On June 25th, the International Leadership and Training Center (ILTC) hosted the International Leadership Conference for 32 J-1 interns and trainees from CENET Branson. It is the forth cohort the ILTC has welcomed since 2016.
Participants represented the nations of China, Dominican Republic, India, Jamaica, Russia, and Turkey. The day began with a presentation on intercultural communications and leadership by ILTC Director, Brad Bodenhausen. Participants were actively engaged in the presentation, sharing perspectives from their own experiences. The presentation was followed by lunch, where Missouri State faculty and staff continued the conversation with participants. Following lunch, the ILTC welcomed student leaders from Missouri State to present a panel discussion. Participants were highly engaged and active in discussions about cultural differences, such as:
- Direct vs. Indirect communication styles
- Individual vs. Collective cultures
- Rules-based vs. Relationship-based cultures
The panel included:
- Kortney Jochems, Graduate Assistant for the English Language Institute, from the US
- Shadeed Khan, International Admissions specialist for International Services, from India
- Paula Rivero, graphic designer for International Programs, from Colombia
- Maan Ayyash, coordinator for the English Language Institute Khebrat program, from Saudi Arabia
Panelists shared about the difference of the profile of an effective leader, communication, ethics and integrity issues between their home country and the US.
Following panel discussion, participants visited MSU campus with student leaders from Missouri State.
Brad said at the closing reception that he hopes everybody had a better understanding of international leadership. He invited participants to come back to Missouri State in the future for studies or a visit, and let them know they are always welcome here.
