The Master’s Degree The Master’s Degree Programme in Intercultural Programme in Intercultural

EncountersEncounters In the University of Helsinki A multidisciplinary approach to

intercultural issues Four major subjects: Comparative

Religion, Social Psychology, Speech Communication and Latin American Studies

Sharing knowledge about the strategies to facilitate the return of the trainees into their home culture (re-entry).

Put yourself into trainee’s shoes and imagine the re-entry (feelings, experiences, emotions)

What kind of difficulties/problems/situations can the trainee encounter when coming back home -> use your own experiences or the ones you have learned from a trainee

Enthusiastic about the internship, wants to tell everyone about his/her experiences but no one is interested to listen

Frustrated and sad because the internship didn’t go as planned

Confused and lost with all the knowledge that the trainee has learned

  - Trainee expects to get a good, well-paid job quickly

- Trainee doesn’t expect difficulties when coming home

- Workers (at university/polytechnics) don't expect problems  when they meet a trainee who is coming back home

- Home culture doesn't expect them to act differently

- A change in the worldview of the trainee

Encourage and Support How would you support the trainee in a

difficult situation? How to encourage a lost trainee? Etc…

The Expectation Setting Tool Interviewing the trainees

before they leave the country and after their return.

Advising the trainee to keep an eye on the work field in the home country through internet (Butcher, 2002).

Suggesting the trainees to keep alive social and school networks in their home country while they are abroad (Boyer, 1989).

Web page as a support group -> name, contact info, work place and

job descrpition; writing a blog or diary entry 1 month after the re-entry

Blair, S. L., & Qian, Z. (1998). Family and Asian students’ educational performance:

Boyer, S. P., & Sedlacek, W. E. (1989). Noncognitive predictors of counseling

center use by international students. Journal of Counseling and Development,

67(7), 404-407.

Butcher, A. (in press). No place like home? The re-entry of international students from East Asia into their countries of origin. Unpublished doctoral dissertation,Massey University, New Zealand.