Why are intercultural encounters important?

What difference does getting to know people from other cultures make? Watch Nevada-Aaliyah talking about her experiences of meeting people who are different from her at University, and the impact it’s had on her and others.

Below is a comment from Abdul Mughees, Research Scholar, Department of Arabic, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India.

Whether you commute, live on campus, or take courses online, college is a time of encountering all kinds of cultures. You are exposed to cultures through the material you study and through the instructors, students, and other people with whom you interact. The key to getting the most education out of every moment in class is to be open to learning about, and from, other cultures. You have an amazing opportunity waiting for you, an opportunity that cultural awareness can help you embrace.¹

Have you had similar experiences? What impact have they had on you? Have they changed the way you think about some things? Share your thoughts in the discussion area below and read about the experiences of other learners, liking and responding to their comments as appropriate.

Reference

1. Mughees A, Global Citizenship and Cultural Understanding. International Journal for Innovative Research in Multidisciplinary Field 2: 103-4. 2016