Center for Intercultural Dialogue

Museums in an Intercultural Context

The result of a collaboration between the Department of Cultural Management at the Universiteit Antwerpen (Flanders, Belgium) and the Department of Museum Studies at the Université du Québec a Montréal (Quebec, Canada), an intercultural tool aimed at museums in urban context has recently been published. The grid was conceived as an analytical framework for a research project entitled The city museum in an intercultural context. Fostering dialogue in culturally diverse urban environments: perspectives from Montreal, Antwerp, Ghent and Rotterdam.

Inspired by the Council of Europe’s Intercultural Cities programme, collaboration between researchers and students at both universities involved an analysis of four city museums in Quebec, Flanders and the Netherlands and how they approached intercultural dialogue.

The analytical grid produced in the context of the research project can be used by all types of museums and heritage institutions wishing to reflect upon their engagement with diverse communities. Museums may find it useful for initiating brainstorming sessions and self-assessment exercises, supporting planning processes, conducting intercultural project evaluations or facilitating benchmarking and the exchange of strategic information. Researchers in the heritage and cultural management fields may also find it useful for collecting, analysing and comparing data on issues related to diversity and intercultural dialogue in the museum sector.

The grid addresses three levels of analysis:
*Environmental analysis, including the sociodemographic environment of the city, the policy environment of the museum, the institutional environment of the museum and the governance environment of the museum.
*Museum analysis, including an institutional overview of the museum and an intercultural audit of the museum.
*Project analysis, including an analysis of projects with intercultural components.

Museum professionals and researchers may use one or several of these sections, depending on their needs. Data can be collected using a variety of means, including interviews with museum staff, examination of strategic documents and field observation.

The intercultural tool for museums is available for free.

Original article published by Asia-Europe Museum Network.

Key Concept #45: Testimonio by Raúl Alberto Mora

The next issue of Key Concepts in intercultural Dialogue is now available. This is KC45: Testimonio by Raúl Alberto Mora. As always, all Key Concepts are available as free PDFs; just click on the thumbnail to download. Lists organized chronologically by publication date and number, alphabetically by concept in English, and by languages into which they have been translated, are available, as is a page of acknowledgments with the names of all authors, translators, and reviewers.

Mora, R. A. (2015). Testimonio. Key Concepts in Intercultural Dialogue, 45. Available from:
https://centerforinterculturaldialogue.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/kc45-testimonio.pdf

The Center for Intercultural Dialogue publishes a series of short briefs describing Key Concepts in Intercultural Dialogue. Different people, working in different countries and disciplines, use different vocabulary to describe their interests, yet these terms overlap. Our goal is to provide some of the assumptions and history attached to each concept for those unfamiliar with it. As there are other concepts you would like to see included, send an email to the series editor, Wendy Leeds-Hurwitz. If there are concepts you would like to prepare, provide a brief explanation of why you think the concept is central to the study of intercultural dialogue, and why you are the obvious person to write up that concept. Feel free to propose terms in any language, especially if they expand our ability to discuss an aspect of intercultural dialogue that is not easy to translate into English.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The ‘Problem’ of Intercultural Weddings

On October 21, 2014, I presented “Ambiguity as the Solution to the “Problem” of Intercultural Weddings,” at Royal Roads University, located in Victoria, BC, Canada, as one of two talks during a fall trip there to meet with students and faculty in their Master of Arts in International and Intercultural Communication (MAIIC). (Further information about that visit has already been posted to this site.) A videotape of excerpts from that talk is now available on the Center for Intercultural Dialogue’s YouTube channel. My thanks to the faculty for the invitation to visit, and to the technology department for videotaping the event.

Wendy Leeds-Hurwitz, Director
Center for Intercultural Dialogue

Culture is Mirriam-Webster’s 2014 Word of the Year

MERRIAM-WEBSTER ANNOUNCES “CULTURE” AS 2014 WORD OF THE YEAR

Merriam-Webster Inc., America’s leading dictionary publisher, has announced its top ten Words of the Year for 2014. This year’s list was compiled by analyzing the top lookups in the online dictionary at Merriam-Webster.com and focusing on the words that showed the greatest increase in lookups this year as compared to last year. The results, based on approximately 100 million lookups a month, shed light on topics and ideas that sparked the nation’s interest in 2014.

