Green State University]
This presentation, from a Student Affairs perspective, had to do with ways of conceiving and practicing policies
relating to student conduct [discipline] at American Universities. The presenters argued that rather than connecting
discipline to punitive measures, student conduct practices should rather try to educate and raise consciousness
about citizenry (raise students’ awareness of how their behavior affects others). A discussion resulted that also
foregrounded differences between US and European ideas of student discipline. It seemed that European universities
operated according to the theory of ‘in loco parentis’, viewing the institution as an authority responsible for the
student. In the US, this notion was adjusted in the 1960s as a result of the Civil Rights Movement, and students were
given more agency related to issues of conduct.
em
Pedagogy & Practice 11
61 Years in European School
Panayota Vassilacou, Director European School
Janet Horsburgh, English Teacher Waldorf School Luxembourg
This Pedagogy and Practice track had two speakers and presented the pedagogical models of two different schools
in Luxembourg, the European School and the Waldorf School.
The European School in Luxembourg is one of 14 similar schools in Europe mainly designed for the children of EU
officials. Pupils graduate with a European Baccalaureate title. The big challenge for the European Schools is to
harmonize the curricula requirements in order for the degree to be recognized all over Europe. At the end of their
school education pupils are proficient in at least three languages. According to the respective mother tongues of the
children the European Schools provides classes in all the 24 languages of the EU as a first language. After the
mother tongue parents can choose to send their children either to the English, the French or the German section.
The 3rd language can again be chosen freely given that at least 7 pupils attend the class. A basic principle of the
European Schools is the teaching of subjects like history and geography in the second language of the child to foster
a non-nationalistic view in education. Also art, music and gym classes are hold in different languages. This
emphasizes the importance of foreign language learning and teaching for the development of open-minded,
European citizens and eventually global citizens.
The Waldorf School has a different pedagogical approach that dates back to Rudolf Steiner, the founder of the
Waldorf educational movement. In his belief school is supposed to educate the head, the heart and the hands of
pupils to provide a balance in the development of various competences and skills. Environmental education and
artistic practice play an important role in the Waldorf teaching tradition. In addition, the worldwide network of Waldorf
Schools works closely together and enables pupils to go abroad for exchanges or projects. Moreover, pupils have the
possibility to graduate with an International Baccalaureate in Luxembourg. They should finish school being selfconfident, curious, cultured, responsible and flexible citizens, who know where they want to go in life.
How has culture shaped you as an individual?
Janet Horsburgh explained that she had a very classical, academic background; growing up in the UK and passing
through public education. Only when 30, when she discovered her passion for theatre, she realized that all these years
an important part has been missing in her education as well as her life. Today she is teaching English and Theatre at
the Waldorf School in Luxembourg and especially for her children she wanted a broader education that includes the
arts and thus increases personal well-being.
jf
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Pedagogy & Practice 12
International Student Disputatio
From Germany: Lena Fleckinger, Melinda Cole, Lukas Radke, Niklas Kinsinger; Students htw saar
From the US: Jantzen Mace, Haley Bodager, Katie Urbanezyk, and Lian Hao, Students Miami University
Moderator: Dr. Elizabeth Reitz Mullenix, Dean, College of Creative Arts, Miami University
Students from the Germany and the US discussed a set of questions relating to culture and education, with rich
input and exchange from the predominantly student audience. Questions included:
•• Q: What does culture mean to you?
•• Q: Do you think cultural literacy (learning about the arts and humanities [English, languages, history, and
anthropology]) plays a large enough role in the curriculum of your country?
•• Q: Is there a way of make meaning of the human condition without culture or cultural expression?
•• Q: Whose responsibility is a cultural education? Should it be up to the individual or mandated in the school
curriculum?
•• Q: Do we risk something when schools/society focus on STEM? How do we create STEAM and ensure that it is a
vital and enduring part of the curriculum?
•• Q: Are certain countries better at integrating culture into their educational outcomes/curriculum? Why?
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Scholarship of Culture
Scholarship of Culture 4
Music Making as a Learning Laboratory
Interview with Peter Hanke, Conductor, Author and Leadership Developer, Denmark
What was your aim when setting up this workshop?
H: The historical background of the workshop is an equivalent to the Renaissance learning idioms from Lorenzo I. de
Medici, also called Lorenzo il Magnifico. He became a role model of what the Renaissance is known for, and a similar
renaissance is a possibility today. We should do like Lorenzo, provide an integrated learning concept based on full
immersion of aesthetics, knowledge and human progress. We need to re-establish the learning between the different
sectors and reform the heavily sectionized educational system by reinventing the renaissance knowledge sharing
ability.
