The Institute for Culture and Diversity Studies

The Institute for Culture and Diversity Studies aims to focus on the following areas:

• Undertake and facilitate culture and diversity research activities
• Generate know-how and enable knowledge transfer in culturally diverse organisations, communities and societies
• Develop and enhance intercultural and diversity competencies
• Initiate and advance activities that foster cultural diversity by making use, when possible, of public relations activities
• Empower and bridge cultures and communities

Brief Description: 

In view of the events of the new millennium and the effects of globalization, migration and demographic change there is a growing interest in Europe and especially in Germany to deal with issues of cultural diversity and to find out more about their implications for the organizations, communities and the society at large. Due to the unprecedented interconnectedness in the real and in the virtual world, we are faced as a society with problems that need timely and innovative solutions that qualify adequately for the increasingly diversified tasks at hand. 

Our goal is to contribute to these developments through a better understanding of processes and events in their interdependency and context. This requires a better understanding not only of cultures per se, but also of their potential to offer alternative views of the world, that are not inevitably shaped by an increasingly dominant positivistic science system and/or the profit-driven marketplace logic. 

Thus based on the moto: “No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created them“, we aim to support the initiation and development of socially relevant innovative practices and innovative ways of thinking and doing, in order to better approach the chances and challenges of cultural diversity in our society. Accordingly, we want to start by focusing on commonalities rather than the distinctiveness of cultures and contribute in this way to fill in the missing links in the current research field. A special focus will be given to the role of communication and its function in bridging cultures in the society at large. 

We appreciate the diversity of cultures in a global society and pay attention to their contribution to a vital economy and society. Our response to these demands is therefore the founding of an Institute for Cultural Diversity Studies, in order to tackle such issues in a professional manner and make better use of synergies in the realm of higher education, culture, economy and the society. Furthermore, we aim to increase the awareness of the need to seek and foster a better understanding in and between cultures through research and transfer activities. 

The institute for Culture and Diversity Studies will undertake research projects that aim to highlight the main challenges and chances related to cultural diversity. Our goal is to contribute to the generation of new knowledge with new scientific perspectives on established issues, as well as to discuss potential solutions to the challenges of demographic change in an increasingly culturally diverse workforce in Germany. Special focus will also be given to the role of culture in a virtual setting and its effects on communication patterns in a global working environment. 

Another goal we want to follow with this institute is to improve the public understanding of cultural and diversity research and foster more interdisciplinary cooperation in the academic field. The outcomes of our activities will be published and promoted through a variety of public relations activities and through the new media, not only in Germany but also internationally, in order to generate and support the networking of similar activities in this field. 

The institute will accordingly focus on the following activities: 

• Undertake and facilitate culture and diversity research activities

Here we want to focus on research activities that help us better understand the way culture affects our ways of thinking and doing as well as the potential and challenges it bears for our increasingly global society. This implies an examination of the implications of cultural diversity in other areas of life and its role in sustainability. A special focus will be given to the “commonalities” versus the current status quo research focus on “diversity” and their effects in the economic and social realms.The role intercultural communication and interactions play hereby, especially in the new century and in the digital era, is another focus of our research activities. 

• Generate Know How and enable knowledge transfer in culturally diverse organizations, communities and societies

With a main focus on empirical research we intent to generate and develop models for a better understanding and interpretation of everyday cultural phenomena. These formats may e.g. include internal and external evaluation of current formats being used in organizations, practical tests, or simply focused group reflections on the status quo and contextual optimization of creative projects and innovative formats. This way we intend to generate know how not only of the challenges but also on the potentials that cultural diversity bears and use it as a source of ideas and input for contributing to the solution of specific societal problems. The outcomes of these undertakings will be integrated in a comprehensive research database with best practice integration examples from diverse contexts. 

• Develop and enhance intercultural and diversity competencies 

The Institute ́s goal is to support the teaching and learning of diversity and intercultural management competencies. These activities can have different formats depending on the intentions and commitment of participants. The overall goal here is to enhance the diversity and intercultural awareness and competencies not only of those who wish to improve their international service- oriented efforts, but also of those with a particular agent status in the society that are willing to induce a positive change in their organizations and communities. 

• Initiate and advance activities fostering cultural diversity 

Lastly, the institute is to promote and advance diverse network (research) activities that foster cultural diversity not only in the academia but also facilitate the transfer to the economic realm and the society at large. These activities include but are not limited to: exchange events, conferences and workshops, guest lectures, excursions, company projects, expert talks, etc. These formats can later be applied to ease the integration and diversity strategy of the Berlin SRH University itself. A particular focus will also be given to special Public Relation and Networking activities. The main goal here is the involvement of students in form of study projects to support communication campaigns in this field, in order to generate awareness and promote the obvious need to deal with a culturally diverse society and economy. 

People involved

Executive Director:

• Prof. Dr. Arta Ante

Scientific Director:

• Prof. Dr. Arnold Groh

Other people involved:

• Prof. Dr. jur. Bert Eichhorn
•  Prof. Dr. Henning Kreis
• Olla Jongerius /Diversity Expert & Inclusion Organisation
• Anke Neuzerling/Fernseh Redaktorin/SWR Aktuell