TO foster global citizenship and cultural literacy, representatives from the Goethe-Institut Philippinen recently gave a glimpse of contemporary German life, values, and practices to assist student-exchange program participants bound for Europe.
The event, titled ”German Life and Culture,” provided learners with a platform for dialogue and exchange which allowed them to engage in meaningful conversations on international cooperation and advocating respect for diversity.
Organized by the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) School of Diplomacy and Governance (SDG), it promoted interdisciplinary learning and reflection, particularly for students interested in international relations, language, arts, and cultural studies.
From left: Dr. Gary Ador Dionisio, Annalena Urbanczyk, Barbara Pauli, Catherine Dee Samaniego, and Maricel Fernandez-Carag. CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS
It likewise sought to reinforce students’ global perspective and readiness for cosmopolitan experiences by familiarizing them with Germany’s political, cultural, and social systems.
Barbara Pauli, Goethe-Institut Philippinen manager for educational cooperation, gave the audience an introduction to the cultural institution and its mission of promoting knowledge of the German language, cultivating international cultural cooperation, and providing information about cultural, social, and political life in Germany
The Goethe-Institut has offices in over 100 countries.
Annalena Urbanczyk of Goethe’s language department talked about German weather and gave practical travel tips for the students’ educational visit to Stuttgart, capital of the German state of Baden-Württemberg.
The talks centered on Germany’s federal government structure, cultural norms, daily life practices, transportation systems, environmental efforts, and linguistic variations between German states.
There were also discussions on values such as punctuality and discipline, basic etiquette, and famous German delicacies.
The audience learned about the importance of people-to-people diplomacy, intercultural understanding, and the relevance of these lessons to their future careers.
An open forum addressing social customs, cost of living, disability inclusion, sustainability practices, and scholarships gave the participants insights into German life.
Wrapping up the event was an open forum which addressed social customs, cost of living, disability inclusion, sustainability practices, and scholarships to give the participants insights into German life.
In addition to encouraging cross-cultural learning, the initiative strengthened Benilde’s institutional partnerships with international organizations like the Goethe-Institut Philippinen, in line with the college’s global engagement efforts.
Benilde SDG dean Dr. Gary Ador Dionisio, Consular and Diplomatic Affairs/Diplomacy and International Affairs (CDA/DIA) chairperson Catherine Dee Samaniego, Governance and Public Affairs (GPA) chairperson Maricel Fernandez-Carag, and faculty Josue Raphael Cortez met the international representatives.