How do we do this in practical terms?
In the case of music making, my viewpoint is that music life is completely industrialized and commoditized, meaning
that we don’t share knowledge when we go to concerts. We are only presented with a consumption opportunity,
however advanced, we call these events culture and we only allow the audience to listen and applaud.
How can we get out of this consumption model?
We need to get under the skin of the musicians, observe closely what they do and learn how they create progression.
Understand their passion of performance. We should create a mutual laboratory rather than only a consumption of
music as a nice commodity. This is what we did with the workshop – knowledge sharing between musicians and
participants.
That sounds a little bit like the historical role of the Humboldt University in the early 19th century.
Yes, – the basic assumption is certainly that there is a universal aspect of knowledge and science interwoven with
any discipline. The basic idea of a university is that all fine arts and any human endeavor belong here.
Coming back to my question of how can we do this in practical terms?
39
This is pretty difficult, as today’s universities need a deep specialization. My take on that is to honor the experts but
get close and challenge them deeply at the same time. You can do that by following the four phases of the workshop
where the musicians’ methodology functions as a framework:
1.Get acquainted, position people in a symmetrical way and create an arena of knowledge sharing. That was the
reason why everybody (players and audience) was placed on stage.
2.Experience rehearsal techniques - musicians go through several iterations. The rehearsal techniques musicians
practice are more than 500 years old - and still in fashion. Everybody can learn from this efficiency.
3.Learn how to cope with complexity. Any researcher and advanced student must develop a way of handling
complexity and unknown mental areas. That was why we chose a harsh modernistic composition by Bruno
Maderna (1969), which is complex in more dimensions.
4.Develop from rehearsal to performance. How do you exit the laboratory and meet the world with your results as a
researcher or academic practitioner? Musicians are really good at this and you can learn from them.
Thank you very much, Mr. Hanke.
pg
Feedback from participants:
What was the most significant experience today?
Florence Martin, Administrative Director, United Instruments of Lucilin: I always enjoy the musicians interacting
with the audience. We always look for ways to promote contemporary music and we think the best way to do this is to
interact with the audience. However, we have never interacted as much as we did today.
What can you learn from this process?
Florence: Always learning about the impact an open communication can have on the audience.
What will change in your practice next week?
Florence: Nothing … as this practice wasn’t something new to me!
What was the most significant experience today?
Richard Galyean, Director of Bands and Music Education, University of Virginia´s College at Wise: He reaffirmed my
dislike for modern music.
What can you transfer from this process?
Richard: It needs a work ethic and team work to produce something together, and rehearsal procedures are very
helpful to achieve results.
What will change in your practice next week?
Richard: I will keep doing the same thing. I liked this experience.
What was the most significant experience today?
Bill Chambers, Pro Vice-Chancellor Emeritus, Liverpool Hope University: It affirmed the importance of team work.
We observed all the basics of it: Trust and confidence in your partner, and how the group developed. In addition to
that, for me having the chance to talk to professional musicians was very insightful.
What can you transfer from this process?
Bill: Try to be open to new ideas, and a variety of opinions. But also to keep trying to understand contemporary music!
What will change in your practice next week?
Bill: Nothing, because I subscribe to all of what they were trying to say.
What was the most significant experience today?
Amy Ferree, Student at Bowling Green State University: Being able to give feedback to musicians, and having been
part of an interactive creative process.
What can you transfer from this process?
Amy: To embrace ambiguity, I work in a field that is pretty linear in a lot of time and pretty straight forward; the
session taught me to not be afraid to complicate the process.
What will change in your practice next week?
Amy: To ask more questions of my colleagues and my friends and to get input to situations where I thing I know the
answer already.
pg
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Scholarship of Culture 5
Jean-Marie Kieffer, Musician, Cultural and art education, Ministry of Education
Mr Kieffer, member of the Ministry of Education in Luxembourg, introduced the audience to a new reform in Luxembourg,
which is about to be implemented by the politicians very soon. The central idea is that the student is the center of
education, instead of the teacher as before. He highlighted, that besides the classical subjects there will be a bigger focus
on the informal education which uses with cultural places like Museums, Cinemas and Theatres. This new model of the
educational landscape implies the implementation of a better partnership between schools and cultural providers financed
by the Ministry of National Education, Childhood and Youth and the Ministry of Culture. Moreover the schools have a budget
to develop their teachers. Furthermore the harmonization of subjects on the curriculum gets supported. This presentation
continued with a lively discussion between the American and European participants.