The Word of the Year, with the greatest number of lookups and a significant increase over last year, is culture. Culture is not associated with any one event, but instead dominated the headlines this year, on topics ranging from “celebrity culture” to “rape culture” to “company culture.” In years past, lookups for the word culture spiked in the fall, as students encountered the word in titles and descriptions of courses and books, but this year lookups have moved from seasonal to persistent, as culture has become a term frequently used in discussions of social phenomena.

“Culture is a word that we seem to be relying on more and more. It allows us to identify and isolate an idea, issue, or group with seriousness,” explains Peter Sokolowski, Editor at Large for Merriam-Webster. “And it’s efficient: we talk about the ‘culture’ of a group rather than saying ‘the typical habits, attitudes, and behaviors’ of that group. So we think that it may be the increased use of this newer sense of the word culture that is catching people’s attention and driving the volume of lookups.”

Anna Lindh Report 2014 Published

The Anna Lindh Foundation has just published its second report designed describing intercultural relations in the Mediterranean region; the first report appeared in 2010.

The Anna Lindh Report 2014 again combines a Gallup Public Opinion Poll, representing the voices of 13,000 people across Europe and the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean region, with a wide range of analyses by a network of intercultural experts. Themes discussed include: social change in the EuroMed region, differences and similarities in value systems; the religious factor in intercultural relations; human mobility; the role of culture in Mediterranean relations; intercultural citizenship; the Union for the Mediterranean and regional cooperation.

A summary of the 10 major findings has been prepared as an infographic. Ilona Sābera Nukševica, a communication designer, has also discussed how she decided to present the findings visually.

NEH Creates New “Public Scholar” Grant Program

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) recently announced a new grant opportunity that encourages the publication of nonfiction books that apply serious humanities scholarship to subjects of general interest and appeal.

The new NEH Public Scholar awards support well-researched books in the humanities conceived and written to reach a broad readership. Books supported through this program might present a narrative history, tell the stories of important individuals, analyze significant texts, provide a synthesis of ideas, revive interest in a neglected subject, or examine the latest thinking on a topic. Most importantly, they should open up important and appealing subjects for wider audiences by presenting significant humanities topics in a way that is accessible to general readers.

The NEH Public Scholar program represents a long-term commitment at NEH to encourage scholarship in the humanities for general audiences. The grant program forms part of a new agency-wide initiative, The Common Good: The Humanities in the Public Square, which seeks to demonstrate and enhance the role and significance of the humanities and humanities scholarship in public life.

The Public Scholar program is open to both independent scholars and individuals affiliated with scholarly institutions. It offers a stipend of $4,200 per month for a period of six to twelve months. The maximum stipend is $50,400 for a twelve-month period. Applicants must have previously published a book or monograph with a university or commercial press, or articles and essays that reach a wide readership.

Application guidelines and a list of F.A.Q.’s for the Public Scholar program are available online. The application deadline for the first cycle of Public Scholar grants is March 3, 2015.

US Air Force job ad: Professor of Cross-Cultural Communication

Job Title: PROFESSOR OF CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION
Department: Department of the Air Force
Agency: Air Education and Training Command
Job Announcement Number: AD-SPAATZ-11-15
SALARY RANGE: $80,000.00 to $100,000.00 / Per Year
OPEN PERIOD: Friday, December 5, 2014 to Monday, January 5, 2015
SERIES & GRADE: AD-1701-00
POSITION INFORMATION: Full Time – Excepted Service Term NTE 3 YEARS
DUTY LOCATIONS: 1 vacancy – Montgomery, AL View Map
WHO MAY APPLY: United States Citizens
SECURITY CLEARANCE: Secret
SUPERVISORY STATUS: No
JOB SUMMARY:
The mission of the United States Air Force is to fly, fight and win…in air, space and cyberspace.

