German Students' Intercultural Awareness at Czech Universities

Abstract

The paper discusses the topic of German students' intercultural awareness at Czech universities. Intercultural sensitivity was measured according to the four cultural dimensions described by organizational psychologists Geert Hofstede and Fons von Trompenaars: power distance (how the unequal distribution of power in society is accepted by people); particularism versus universalism (whether circumstance and each relationship dictate the rule or whether specific circumstances and personal relationships are autonomous); collectivism versus individualism (whether the wellbeing of the group is preferred to personal goals or vice versa) and avoidance of uncertainty (whether uncertainty and the unknown are preferred to rules and regulations). The paper is supported by ananalysis of unstructured interviews of German students enrolled in translation studies or Czech studies programs and delivers relevant insights into the motivations of these students to live and study in the Czech Republic, reasons such as Czech family background, low cost of living, opportunity for scholarships, or diverse cultural interests. However, these German students also mentioned the difficulty of Czech university entrance exams, the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the learning process, and inefficient administration in relation to accessing learning materials as major obstacles in their studies in the Czech Republic.