dw
Scholarship of Culture 6
Culture as an intercultural challenge
Prof. Dr. Dieter Heimbökel, Professor Modernism, Interculturality, Literary theory, New german literature from the
18th century to the present, Poetics of literary genres; Dr. Natalie Bloch, Daniela Dora, Daliah Kentges, Elena
Kreutzer, Julian Osthues, Dr. Eva Wiegmann-Schubert, Dr. Hamid Tafazoli, Associates Research Unit IPSE,
University of Luxembourg
The presenters are part of an international research team for intercultural studies. They have different views on culture
as intercultural studies. This team connects different views of culture in their intercultural studies. In this presentation
four people told stories, partly about their life, everybody with a different cultural background. Summarized the crucial
point was, that language can cross borders. Languages change like culture does. Culture can’t be seen as a fixed term,
it is something which is also always changing. The team changed the language of delivery during their presentation and
for a while used their second language, such as Italian, Luxembourgish, Turkish and so on. Furthermore the presentation
was accompanied by texts about historical understanding of approaches to culture (definition and description). Another
crucial point was, that culture always profits from another culture. It is symbiotic interculturality also helps us to acquire
knowledge, that leads to acceptance of ‘the other’.
dw
Scholarship of Culture 7
The Academy Fights Back: Reasserting the Role of Culture in the Context of STEM Education
Dr. Harvey Charles, Vice Provost for International Education, AIEA Editor Northern Arizona University
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) have dominated many facets of our society. The
hegemony of STEM includes influential figures exclusively highlighting the need and importance of how this can
benefit us, the bias in funding, and the structure of curricula. In addition to this, globalization is another factor that
drives STEM as the ultimate solution for issues we face as a society. It has become ubiquitous. This becomes quite
problematic in the sense that STEM cannot alone answer all the questions and issues we face. Hence, culture is of
utmost importance, if not just as important as STEM, in order to resolve challenges we face as a society.
The role of culture is to provide a different perspective on how to answer human problems. Culture should be embraced
in the academy and should be deemed just as important as STEM. A prime example of this is the Global Science &
Engineering Program at Northern Arizona University. This program infused arts & humanities into all STEM majors by
allowing them the opportunity to take 1 full year abroad, complete a second language, live in an international house
abroad, and complete cross cultural training. All of the program requirements are directly linked to teaching students
about integrating culture into the hard sciences of STEM. The outcomes of such program include communicating
effectively in their chosen language, appreciation of cultural diversity within the local and global context, applying
disciplinary knowledge in an international context, and having the ability to assume a leadership role in an international
company. Students also develop strong cross cultural skills, have more flexibility within the job market, and are globally
and culturally competent graduates. As mentioned by the presenter, integrating such an intense program with multiple
departments presents its challenges but if you are truly committed to making the change then it can happen!
To conclude, culture allows us to think about societal issues in different ways and allows students to learn, develop,
and grow in ways that make them stronger and more confident global citizens.
an
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Cultural Diplomacy
Cultural Diplomacy 2
Culture, a tool for Diplomacy and Education
Jean-Jacques Kasel, former Ambassador & Judge at the European Court of Justice
One essential of transatlantic dialogue is understanding and changing habits involving cultural heritage, which is
broadly defined as the cultural practices and historical realities experienced by a cultural group. Kasel and Schoepges
both argued that to change diplomacy and political systems, the individuals that participate in them must change
habits that undermine or ignore the cultural heritages of those involved in the diplomatic work.
In this session, it was made clear that cultural heritage is something that is more than simply race or race relations. It
involves deep cultural identities that, in order to be understood, must be explored deeply. This, the speakers argued,
necessitates moving beyond respect toward a deeper knowing and understanding of cultural groups. Kasel summarized
this activity well when he said that what we typically understand of a cultural heritage is the ‘tip of huge iceberg that
often stays invisible.’ The knowledge of the submerged portion, in this case the cultural heritage, allows diplomats and
others to truly measure the ins and out of communities past and present and from generation to generation.
As the discussion unfolded, it became clear that in bringing together multiple viewpoints that come from individuals
that are rooted deeply in differing cultural heritages, inter- or trans-cultural dialogue is difficult, but is necessary for
honoring cultural heritage. Participants interrogated the difference between accepting and tolerating cultural
heritages, and though it is hard to define and illustrate what deep acceptance of difference looks like in practice, it
was made clear through multiple historical examples from around the world that what diplomacy, and perhaps all of
us as individuals living within a globalized society needs is more understanding of ourselves and our own cultural
heritages in order to better engage in productive discourse, diplomatic or otherwise, with others.
