The intercultural preparation module offers a practical, engaging, culture-general, theory-based approach to help students make more effective use of intercultural learning opportunities during their mobility. Using active learning methods, it focuses on the affective and behavioural dimensions of interculturality.

Designed to be short, adaptable, and easy to implement, it fits seamlessly into diverse institutional settings, ensuring more enriching and impactful mobility experiences.

For students:

• Develop essential intercultural competences before departure through real-life case studies and personal examples, in a friendly, open environment
• Understand cultural differences by recognising and critically reflecting on stereotypes
• Learn practical strategies to navigate new cultural environments
• Reduce anxiety and culture shock by thoughtfully adjusting expectations
• Improve communication and adaptability in diverse settings
• Increase confidence in engaging with locals and making meaningful connections
• Avoid common pitfalls and misunderstandings abroad
• Recommended by 100% of test participants!!!

For Higher Education Institutions staff:

• Ensure students are better prepared for intercultural challenges
• Improve student well-being by reducing adaptation difficulties
• Enhance the quality of mobility programmes through structured preparation
• Offer a scalable, low-resource solution adaptable to various institutional settings
• Strengthen the institution’s reputation for high-quality mobility experiences

The intercultural debriefing module provides students with a structured space to process and make sense of their mobility experience. By encouraging reflection and critical analysis of key intercultural encounters, it helps students consolidate their learning, recognise personal growth, and apply their insights to future multicultural settings.

It builds on the theoretical concepts introduced in the preparation module, helping students revisit and apply them when reflecting on their intercultural experiences.

Since many universities do not offer formal debriefing, valuable learning is often left unexplored. Designed to be brief, adaptable, and resource-efficient, this module ensures that intercultural learning does not end with mobility, but becomes a lasting skillset.

For students:

• Reflect on and process intercultural experiences after returning home: an essential step that is often overlooked without structured support, leading to missed learning opportunities
• Identify personal growth and skill development from time abroad
• Get tools and strategies to use the experience gained in further studies and personal life
• Strengthen adaptability, resilience, and self-awareness
• Enhance employability with clear insights into acquired intercultural skills
• Avoid reverse culture shock by understanding re-adjustment challenges
• Apply intercultural learning in future international or multicultural settings

For Higher Education Institutions staff:

• Maximise the impact of student mobility beyond the time abroad
• Support students in integrating their learning into academic and professional life
• Foster long-term intercultural competences rather than just short-term exposure
• Offer a structured, scalable, quick-to-adopt debriefing process
• Strengthen alumni engagement by providing continued support upon return

The Train-the-trainer module equips International Relations Officers (IROs), mobility coordinators, and other Higher Education Institution staff with the knowledge, skills, and pedagogical tools to effectively deliver the intercultural preparation and debriefing modules.

As IROs and mobility coordinators are most closely involved in mobility processes and student support, they are the primary target group for this training. However, the module is designed to be flexible and can be adopted by any HEI staff involved in internationalisation efforts.

By participating in this training, HEI staff will not only gain a deeper understanding of intercultural issues but also become confident facilitators, helping students navigate cultural differences, reflect on their experiences, and develop key intercultural competences.

For IROfficers, Mobility Coordinators, and other HEI staff:

• Gain specialised foundational knowledge in intercultural education
• Develop facilitation skills to confidently guide students through preparation and debriefing
• Learn interactive, practice-oriented training methods for engaging intercultural sessions
• Increase sensitivity to intercultural challenges faced by mobile students
• Enhance professional development with valuable intercultural training expertise