Course: International Facilitator credits: 15

In this 15 ECs block you will demonstrate your competences as International Facilitator. You will continue your integrative consultancy project and apply facilitation and strategic communication skills to bring organization change. You are supported by study units in communication & behaviour management and intercultural facilitation: 

Capstone Project 4 
The student continues with the applied research project for an international stakeholder seeking value (and growth) through innovation-led sustainable corporate goals.  Based on identified issues the student seeks for innovative communication solutions. To support in qualitative research Interview training is also part of the project. The consultancy-based project is an emergence, related to the sustainable development goals and preferred initiated by the Professor in Communication, Behaviour and Sustainable Society. The student may have the challenge to work in Innovation (research) labs. The student will deliver an Innovation Tool Kit to boost innovative sustainable communication strategies and behaviourial tactics for the international stakeholder(s) involved.  

Communication and Behaviour 
Guiding individuals and groups to desired outcomes is part of the core aim of international facilitators, who use communication principles and techniques to change the behaviours of target audiences either for commercial purposes (selling goods and services) or for social causes to lead desired actions. The aimed change in behaviour may take many forms such as accepting a new behaviour or abandoning an old behaviour, continuing a desired behaviour or switching to a different one; but one thing always remains the same: successful change is achieved through persuasive communication. In this course, students learn in depth various theories and frameworks related to social and behavioural change and the use of different communication approaches to address social and commercial challenges supported with case studies (branding campaigns, social movements, political campaigns, etc.). The changing landscape of communication technologies and its connection with influencing behaviours will also be covered in this interdisciplinary course, understanding that international facilitators need to be aware of trends in their field. 
 

Intercultural Facilitation: professional training 
In this hands-on and skills-based training the student gets acquainted with two basic Group Facilitation Methods: Focused Conversation Method and Consensus Workshop Method. In addition, he/she familiarises him-/herself with practical tools for highly energised, productive, inclusive and meaningful stakeholder participation. Culture-based stakeholder assumptions and intercultural group dynamics will be a special focus area. The student develops his/her own facilitative style and learns how to deal with resistance and other difficult stakeholder behaviour. At the end of the training the student develops the design for a meeting, event or workshop and co-facilitates (part of a) session.  

Futures Literacy: training 
A Futures Literacy Training will be part of an (online) intensive week programme with the communication faculties of Vilnius University in Lithuania. Futures Literacy (Miller, 2018) offers insights in how we approach unforeseeable challenges by using the future to innovate the present. This is done by revealing, rethinking, and reframing our assumptions related to narratives we hold of the future.  

The different elements are assessed as integrative parts of the block master portfolio and in a criterion-based Interview. 

Contact person: Dania Fang MSc.  
Contact information: r.fang@pl.hanze.nl