The U.S. Air Force Culture and Language Center at Air University invites applications for the position of Professor of Cross Cultural Communication. The successful applicant will join a growing inter-disciplinary department that develops cross-culturally competent military personnel. The primary purpose of this position is to teach, research, and conduct scholarly service that increases airman’s cross-cultural competence. Specifically, the incumbent will provide expertise on inter-personal cross-cultural communication and develop/deliver general, transferable frameworks that students can employ anywhere they are deployed.

WHO MAY APPLY: **ALL APPLICANTS MAY APPLY** Click here for more information on additional eligibilities. You will have the opportunity to select one or more eligibilities during the process, if applicable. **Air Force is not responsible for erroneous eligibilities “you – the applicant” list or fail to list**

TRAVEL REQUIRED: Occasional Travel, Travel may be required
RELOCATION AUTHORIZED: Yes, PCS costs may be paid
KEY REQUIREMENTS:
*You must be eligible to obtain a Secret security clearance
*You must be a U.S. citizen to qualify for this position
*Travel and relocation expenses may be paid
*Position may require a pre-employment drug test
*You may be required to do some travel

DUTIES:
The primary duties of this position are on teaching to include developing curricula; leading seminars; facilitating on-line programs and delivering lectures; conducting faculty development; advising student research; and assessing student learning. While the focus of the position is on graduate-level professional education, the incumbent will also instruct a large on-line course at the undergraduate level and contribute scholarly guidance to the development of pre-deployment training. Research will include designing and conducting original scholarly studies and publishing results in academic and professional fora. Service will include vetting organizational products; academic committee work; and establishing/maintaining professional relationships with colleagues across and outside of Air University.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:
Air University is a Level V post-secondary institution accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. We seek an individual with research and instructional expertise in cross-cultural communication. Applicants must show evidence of teaching and research in a post-secondary institution. Applicants must have relevant academic experience commensurate with the requirements to teach senior US and international military and civilian leaders. The position also requires a demonstrated ability to design, develop and evaluate graduate-level course materials and instructional methodologies. The position requires a broad knowledge of military and academic cultures, knowledge of academic research methods and demonstrated skill in writing and editing for publication. The ability to lead diverse teams and communicate effectively to a wide range of audiences is also a requirement. The position requires a broad knowledge of joint/service military thought and theory to include the elements of national power, international relations, and military capabilities and limitations.

A Ph.D. is highly desired; a master’s degree is required and must be in an academic discipline relevant to anthropology, communication, or sociology.

Academic rank for the position is open but the focus is at the Assistant and Associate Professor and Administrative Faculty level.

EDUCATION:
To qualify based on education, submit copy of your transcripts or list of courses with credit hours, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. We will be unable to return these to you. Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying.

ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:
You must be a U.S. citizen to qualify for this position.
In order to qualify for this position, you must be able to obtain a Secret security clearance.
You may be required to do some travel.

This job is being filled by an alternative hiring process and is not in the competitive civil service. This is an Administratively Determined position in the excepted service.

* The position will be an initial three year appointment with a one-year probationary period, with the potential for continued reappointment for additional 3-5 year terms.

The materials you send with your application will not be returned.

Your latest résumé will be used to determine your qualifications.
HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:

To determine if you are qualified for this position, your résumé will be reviewed and compared to your responses to the assessment questionnaire. Applicants, who disqualify themselves, will not be evaluated further.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes: Your Résumé

2. Additional Required Documents (see Required Documents section below)

The complete Application Package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on Monday, January 05, 2015. For all details, see the original posting.

University of Jyväskylä job ad (Finland)

Professor of Journalism at University of Jyväskylä

The University of Jyväskylä is a nationally and internationally significant research university and an expert on education that focuses on human and natural sciences. The University is Finland’s leading expert in teacher education and adult education, as well as the major exporter of education. The Faculty of Sport Sciences is the only one in the country.

Department of Communication in the Faculty of Humanities is currently seeking to recruit staff to the position of Professorship in Journalism, based on a contract of employment to be filled as of January 1, 2016, in effect until further notice.