Participants may have left this session with more questions than answers, but they also left with a deeper
understanding of the complexity of understanding and the importance of accepting multiple cultural heritages across
the world. One participant said that, even though it would be easier in a world filled with more defined answers and
questions, the complexity of culture and cultural diplomacy work was something he had come to deeply respect. This
respect now serves to open ‘the mind and heart to asking bigger and difficult questions about how the world thinks
about culture.
kt
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Creative Atelier
Creative Atelier 3
Interview with participant Wim Coudenys
What was your experience?
It was fun in that respect that the meditation session I attended this morning did not let me feel empathy or engage
my body and mind. This time, I felt engaged in body and mind.
How will that experience influence you in the near future?
I like to experiment whenever an opportunity like this occurs. I will jump on it. I am always thinking and thinking and in
this moment, I was not thinking apart from being in movement.
How is that experience related to learning culture?
I have a very rational approach to learning culture and this is another form of culture. It adds up to the catalogue of
culture moving, trying, playing with others is also culture – an additional dimension I have not much experienced yet.
pg
Creative Atelier 4
Thierry van Roy, Artistic Director & Milton Paulo Nascimiento, Dancer International Yehudi Menuhin Foundation,
Brussels, Belgium
Thierry Van Roy, who also spoke in the Pedagogy & Practice session, introduced Nicolas Ankoudinoff, a Brazilian dancer
who provided a workshop that shaped the ideas expressed in the morning. Ankoudinoff worked with about ten
participants and explained that for him was a very nice experience to learn about a new world by coming to Europe. The
leader of this Creative Atelier believed in building things together and, based on his disciplines of dance and movement,
told us that he believed in the generation of a common language with the body.
He started a very emotional workshop with relaxing exercises that joined people physically and emotionally. A circle of
creative energy was formed and caused a common code between participants of different backgrounds and
countries. They were floating into a bubble just trusting the body, trying to form human sculptural compositions.
Ankoudinoff reminded them that ‘body knows’ what to do and they don’t need to use their minds. Afterwards they
shared their experiences. The most important point is that they transcended the personal space and established a
level of communication unattainable when you talk to others.
fg
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Day 3:
Plenary session
‘Institutionalizing a Culture of Learning’
Moderator: Dr. Mike Coomes, Bowling Green State University
Prof. Dr. Adelheid Hu Institute for Research on Multilingualism Research Unit Education, Culture, Cognition and Society,
University of Luxembourg
During this plenary session Adelheid Hu, Professor for Educational Science: Multilingual Learning and Literacies at the
University of Luxembourg, presented a European perspective on the question of Internationalization in Higher
Education. She defined today’s university as a ‘multicultural and hybrid place of encounters and discourses’ and as a
place for ‘the development of identity and the construction of meaning’. Seen in this light, modern universities face
many of challenges concerning the globalization in the scientific world. Nevertheless discourse about so-called
‘international’ universities stays rather vague. It is not clear what the labels ‘international’, ‘intercultural’ or ‘global’
really mean in terms of curriculum design.
Usually models are used that measure and check whether a university fulfills conditions such as: providing
opportunities to study abroad and exchange staff, the number of international students or the offering of joint
degrees and joint research projects. Moreover, essentialist distinctions not fitting the realities of modern
heterogeneous societies seem to be commonly made e.g. ‘home’ vs. ‘foreign’ students or native vs. non-native
speakers. From a cultural point of view this is not sufficient. The culture of learning, like culture itself, has to be
observed, analyzed and interpreted so that in the end you get a ‘thick description’ of the intercultural interaction
currently going on at the universities.
Taking the example of the University of Luxembourg, what happens on campus, in classrooms and during staff
meetings is a constant negotiation process between different cultures, languages and identities. An effective way to
cope with the diversity of students and staff is teaching in different languages and consequently teaching about
cultures. A language is always connected to a certain research tradition, a way of teaching, academic writing norms
and assessment criteria. Within a multilingual university all these specific traditions can be compared and thus
understood. Therefore, multilingualism allows for multi-perceptivity and raises cultural awareness. For instance, it is
very enriching for teaching to compare important concepts over linguistic borders. By comparing the French, English
and German terms for ‘culture’ and ‘civilization’ you very quickly realize that they are linked and derived from the
history and culture of the countries speaking those languages. The meaning of concepts is very much embodied in
the language. With regards study abroad programs the language aspect is also an important part contributing to the
experience. Unfortunately, within the internationalization process of universities, English became the lingua franca
and educational systems, programs and curricula become more and more similar, which raises the question why
students will need mobility semesters in the future. In the theories of internationalization in higher education the
relation to multilingualism is not adequately investigated, which calls for more microscopic research in the field.
jf
Prof. Dr. Kathleen Manning Higher Education Student Affairs Graduate Program, University of Vermont
Dr. Manning discussed culture, globalization, and internationalization as those concepts apply to higher education.
