Intercultural preparation
Engaging with the culture of the host country is essential to the success of a stay abroad. This also applies to countries and cultures that, at first glance, appear very similar to German or European culture.
In this context, the term ‘culture’ is not limited to aspects such as art, literature, language, history, etc., but also encompasses areas such as communication styles (verbal and non-verbal), time management and dealing with hierarchies.
Free online courses
The International Office provides free online courses to help you prepare for and follow up on your semester abroad. These courses will help you prepare for the challenges of your stay and reflect on your experiences from an intercultural perspective upon your return. For participants in exchange programmes these courses are compulsory.
You complete Courses 1 and 2 before your stay (by 1 August or 1 December at the latest) and Courses 3 and 4 as a follow-up (within 30 days of your return).
After completing a short test at the end of both modules, you will receive a certificate of attendance, which you can include with your CV, for example. You do not need to send the certificate to the International Office.
Intercultural preparation and follow-up are essential both for your life abroad and for your personal development. We hope that these courses provide an interesting offer and new perspectives. All courses take a maximum of 45 minutes. Please do take the time – it’s time well spent.
We also strongly recommend that you familiarise yourself with the culture of your host country (and, by extension, your own culture) in advance. This will help you to better understand and put differences into perspective, as well as avoid putting your foot in it. Below you can find further resources. Please note that some of these resources are only available in German.
- AW Courses (wissenschaftliche Wahlfächer, academic elective courses) offered by Department 13 on Intercultural Skills
- Department-run courses with intercultural focus (see also Courses in English )
- IKK Certificate in Intercultural Competence
- Taking part in the Welcome Service as a mentor
- Taking part in the Summer School as a mentor
- Taking part in the HM mentoring programme
- The HM Library offers a wide range of resources on the subject of intercultural communication and competence. Please contact the Library staff or search using the keyword "intercultural communication".
International Office
The IO supports international mobility and collaboration in learning, teaching and research.
Info sessions
Date and time information and links for the different info sessions by the International Office
Student testimonials
Find out, what other HM students have to say about their time abroad.