Bridging between Cultures by Coaching

Hilkka Sandberg

YueqiangXu (left) from China and Kiyoko Uematsu from Japan, both students in an International Master’s programme, are motivated culture coaches. In their opinion, what is best about culture coaching is the opportunity to share information about their own culture and help organisations operate and interact in an intercultural environment.

A culture coach is a person who helps businesses and organisations develop their international operations by providing information about the culture coach’s country of origin and its culture. At the University of Oulu, there are 11 international students from different countries and a variety of professional fields working as culture coaches.

Culture coaching, as it is called, is a new service being offered to businesses and organisations in Oulu. With the help of the service, businesses can enter the international arena and manage intercultural encounters with fewer complications.

For businesses and organisations that are striving to become more active internationally or are planning to do so in the future, culture coaching is a convenient way to acquire valuable information about a target country and its culture. Among other things, the service offers organisations information about the impact of cultural differences on people’s work habits as well as an opportunity to develop their employees’ skills in international communication and interaction.

The coaching service is also well suited to the purposes of academic professionals, for instance researchers, research groups or other university staff members who are planning trips or visits abroad.
The service has been jointly launched by the University’s VALOA project and NISO (the Network of International Students in Oulu). The international students selected for the service have been trained to function as ambassadors of their own culture. 

“The training sessions are tailored according to the needs of the client”, explains MiljaTuomaala, the project’s coordinator. “The sessions can be carried out in different formats, such as a workshop, for instance, or a relaxed meeting around a coffee table. The sessions can also be customized for groups or individual employees.”

“All culture coaches have work experience in their country of origin, and many of them have some in Finland and other countries as well. The coaches are highly motivated and provide the best possible cultural consulting” says coach trainer Bärbel Fink from the University of Oulu Extension School.

Client businesses and organisations gain practical information and experience from the know-how of international students and the expertise found in the international Master’s programmes at the University.

Chairperson of NISO Yu-Hsuan Lee believes that the service may function as an important bridge between international students and employers. “When there is an effort to support the integration of international students into Finnish society, it is important to bridge between cultures. The culture coaching service is an example of the benefits that can be gained in the process of doing this.”

To view the profiles of the culture coaches, visit www.oulu.fi/yliopisto/kulttuurikoutsaus

For further information, contact MiljaTuomaala, milja.tuomaala@oulu.fi, Ph. +358 40 579 6594.

Henni Saarela
VALOA project/Culture Coaching
Centre for Further Education