Fachbereich 05: Sprache, Literatur, Kultur - Intercultural Communication and Business - Intercultural Communication and Business Bachelor of Arts (Studienbeginn ab WiSe 2020/21)

This course (Blockveranstaltung) is designed to prepare ICB students for successful internships and future career paths by equipping them with essential practical skills and industry insights. Through a combination of interactive workshops, business simulations, and hands-on projects, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the challenges, opportunities, and career prospects available to ICB graduates.

The course provides detailed guidance for internship and job applications, covering key aspects such as crafting effective application materials and preparing for interviews. Drawing on business simulation methods, students will develop core employability skills, including communication, teamwork, strategic thinking, business presentation, and visual design.
In addition, the course introduces students to key career fields commonly pursued by ICB graduates, such as marketing, and explores how current digital tools and AI-driven applications can be leveraged to enhance work productivity.

Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
• Understand the challenges, opportunities, and career prospects for ICB graduates.
• Develop effective internship and job application materials.
• Enhance employability skills, including communication, teamwork, and strategic thinking.
• Deliver professional business presentations with strong visual design.
• Identify key career fields and industry trends relevant to ICB graduates.
• Utilize digital tools and AI-driven applications to boost productivity.

Course Requirements:
• Full Attendance: Active participation in all sessions.
• Commitment: Engagement in course activities and discussions.
• Group Project: Contribution to a collaborative project, culminating in a final presentation.

This course offers practical insights and skill-building opportunities to support students in transitioning from academia to the professional world.

This course introduces Intercultural Communication as a robust interdisciplinary field. Rather than viewing culture as a static set of national traits, we conceptualize it as a dynamic system of values, web of meanings, practices, and power relations that actively shape social structures and lived experiences.
By synthesizing classical and contemporary theories with real-world business cases, students will learn to analyze and critically reflect on intercultural encounters within global economic, social and media environments. Beyond technical proficiency, the course fosters intercultural sensitivity, reflexivity, and ethical awareness—competencies vital for responsible leadership in an interconnected global society.

Specific Objectives:
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to synthesize core concepts of culture—including values, meanings, symbols, practices and power dynamics
Critically evaluate the major theoretical traditions shaping the field, from the foundational anthropology of Hall and Geertz to the critical frameworks of Foucault and Bourdieu.
Trace the historical and interdisciplinary evolution of intercultural communication studies.
Assess the multifaceted influence of culture on economic structures, organizational practices, media representation, power relations and identity formation within global business environments.