This year’s intercultural and Diversity Management course at Heilbronn University is once again bringing together students from a wide range of cultural backgrounds.
In our classroom, students with roots in Germany, India, Syria, Eastern Europe and many other parts of the world come together to discuss culture, diversity, values, identity and the challenges of living and working in increasingly multicultural societies.
I have been teaching at Heilbronn University for more than ten years now. One of the reasons I continue to enjoy it so much is that no two years are ever the same. Every group brings its own perspectives, questions and experiences to the classroom.
What I find particularly rewarding is watching the development of the students throughout the semester. It is fascinating to see how young men and women from different parts of the world gradually begin to question assumptions they have taken for granted, gain a deeper understanding of other perspectives, and become more aware of their own cultural conditioning. Seeing these shifts in mindset is one of the most meaningful aspects of teaching for me.
While many people assume that intercultural learning is primarily about understanding other cultures, I have found that the most valuable learning often begins with understanding ourselves.
Every student enters the classroom with a unique cultural lens shaped by family, education, community, religion, social environment and personal experiences. Through discussion, reflection and case studies, students gradually become more aware of the invisible assumptions that influence how they perceive the world, communicate with others and interpret behaviour.
One of the highlights of the course is our work with what we call intercultural critical incidents—real-life situations in which cultural expectations, values or assumptions collide. These incidents often appear ordinary on the surface, yet they reveal fascinating insights into how culture influences our everyday lives.
Next Friday and Saturday, each student will present a critical incident that has shaped their understanding of different culture standards, namely the one of his own native culture and of the foreign culture. I am genuinely looking forward to hearing their stories and learning from their perspectives.
Recently, a student with Eastern European roots shared a childhood experience that sparked a lively discussion in class.
He remembered inviting a neighbourhood friend to join his family for supper. For his family, sharing food with guests was a natural expression of hospitality and generosity. The invitation seemed completely normal and even self-evident.
What happened afterwards surprised him.
The friend’s mother, a German woman, was unhappy that her son had eaten with another family. She expressed her displeasure and later made it clear that he should not do so again—especially when sweets were involved.
The class immediately began discussing possible explanations.
Was it a question of parenting style? Personal boundaries? Social class? Family values? Different ideas about hospitality, responsibility or child upbringing?
There was no single answer.
What made the story so interesting was that everyone interpreted the situation through their own cultural experiences. Some students saw the mother’s reaction as understandable and responsible. Others viewed it as unusually strict or even unfriendly. Several students admitted that they had experienced similar situations themselves and had never considered that cultural values might play a role.
Moments like these remind us that culture is not only found in international business negotiations or diplomatic relations. It is present in everyday interactions: how we invite guests, how we raise children, how we share food, how we express gratitude, and how we define personal boundaries.
The most fascinating aspect of intercultural learning is often discovering that things we consider “normal” are not universal at all.
And sometimes, a simple childhood dinner invitation can teach us more about culture than an entire textbook.
I look forward to next week’s presentations and to learning from my students once again. After more than a decades of teaching this course, they continue to surprise me every year.
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