COIL Course Intercultural Communication and Management: Orient

Germany - Tunisia

Heilbronn University of Applied Sciences (Heilbronn) - Université de Tunis (Tunis)

The DAAD co-funded lighthouse project enables students from the Tunis Business School and the Faculty of International Business at Heilbronn University to interact internationally through telecollaboration. The original idea of telecollaboration, which is mainly used in language teaching, was further developed by Prof. Dr. Gaiser: The students are presented with a realistic challenge from the field of business administration, which they are to solve together in their binational tandem group.

This year's telecollaboration is about marketing a product in a new market segment, just like in real professional life. For example, while one tandem takes on the challenge of introducing the hot spice paste "Harissa" to the German market, another group deals with how to market height-adjustable tables "Made in Germany" in Tunisia. In addition to language practice, the project particularly promotes the acquisition of international know-how and intercultural experience.

The bicultural exchange sensitises students from different countries to cultural differences at an early age. For example, the Tunisian students learn to deal with the direct German way and the German students are confronted with a different time management.

One term