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Conclusion
(2018)
There is a paradigm shift from traditional content-based education and training to competencybased and practice-oriented training. This shift has occurred because practice-oriented teaching has been found to produce a training outcome that is industry focused, generating the relevant occupational standards. Competency-based training program often comprises of modules broken into segments called learning outcomes. These learning outcomes are based on criteria set by industry and assessment is designed to ensure students become competent in their respective areas of specialization.
Multidisciplinary, multicultural, and multitasking has taken center stage in the global educational debate. Globalization and improvement in communication have affected the way organisations operate and hence influenced whom they hire. Today, it is common practice to work with people from diverse backgrounds and it requires competencies that go beyond general project management. Intercultural awareness, networking in different global communities, and learning to develop specific communication strategies for different stakeholders is all part of the package of skills and competencies that are required in today's interconnected world. This has indirect implication on the nature of skills and competencies institutions/universities must equip their students with to enable them to compete successfully in the working world.
Culture is at the core of any social, economic and business interactions and relationships. The way people perceive the culture of others influences their decision to collaborate socially, politically and economically with them. It is therefore, imperative students appreciate the dynamics of cross-cultural interactions and collaborations, since it exposes them to a wider view of the world. In doing this, it is important they (students) are allowed to explore as much as possible with little interference by their teachers. Using the project students went through real-life experience in a self-directed enquiry. In the process, they were taught to solve problems encountered during the learning process. The focus of the intercultural communication project was to understand how people from different cultures speak, interact and perceive others’ culture. It was found students innovate if allowed to explore a certain phenomenon on their own. Furthermore, face-to-face meetings can be arranged between people in the different countries can be arranged using these Web 2.0 tools. Based on the experience from the project, it was observed that the success of a collaborative international project depends on the understanding of the crosscultural dynamics of partners. For such collaborations, it is imperative to establish personal relationships, be flexible and adaptable to situations and change as well as being swift resolving potential conflict situation.
The link between universities and the industry has been of concern both locally as well as globally for a long time, for the obvious reason that it is perceived to enhance organizational performance. The gap between universities and the industry has been widening in developing countries leading to lost opportunities for joint research, product development and job creation. Marketing and entrepreneurship could play a pivotal role in reversing the weakened linkages by building mutual relationship and strengthening bonds between universities and industry. This study sought to examine the role of marketing and entrepreneurship as important tools for enhancing the university industry linkages. The study sought to determine the aspects of marketing and entrepreneurship that have the highest influence on enhancing the university industry linkages. It considered the nexus of entrepreneurship and marketing exemplified by the attributes of innovativeness, creativity, risk taking; proactive orientation and value creation as crucial for creating, nurturing and developing sustained linkages between universities and industry. The study targeted 150 small and medium sized enterprises in Nairobi City County, out of which 143 responded, giving a response rate of 95 %. Data was collected using structured questionnaire administered to managers of small and medium sized enterprises engaged in manufacturing, retail, banking and hospitals. Survey data collected from small and medium enterprises will be analyzed through descriptive statistics including mean scores and standard deviation. We will test our hypothesis through regression analysis. The study found that marketing practices especially those focused on the product, promotion and distribution were key in enhancing University industry linkage. With regards to entrepreneurial orientation, risk taking, and creativity indicators were found to be more important than innovation in enhancing university-industry linkages.
The labor market is dynamic and frequently calls for new skills, knowledge, and abilities. The changing needs of industry place a higher demand on institutions of higher learning to monitor trends in labor needs, identify skill gaps, and to use industry insights for developing programs and curricula that mold human resources to create value for employers and society at large. While several institutions of higher learning are responsive to industry needs through curricula reviews and the development of new programs, little attention is given to pedagogical issues that affect the delivery of knowledge and the development of skills intended by various education programs. Consequently, teachers are entrusted with the freedom to decide the teaching methods that are appropriate under each circumstance. Despite the changing face of the labor market, not much energy has been channeled towards adjusting teaching methods for effective delivery of skills required by students. The failure to adjust teaching methods for training graduates has led to what is commonly known as ‘halfbaked graduates’. In other words, graduates who lack the skills and abilities necessary for placement in the industry. However, the success of an institution of higher learning is illustrated by its ability to train people who perfectly match the needs of the industry.
Culture is the constellation of shared believes, mores, values, and traditions that define the behavior of people and it is unique to each community at local and national levels. Culture determines the languages spoken by the people, their attitude towards others, and their behavior. While the family is the immediate point through which culture is learned by children, socialization at institutions such as religious organizations, places of worship, schools, and the society’s dispute resolution system reinforce culture. Unlike the Internet, traditional media in the forms of local and national print and audio-visual content tend to reinforce cultural beliefs, values, and practices of specific communities. The uniqueness of culture creates market penetration challenges to entrepreneurs in international markets. Therefore, intercultural communication is a necessary skill for reducing cultural liability and increasing the success of entrepreneurial ventures.
“Building Bridges Across Continents” (BBAC) is an intercultural and student-centered project that seeks to promote international communication and helps students develop competencies in entrepreneurship, international trade and global cultural awareness. The project, which is in its fourth phase of implementation, connects students from the United States, Germany, Ghana and Kenya with the help of Information Communication Technologies (ICT) in order to work on a common research assignment for a period of ten calendar weeks. The main ICTs used in the project are Skype, Facebook, wiki, email and WhatsApp. This paper describes and analyzes the background, structure, and results of the project.