Intercultural Communications and Globalization – East Meets West (ICG-EW) summer program offered by the Faculty of Creative Studies (FCCS) blends high-quality academic learning with unforgettable cultural experiences and a social program that allows you to meet and connect with other students. The ICG-EW program is designed to help participants develop essential skills required to be a better equipped citizen of the world and to be more prepared for their careers. The main goal of the ICG-EW initiative is to provide a space where students can learn and explore how the Eastern world (i.e., East) and the Western world (i.e., West) have a very close historical, political, economic, and socio-cultural connection with each other and other countries. Successful participants will receive two non-credit credentials from the University of British Columbia. Studying in Canada for a short-term program allows you to get all the benefits of high-quality instruction while meeting new people and enjoying unique experiences. The FCCS ICG-EW 2025 Summer Program provides exciting, interdisciplinary learning opportunities through a variety of themes and topics across disciplines and offers interdisciplinary, project-focused courses where you will learn a blend of skills and knowledge and practically apply them to real-world issues.
Program highlights
Canada-China Today
An overview of Canada and China relations and related discussions (e.g., business, education)
Intercultural Communications
An introduction of the main intercultural communication theories, and related case studies. Active exploration of key strategies for effective communications across different cultures and a better ‘trusting’ relationship.
Literatures in the West
The Merchant of Venice, mythology, Canadian literatures (e.g., the AMP lab), media studies and design.
Special Topics
Effective global business communications (e.g., in management, tourism and hospitality), food cultures in North America and East Asia (e.g., Canada and Japan)
Earn UBC Credentials
Upon successful completion of the program, students will receive two UBC non-credit credentials. These credentials are valuable assets for employers and, depending on your home institution, may be transferable for university credit.
Applications are now open. Earlybird: March 5, 2025. Final: April 1, 2025 | Apply now
Where
The University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. See life on campus.
When
Program dates: July 21 – Aug. 15, 2025
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COURSE
Theories and Practices in Intercultural Communications and Globalization
To begin with, we will take an overview of some main theories in intercultural communications. Mainly through a comparative critical approach, participants will also (re)learn essential communication skills required for entering an increasingly globalized academy and workplace today. An emphasis will be on examining cases from China, Japan and Korea (or the CJK), three of the main East Asian nations. This course will comprise 60 hours of lectures and supervised labs. The participants will receive a Letter of Proficiency
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COURSE
Intercultural Communications and Globalization: Seminars about the West
Main topics in these seminars include Canada and East Asian relations (e.g., Canada-China today); North American literatures; Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice; media studies and design; the globalization of popular culture. As an example of seminars with special topics, they will explore how popular cultural texts, such as TV dramas, films, and pop music, are transculturally circulated and what meanings are generated in the transcultural circulations. This course will comprise 30 hours of seminars. The participants will receive a Letter of Completion.