International Week 2021: Sylvana Krausse

What was the topic of your lecture? Why did you choose it?

The topic of my interactive talk was “Do you know the Germans?”.  We discussed intercultural differences but also similarities between Finns and Germans. When meeting people from other cultures it is always easy to see differences in behavior or communication strategies but I am always interested in stressing what we have in common and how others see you.

What is best in international cooperation and teaching exchanges?

I have always experienced intercultural cooperation and especially teaching exchanges as something very rewarding. And this is as well true for virtual encounters, especially now during the pandemic, I appreciate these windows to the world even more.

What would you like to say about the cooperation with SeAMK?

The cooperation between SeAMK and Aschaffenburg Technical University is a particularly long-standing one and has spread into many fields of teaching exchange and RDI. I have been fortunate to welcome colleagues from SeAMK as guest lecturers in the field of  intercultural communication, both in elective subjects and during numerous international project weeks in Aschaffenburg. On the other hand, I visited SeAMK for its International Week in 2017, an event I recalled now during this year’s virtual version. Admittedly, the Arctic Barbecue back in 2017 was probably something we all missed this year but the virtual exchange with students and colleagues was very useful and we are all looking forward to meeting again in real sooner or later.