The Faculty of Humanities in the University of Jyväskylä studies culture, arts and traditions as well as languages and communication in organizations and societies. One of the Faculty’s special characteristics is comparative, researcher oriented and multi-method research and education. The originality, multidisciplinarity and innovativeness in the field of Humanities are apparent in e.g. the many research projects connected with technology.

The definition of the Faculty’s core areas has taken account of the high quality of both research and education, the scope of the activities as well as the National educational responsibilities. Regarding the five core areas in the University of Jyväskylä, the Faculty of Humanities is strongly associated with three (Education, Learning and Teaching in the Future; Languages, Culture and Processes of Change in the Society; Human Technology).

The professorship in Journalism is located on the University’s strategic core areas of Language, Culture and Social Change Processes and Human Technology. Within the research conducted at the Department of Communication, the professorship is located on the core areas of Communication, media and journalism in globalizing and multicultural societies and Working Life Communication and Communication Professions in Networked Society.

The duties of the professor include developing interdisciplinary research and education in accordance with the strategic objectives of the discipline, the Department and the University of Jyväskylä. This includes active participation in applying for supplementary research funding, launching and implementing research projects. The professor is expected to participate in teaching and supervision activities both on basic and postgraduate level and also to take part in the Department’s administration. In addition, the professor is expected to engage in high quality national and international publishing activity and to participate actively in international research and education work.

The professor is specifically expected to have expertise in the areas related to the future of journalism, such as media and journalism in a networked and multicultural society, effects of social media on journalism and its relationship with the audience, journalistic innovations, as well as journalism and globalization.

The duties and qualification requirements for the position of the professor are stipulated by the University of Jyväskylä Regulations. The selected person is required to have a full command of Finnish language. When considered appropriate, the university may grant exemption from the language proficiency requirements. The teaching languages in the professorshipin Journalism are Finnish and English. A good command of English is required and a proficiency to teach in English will be considered beneficial.

The professor’s job-specific salary component is based on the job demands levels 8 – 11 (4617,75 €/month – 6803,52 €/month) according to the salary system concerning teaching and research staff at universities. In addition, a personal performance-based salary component amounting to the maximum of 46,3% of the job-specific salary component is also paid.

The appointment procedure for filling the vacant professorship provides more information on the duties involved and on the ways of meeting the qualification requirements, as well as on the application and appointment procedure itself. The appointment procedure is available on the Faculty webpage.

For additional information, please contact Dean Minna-Riitta Luukka, and Head of the Department, Professor Epp Lauk.

The application documents should be drawn up in English and include the following documents:

1. a motivation letter;

2. a Curriculum Vitae (CV), complying with the guidelines for responsible conduct of research and following, where possible, the template CV for researchers by the Finnish Advisory Board on Research Integrity;

3. a brief (2-3 pages) written account of the applicant’s scientific research, merits in scientific activities and in supervision of research work including an account of acquired complementary research funding and the responsibilities related to the research conducted through such funding and in international activities;

4. a brief (2-3 pages) written account of the applicant’s pedagogical training and teaching merits (teaching portfolio);

5. a brief (2-3 pages) written account of the applicant’s international cooperation and activities in the field of societal interaction;

6. a numbered list of all scientific and other publications with which the candidate wishes to prove his or her eligibility and merits for the post.

A list of publications drawn up according to the regulations of Academy of Finland;

7. a maximum of 10 publications, numbered in accordance with the above list (if the publications cannot be sent electronically, they are asked to be arranged in four packages for the external evaluators and mailed to the University Registry Office, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014 University of Jyväskylä, Finland);

8. a brief (2-3 pages) written account of how the applicant plans to develop the research, teaching and societal interaction related to the domain of the post in the Faculty of Humanities.

Please submit your application at the latest on February 1, 2015 using the online application form.