One of the most striking aspects of her talk was her discussion of the following idea by Clifford Geertz.
Geertz himself argues for a ‘semiotic’ concept of culture: ‘Believing, with Max Weber, that man is an animal
suspended in webs of significance he himself has spun,’ he states ‘I take culture to be those webs, and the analysis
of it to be therefore not an experimental science in search of law but an interpretive one in search of meaning.’
This same definition is one that was talked about in various ways throughout the conference. She also made the
statement that education is cultural transmission.
Dr. Manning also talked about how her extensive international experience has helped her in teaching cultural or global
awareness/citizenry to her students. After she defined the terms culture, globalization, and internationalization; she
discussed specific ‘high impact practices’ such as study abroad and semester-at-sea that contributed to an
international higher education experience.
em
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Policy
Policy 8
Culture and Higher Education
Erna Hennicot-Schoepges, Musician & Former Minister of Culture, Luxembourg
Culture is the system of shared beliefs, values, customs, behaviors and the artefacts, members of society use to
cope with their world and with one another, and that are transmitted from generation to generation by learning.
Regarding Culture in the EU, a short overview on the different treaties concerning culture (Maastricht 1992, Lisbon
2007, and the Charter of Fundamental Rights, concerning culture and education) shows, that there is no common
policy.
However, what we see is a strong change of paradigm in European Policy related to the role of education which can
be labeled as: Employability instead of ‘Bildung’. Growing unemployment among young people need to encourage us
to consider how education should profit from the gifts of each human being. Studies of the brain have proven that
learning how to play an instrument stimulates special parts of the brain, enlarging its capacities. Bildung goes beyond
employability, and is a value in its own.
Looking back at ancient Greece, Music was the first discipline in education.
Aristotle was convinced that ‘no one will doubt that the legislator should direct his attention above all to the
education of youth; for the neglect of education does harm to the constitution. The citizen should be moulded to suit
the form of government under which he lives. For each government has a peculiar character which originally formed
and which continues to preserve it. The character of democracy creates democracy, and the character of oligarchy
creates oligarchy; and always the better the character, the better the government.’
There is a tremendous amount to be learned for life through music and yet our current system of education neglects
this realm entirely, from kindergarten right through to the last years of school. Even in music schools and
conservatoires. The cohesion of society improves by teaching and practicing music in primary schools which has been
proved by a survey of Hans Günter Bastian ‘Studie Musikerziehung und ihre Wirkung, (2000).
pg
Policy 9
Implementing Policy Decisions at the Institutional Level to Advance Student Development and
Civic Engagement Learning Outcomes
Dr. Kevin Colaner, Assistant Vice-Provost for Student Services California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
This session was about using assessment/evaluation to institutionalise the learning outcomes in the title. Thus far in
the conference the emphasis had been on recognising the shift in the view of education from the public good to the
private good ie societal to individual benefit from education and , not surprisingly, recognising the importance of
culture and creativity. A major thrust of this presentation was the notion that ‘what we count, counts’ ie we should
assess/evaluate what we deem to be important.
The session started with an inspiring and witty video clip of Ken Robinson extolling the virtues of culture in education.
This was followed by Dr Colaner framing the discussion using the National Issues Forum format. He spoke about
avoiding false dichotomies (ie we are not always offered an either/or choice such as that between culture or
success); focusing on the key values and mission of the educational institution; and finally making civic, cultural and
global engagement a key focus of education.
He then discussed why we use assessment and evaluation and proposed 5 reasons:
1. To assess the student experience by measuring impacts
2. To determine needs and set goals
3. As a basis for the allocation of resources
4. To solicit funds and grants
5.To share information with a range of stakeholders including the campus community, Student Affairs Department,
accrediting agencies, fellow professionals, donors and funders, external constituents and the student body.
He advocated the need to set clear and high expectations for meaningful and purposeful assessment. He warned
against the ‘collecting low hanging fruit’ syndrome ie measuring that which is easily measured rather than that which
provides real insight into the knowledge gained, the epistemology, the outcomes ie the purpose of the activity.
