What is the International Celebration 2019?

The International Celebration 2019 by the Equal Opportunities Group at the Department of IT is a full-day event on May 14 focused on international students and staff. We believe in the importance of diversity in many aspects. This year our theme for the day is the richness that different cultures bring to the table: “Many cultures, a world of possibilities”.

What can you expect for the day?

Intercultural skills are essential in today’s society. That is why we have invited expert Helena Bernáld to give a seminar targeted at all participants. Then we will celebrate students at the department with presentations of their projects. We will also have discussion groups of both staff and students to get feedback on how we can all better support international people in our environment. This will inform our next Equal Opportunities Plan and it is a perfect opportunity to make a change in your department or discuss other relevant topics for you. Read more about the different parts of the program and project presentations below.

Who can participate?

Everyone, whether you are in the Department of IT or not, is welcome to attend!

• If you are a staff member (of any kind) the intercultural skills seminar will be of value in your interactions with colleagues, students and others. You will have the opportunity to participate in the discussions and be a part of positive change in our department (or other topics that interest you). Listening to the student presentations will give you an overview of their fantastic work at the department , and you can be a positive influence for them.
• As a student at any level, this is a perfect opportunity for you to learn about intercultural skills and how we benefit from cultural diversity. Through participation in the discussion groups, you can express your views on how diversity is presently handled at our department, help with suggestions for improvements, and discuss a variety of many other topics. You can even present a project you are working on (individually or in a group) within IT, and listen to your fellow students talk about their work and interests.

Questions or feedback?

Do you have any questions or suggestions? You can contact Virginia Grande for the questions about the event in general (virginia.grande_at_it.uu.se). For questions about the student presentations, write to Eva Breznik (eva.breznik_at_it.uu.se). You can find the contact information of all organizers below.
We look forward to meeting you on May 14!

Intercultural Skills for a Diverse World with Helena Bernáld

Why are intercultural skills essential in today’s global workplace and how can they futureproof your organisation? How can enhanced intercultural skills lead to increased job satisfaction for everyone? How do we work hands-on to move from a multicultural workplace to a successfully intercultural one?
This seminar will explore the concept of Intercultural Skills with the aim to increase cultural awareness, inspire further discussions on the subject and pave the way for enhanced intercultural skills. In addition to the questions above, we will focus on the impact our culturally inherent values may have on our communication style, cooperation, decision making, leadership style, learning, teaching, and a number of other aspects in professional and social situations.
Welcome to an interesting discussion!

Helena Bernáld's bio

With more than 20 years’ experience in training and education in the private and public sectors, Helena Bernáld specialises in intercultural skills, leadership and effective communication. Swedish-born Helena lives in the UK and works with clients across the globe, training and coaching them to communicate, teach and perform successfully. Helena is a regular guest lecturer at Uppsala University since 2007.

Recognition of Equal Opportunities Work

Three people at the department who have been role models in their work in Equal Opportunities will talk about this experience and be celebrated for their efforts and achievements.

Student Presentations

If you are a student or a group of students working on a project that you find interesting, consider presenting your work to others at the International Celebration 2019.
Join us for a fun session full of interesting talks: display your work or encourage your friends to do so, and get inspired by the work of others!

Discussion Groups

Participants of all backgrounds (staff, students, guests) will be divided in small groups for different discussions, with one facilitator per group. What can the discussions be about?

• We would like to give people at our department a voice, so that our Equal Opportunities Group can incorporate in our next Equal Opportunities Plan ideas to continue working for equity in terms of varied cultural backgrounds at the department. This means we can have discussions about student experiences, collaborating with people from other cultures, etc. We want to hear from the experts: YOU!
• How is it like to have a foreign background in Uppsala? Discuss with peers or simply meet people with experiences to which you can relate and learn from.
• Some participants do research in equal opportunities and may want to gather to discuss research topics, collaborations, etc. You choose!
• In general, any topic that you find relevant to discuss with this kind of audience

We will allocate time to share conclusions from the discussions as a summary, with the approval of the members of the discussion groups. Anonymity will be considered a priority, so nothing that a participant is not comfortable with sharing outside of the group will be mentioned in the general summary.

General coordination: Virginia Grande
Graphic design: Leslie Solorzano
Student participation: Eva Breznik
Administration: Anna-Lena Forsberg
Website: Tina Vrieler, Kajsa Örjavik (technical support)
Technical support on-site: Astrid Raidl, Karolina Malm Holmgren
Equal Opportunities Officer: Ginevra Castellano