CFP Communication as a Discipline & as a Field (Moscow)

Call for papers
Communication as a Discipline and as a Field: Sharing Experiences to Construct a Dialogue
July 9-11, 2015
Moscow, Russia
Sponsored by National Research University Higher School of Economics and National Communication Association

Defining and reflecting upon the development of communication as a discipline and as a field has been on the communication researchers’ agenda for about 50 years; however, there still is no clear agreement among communication scholars about the scope and development vector for this field of study and practice. There still are a lot of disagreements on the nature of communication discipline, including subject area, theoretical and methodological base, etc. Moreover, little is known about the specifics of development of communication discipline in the countries other than the leaders in the field. Multiple communication associations and international conventions have raised the issue of communication as a discipline, taking theoretical, regional, historical, institutional, and other perspectives. Finally, communication is a must-have part of many universities’ curricula and one of the most wanted skills and specializations in contemporary service and information job fields. The conference organized by the Department of Integrated Communications at Higher School of Economics in Moscow is aimed at bringing together once more different voices from communication scholarship in order to advance constructing a conceptual map of communication discipline and field in various parts of the globe and thereby further our understanding of the primary role of communication in modern society. We invite you to share your perspectives on the essential questions of the nature of communication as a discipline and as a field.

We welcome conceptual papers as well as comparative and empirical studies on the topic of the state and shape of communication discipline and field around the world. We also intend to welcome studies on the interdisciplinary aspects of communication and the changing disciplinary landscape with the growing power of new media. Possible presentation topics may include, but not limited to:
* Communication discipline: Regional and national perspectives
* Interdisciplinary nature of communication
* Approaches to studying and researching communication
* Communication discipline: the need for intercultural and cross-national dialogue
* National paradigms in communication research
* Communication as transmission of messages and co-production of meanings
* The role of new media in transformation of communication discipline
* Communication competencies in training modern professionals: a business-oriented approach
* Communication education: challenges, needs, and opportunities
* The map of communication journals: opportunities and constraints

Please submit your extended abstracts from November 2014 to March 2015 by sending an email to aendaltseva@hse.ru or by using a submission form provided on the conference website.

The participants will be informed on the decision in early April 2015. Full papers should be submitted by May 2015.

The registration process will be opened in May 2015 to allow us time to get visa assistance paperwork done.

To submit your paper or ask further questions about the conference or the Department of Integrated Communications please email Alexandra Endaltseva, International Academic Projects Coordinator, Lecturer at aendaltseva@hse.ru or fill out a form on the conference website http://commconferencehse.ru/?lang=en

Frederick Douglass Fellowships 2015-16

Frederick Douglass Scholars Fellowship Summer 2015 – May 2016

In keeping with Frederick Douglass’ life of public service and commitment to equity and access, the Frederick Douglass Institutes of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) are offering teaching opportunities to graduate students who are pursuing careers as university faculty and who are entering the final year of terminal degree and/or doctoral programs. As a Frederick Douglass Scholars Fellow, scholars will teach and/or co-teach during the summer session(s) or full academic year (depending on term of appointment), continue their research, and contribute to the life of the university. Dates of employment vary among universities, but typically run during May –August 2015 for summer appointments, or August 2015-May 2016 for full year appointments.

The Douglass Scholars Fellowships are designed to provide teaching and other professional experiences, mentoring, and potential employment opportunities within universities that are strongly committed to cultural diversity. Applicants from diverse cultural backgrounds, especially those from historically underrepresented groups, are encouraged to apply, as are candidates whose research, teaching, or service have prepared them to contribute to our commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Scholars will be compensated as adjunct faculty, according to each university’s collective bargaining agreement. Additionally, Fellows may be provided housing and travel. The appointment is for the scholar alone, not families, and scholars are responsible for their own local transportation. Faculty benefits (office space, computer and network access, and library privileges) are also provided.

Minimum requirements are: Applicant must be U.S. citizen or permanent resident; MA degree completed and enrollment in a terminal degree program (Ph.D., MFA, Ed. D, etc.); academic background in one of the disciplines taught at the university. Preferred: teaching experience; currently ABD or doctorate within last two years. Priority consideration given to completed applications postmarked by January 19, 2015.

The list of universities offering the Douglass Scholars Fellowship and common application is available at http://frederickdouglassinstitute.org/fellowship.php. Please contact each campus representative for more information about and academic disciplines.

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