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He then turned to the importance of the allocation of adequate resources to the assessment / evaluation process.
This included staff numbers and quality, staff development and physical resources including IT systems for tracking
and synthesizing information from the variety of diverse sources (academic and otherwise) which contribute to the
whole learning experience of students.
He warned about an excessive focus on the process of education (ie what we did) as opposed to the outcome (ie
what we learned). Finally he advocated the need to share and publicize the assessment/evaluation outcomes.
The workshop was then broken up into smaller groups. One group of 4 US students discussed its experience of their
European Study Abroad. They started by describing the assessment requirements for the trip. These included keeping
a daily blog, writing reviews of the Shakespeare plays viewed and a daily group discussion. These activities were
recognized as ensuring and assessing student engagement, itemizing and recording student activities, and
encouraging student reflection and synthesis of their experiences. In terms of learning outcomes the students
identified the following:
1.Knowledge and understanding of another culture (‘which I will use to influence US society’ – a trainee primary
teacher)
2. An understanding of international differences
3.The value of a homestay experience for the development of real understanding of eg food, language, places to
visit
4. How other countries perceive the United States
5. ‘An enhanced ability to look at my own country’ (the USA)
6.An increased sympathy for non-English speakers - ‘when I try to serve them in the restaurant where I work I
previously became frustrated and lacking in sympathy for their lack of English’
bc
Pedagogy & Practice
Pedagogy & Practice 13
Prof. Dr. Jean-Paul Lehners, UNESCO Chair Human Rights Chair, University of Luxembourg
This workshop was about the human rights. Prof. Dr. Jean-Paul Lehners has a UNESCO chair and teaches at the
University of Luxembourg. First, the workshop started with an interesting historical excursion about when and how
the human rights evolved. The introduction main topic and question was ‘what are human rights for you?’. This is
quite hard to answer easily. Human rights consider law, political and moral issues. But the relative importance has
changed in recent years. Since 9/11 security became more important to society than human rights. Nobody knows
what its importance will be in the future. Moreover Prof. Dr. Lehner’s clarified what the contents are and how they
change through time like the right of homosexuality and adoption. So the human rights are always connected to time
and changing human values. Furthermore, Dr. Lehner’s mentioned an important point: Rights and duties are always
connected to each other. This fact also belongs to Human Rights: You have the right of freedom – Somebody has the
duty to give you that freedom.
•• Do we need regional rights related to different cultures?
•• Can we implement human rights from a global level to a local level?
After the speech, the workshop continued with an interesting 20-minutes discussion about the transformation of
values into laws and the link between private life and public issues.
Pedagogy & Practice 14
Prof. Dr. Georg Mein, Dean
Dr. Till Dembeck, Research Associate
Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Amann, Research Associate
Faculty of Language and Literature, Humanities, Arts and Education University of Luxembourg
Students in the track were able to look at selected sections of Friedrich Schiller’s works.
The key topic being discussed was what an ‘aesthetic education’ meant in the 1800s and what it means today.
The works of Schiller span the late 16th century and were written around the time of the French Revolution.
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Schiller believed society to be inadequately equipped for freedom. He believed humans to be selfish and violent by
nature and therefore, in this state, could only aim at the destruction of society. If society wants freedom, Schiller
warned, they must first embrace beauty, as it was a necessary condition on the way to freedom.
To play, or to contemplate beauty, is to live between the realms of law and physical exigency, and to first truly be
human. Playing in the 16th century, and according to Schiller, was appreciating the fine arts. As society changed,
argued the professors, so the laws and therefore so the meaning of playing changed. Playing today could very well be
conducting research.
Schiller argued that students should have philosophical minds and should not simply memorize meanings.
Therefore, liberal arts, are very much needed, as students learn to think outside of the box, which is, according to
Schiller, far superior to other types of learning.
mc
Scholarship of Culture
Scholarship of Culture 8
International Engagement – Experiential Learning a Modular Response
Venu Dhupa, University of the West of Scotland and former World-wide Director of Arts for the British Council
Professor Dhupa started her session by presenting her CV briefly but reminded the audience that it is not the title
that counts in relation to a job but what you do with it. For her is very important to foster qualities such as
internationalist, social entrepreneurship, freedom of expression, equality and diversity, embrace positive change,
active citizenship and life-long learning. These concepts served her to explain the advantages of a pioneering
program called ADVANCE, offered in the United Kingdom. Designed to accelerate skills for business and
entrepreneurship in the 18-25 age group, is delivered through the lens of the creative industries. She is in favor of
this program which she explained that is more effective than other programs of the Government which are designed
to deal with volume rather than quality. Most of the programs she has been involved with place an emphasis on
quality, like Intercultural Entrepreneurship and International Cultural Leadership.
