ASIA-LINK PROJECT 47 I nternationally C o-ordinated C urriculum D evelopment for Modules in Intercultural Communication

MAIN ACTIVITIES Development and implementation of modules Evaluation of modules Software training for the lecturers Agreement on joint credit points Publication of the developed teaching materials Dr. Birgit Häse, TU Dresden, Germany

MODULES 1 st module: Self-awareness and images of the “other” in Asian and European cultures, part I + II 2 nd module: Economic development and culture, part I + II Dr. Birgit Häse, TU Dresden, Germany

PROJECT WEBSITE Dr. Birgit Häse, TU Dresden, Germany

CHOOSING THE PARTNERSHIP Basis: existing Chinese-German university partnership Second European partner through European university network Second Asian partner through private connection of second European partner Dr. Birgit Häse, TU Dresden, Germany

CHOOSING THE PARTNERSHIP Finally established partnership: a nucleus group who knew each other was enlarged by new colleagues Academic backgrounds: sociologists, economists, sinologists Intercultural backgrounds: Asian colleagues: working experience in Europe European colleagues: working experience in Asia Dr. Birgit Häse, TU Dresden, Germany

CULTURAL DIVERSITY Basic statement Asia and Europe cover very heterogeneous complexities Differences within the partnership –Discussion strategies –Decision finding –Time management –Teaching methods Dr. Birgit Häse, TU Dresden, Germany

CULTURAL DIVERSITY Example –Germans like to establish “rules”, then do held them up and act accordingly –For others these “rules” are more understood as “guidelines”, action takes the actual situation into account –Solution: Talk about it! Dr. Birgit Häse, TU Dresden, Germany

CULTURAL DIVERSITY Differences between the partnership and the “rest of the world” –Flat / well established hierarchies –Differently organized academic world, eg academic years –Structural problems with university management and EC management regulations Dr. Birgit Häse, TU Dresden, Germany

STRUCTURAL PROBLEMS Example –According to EC regulations all partner’s have to open up project accounts within their own university’s administration –To buy equipment, eg a computer, three suggestions stating different prices are needed the cheapest offer is to be accepted then the computer can be bought the money will be transferred after the invoice and the inventory number had been sent to the project management Dr. Birgit Häse, TU Dresden, Germany

STRUCTURAL PROBLEMS –Problem: Who receives the original invoice? University regulation: the university administration, because the money is taken from an account managed by them EC regulation: the project management at the applicant’s institution, because the money is given by the EC –Solution ? Dr. Birgit Häse, TU Dresden, Germany

FUTURE PROSPECTS Establishment of “Asia Europe Culture and Development Network” = AECD 1 st conference in Beijing, September 2006: “Asia Europe Conference on Cultural Change and Economic Development” Dr. Birgit Häse, TU Dresden, Germany