Full Description
The book addresses the misunderstandings and implicit stereotypes that continue to arise in and influence the intercultural encounters of staff and international doctoral students.
In addition to providing real-life examples, the author demonstrates that misunderstandings recur due to a lack of implicit and complex intercultural knowledge and practical tools for applying this knowledge in daily practice. She proposes the concept of "myth-understanding" to describe a temporary and transitional state of clarity deficiency before misunderstandings arise, which helps to create a "buffer zone" to address potential misunderstandings between international students and their supervisors. Instead of focusing on the negative aspects of misunderstandings, the book sheds light on the positive side—it indicates that intercultural differences can provide an opportunity for both supervisors and students to develop implicit intercultural knowledge, challenge their preconceptions of each other, and reassess their own educational perspectives and practices.
The book will attract scholars of intercultural education, European university staff and professors who interact with international students, intercultural education officers, and doctoral students with an international (especially Asian) background.
Contents
1 General introduction 2 Fear and joy, contentment and anguish: Reconciling neglected emotions of international doctoral students 3 "I don't believe you": Misunderstandings between a Chinese doctoral student and a Dutch supervisor 4 Asking a "stupid" question? Fostering independence within the zone of proximal development 5 Bridging the operational gap: Decoding and operationalizing the implicit complex intercultural knowledge in practice 6 Problems or promises? Intercultural differences as catalysts for mutual learning 7 A practical guide: How to celebrate intercultural differences and effectively address misunderstandings