ADVANCE is a modular, intensive and interactive experience which interests any young person with an idea for a
business or a creative product or service. The modules are developed to enhance the capacity of the individual and
the skills imparted are transferable across business areas. The modules increase theoretical knowledge about the
environment for business, practical skills for employment, ability and skills to get a business idea off the ground,
ability to think creatively, understanding of networks and relationships, confidence, resilience and motivation, and
communication skills. These modules include practical work, group work, self-reflection, lectures, discussion, one to
one meetings, presentations, examination of scenarios and case studies.
During ADVANCE participants receive assistance to create their own business plans. At the end of the program there
is a chance to share ideas in a ‘safe environment’ and to win prizes. The best ideas are given a further opportunity to
gain investment to make the ideas ready for public exhibition. At the moment, the program has been operating for 3
rounds with a rate of 75 percent of success training 85 individuals. On this basis the University of the West of
Scotland hopes to provide accreditation for ADVANCE.
Venu also talked about a program called International Placements for Creative Entrepreneurs, or ICE. This has also
completed three rounds in England and Scotland and has had just over £1million pounds of investment. Participants
in their midcareer go abroad for up to 6 months to deliver a project and fulfil a personal learning program. They also
have a mentor to assist and access to the leader of their host organization. This is a unique program and also has
been lauded.
Venu indicated that further partnerships are being assembled for both programs, so any participant of TAD who is
interested in hearing more is welcome to be in touch with her. The session concluded with Q+A and a participation
exercise.
fg
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Scholarship of Culture 9
Christian Mosar Historian, Curator & Freelance journalist
What is art? How does art communicate?
The participants in this session sat intently to listen to Mosar explain contemporary ways of understanding art as an
aesthetic language that involves the viewer actively in the artistic expression. Installations seek participant
involvement through encouraging sculpting or painting on walls, all the while blurring the traditional lines that define
museum and art spaces. Through this, the artist’s role becomes that of ideator while the public creates the product
of the installation within the artistic space.
One participant made a striking comment that generated much discussion. They mentioned that understanding and
talking about art requires a specialized vocabulary. Seeking public participation without teaching the public the
language to more deeply define the appreciation of arts doesn’t allow the artist and the public to truly be partners in
the creative process.
This comment and the discussion that ensured revealed the following:
-Context creates the meaning of art, whether in museum, open air installations, or some other place within the
world
-There are few definitive answers when it comes to who should take responsibility for cultural education
- Each individual understands culture and its significance differently
This session extended some TAD participants’ experiences at the Contemporary Art Museum of Luxembourg where
they had the pleasure of experiencing an exhibit built-on the experience and the act of deeply listening.
kt
Cultural Diplomacy
Cultural Diplomacy 3
Academic Mobility
Erica Lutes, Executive Director Commission for Educational Exchange between the US, Belgium and Luxembourg and
visiting lecturer at the University College of Brussels (HUB), US / Belgium
Dr. Wim Coudenys, Lecturer Russian & European History & Culture and Academic Coordinator for International
Relations, Faculty of Arts, Katholiek Universiteit Leuven, Belgium
Academic mobility is seen as a way to promote social and societal grow with intercultural competence as an
additional value. Throughout this presentation, programs from the US and the EU were compared in a way that
showed the vast similarities and differences on how to provide students with an intercultural experience. An example
of this in the US is the Fulbright Program. The Fulbright Program is an international exchange program that allows
individuals to gain a better understanding of the US perspective and for US citizens to gain a better world view. For
the EU, the Erasmus + program representative shared the goals and outcomes of this program for faculty, staff, and
students.
The biggest difference between the two programs is the Erasmus program links it’s goals and outcomes more towards
employability. The learner’s mobility to enhance employability is organized on a much larger scale now on every tertiary
level for 3 months to 1 year for both internship and study. In regards to the Fulbright program, it is more like a cultural
diplomacy program in a way that allows people who visit the US to then go back to their home countries to tell individuals
about the US. In a sense, they become more like an ambassador for the US. From both programs, participants become
more interculturally competent and their confidence levels increase for those who engage in such experience. There is
value in both exchange programs that allow people to become better global citizens regardless of their background.
an
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Editorial team - Summary
Core products of all the workshops, seminars and plenary sessions were a number of complex questions answered,
related to the role of policy, scholarship of culture, and cultural diplomacy.
The first question was a result of the contributions in the policy workshops asking how we shape a curriculum
which allows expertise and at the same time a broader education. One tool is the design of the degree
offered. If we open up our program for double majors, increase the number of minors, and add mandatory liberal
education, the first step is completed. Further, we can offer extras such as internships, study abroad and student
associations to broaden the in class experience. Last but not least there are organic outcomes based on the
interests of students and professors such as spontaneous programs and projects.
But who is responsible for a broad education? The answer was clear as all levels involved in education play an
important role. It’s the pan-continental level which sets the scene on a large scale to provide nations with an
understanding of education that does not stop at national borders. However, national responsibility does not imply
that at the state level there is no room for taking on a leading role when it comes to innovative education systems/
elements. Universities as one major location of education are also part of the system, as well as professors and the
individual.
How do we motivate people to broaden their understanding of culture? It is up to all the levels mentioned
above to accept their responsibility when it comes to taking the initiative to increase cultural as well as intercultural
understanding. But how do we teach culture at the institutional level? This is possible by constructing
missions and designing practices/programs that reflect multi-cultural values. As professors and staff we can
identify universal themes/values/truths/ideas/ [love, hate, justice, equality, cruelty, empathy] to help foster cultural
understanding. We can foster learning from the concepts of others and by introducing those concepts to students.
In addition, we can open up our toolbox and teach methodologies from other disciplines. But conducting research
regarding your own didactic approach is the first step to broadening our understanding of culture. For those who are
very committed, we can encourage them as colleagues to explore innovative pedagogies. As individuals, we have to
be aware of our cultural position and / or our beliefs about cultural differences in order to deepen our intercultural
understanding.
What connects us as global citizens and how can we foster and support this connectivity? This complex
question cannot be addressed with a simple answer. Just the opposite, we have to be aware and acknowledge
different concepts/definitions of culture; it is a diverse topic. This is for example shown in the concept of
Global Citizenship. What does it exactly mean in addition to preparing an open mind which respects differences,
challenges, and difficulties? Same complexity in the discussion can be identified for STEM and the new role of culture
in education. Within STEM not all questions can be answered but humanities can help. We have to identify and create
the new role of culture in education. In order to be successful with this approach, we have to motivate people to
broaden their understanding of culture through cultural education and problem solving across cultural
borders, strengthening the dialogue between people of different cultural background.
How can culture help us solve problems that emerge with diplomacy? Culture helps us expand our thinking,
adapt, and problem solve by investigating diplomatic issues from a cultural perspective. We have to be prepared to
understand what something means based on a specific cultural perspective. Therefore we have to cultivate
ambassadors in our country through student exchange, international study and global curriculum. Fulbright, Erasmus,
Peace Corps are examples of successful support for young people who want to prepare themselves for a broad
understanding of culture and its implications for multiculturalism.
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Consequently as responsible institutions for
education, we as universities support:
I.
…liberal education by offering double majors and a broad selection of minors.
II.
…internships and study abroad opportunities.
III. …environmental projects / practices within our institution.
IV. …exposure to and participation in culture.
V.
…our instructors implementing an interdisciplinary teaching approach.
VI. …our instructors employing values and ideas to foster cultural understanding.
VII. …our students analyzing their cultural position within a global context.
VIII. …a diverse understanding of the scholarship of culture.
IX. …international dialogue to solve problems across cultural borders.
X.…cultural ambassadors in our country through student exchange programs and global curriculums.
Logos
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Editorial team - Members
Prof. Dr. Bill Chambers, Liverpool Hope University
Pro Vice-Chancellor Emeritus
bc
Melinda Cole, HTW Saarbrücken
Master student
mc
Janine Fleck, University of Luxembourg
Master Student
jf
Prof. Dr. Petra Garnjost, HTW Saarbrücken
Professor, Business School
pg
Fernando Gomez-Luna, Universidad de Cordoba
Journalist
fg
Dr.Elisabeth Mullenix, Miami University
Dean, College of Creative Arts
em
Antoinette Newsome, Bowling Green State University
Master student
an
Karl Turnlund, Miami University
Master student
kt
David Wildberger, HTW Saarbrücken
Master student
dw
Editorial team © Michel Brumat
Université du Luxembourg
Espace cultures
162 A, avenue de la Faïencerie
L-1511 Luxembourg
—
© University of Luxembourg, January 2015
www.uni.lu
University of Luxembourg
Multilingual. Personalised. Connected.