On December 3-4, 2022, Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University held a certificate course "Intercultural Competencies", the course was attended by approximately 50 students who are the beneficiaries of the mobility and exchange programs administered by TSU.

The certification course, delivered in the format of a weekend workshop, is aimed at orienting students participating in mobility and exchange programs before their study abroad period starts; the course is meant to sensitize the students in intercultural competences, and thus help them to establish peaceful, benevolent relationships with their peers and faculty members in the host institution and make the best use of their time while studying abroad.

On the first day, the peculiarities of relations between cultures were discussed in detail, namely, the topics addressed included the phenomenon of cultural exchange, inculturation and acculturation, acculturation strategies, culture shock and mental health.

Particular focus has been made on: acculturation stress as a mental and emotional challenge in the process of adapting to a new culture; the symptoms of acculturation, factors that have a negative impact on a person's mental health in the process of adaptation during migration to another culture for different reasons (educational or labor), and the psychological methods and mechanisms for overcoming the challenges at this time.

Culture shock, its stages, reverse culture shock, cultural conflict, cultural relativism and ethnocentrism, as well as collective and individual identity strategies in the process of integration into a new culture were also discussed. In addition, the course dwelt on ways to maintain mental health and strategies for finding balance in the integration process.

The second day of the meeting was devoted to intercultural communication, namely, the communication process, its constituent parts, persuasive communication, cultural features of verbal, written and non-verbal communication. Special attention was paid to the importance of written communication in the process of communication with the university administration and international departments.

The differences between the rules of communication and etiquette in different cultures were discussed, the importance of culture and social norms in the process of relationships, the rules of etiquette during business meetings and visiting guests were emphasized. Selection of conversation topics in formal and informal communication as well as the peculiarities of face-to-face and virtual communication were scrutinized.

The final part of the meeting was devoted to feedback. Students were gathered in small groups and given the opportunity to process and present the information presented during the course while focusing on potential challenges to be expected during study abroad and ways to overcome them.

Some of the students provided with feedback on the content and the delivery of the course:

1. "Meetings held for students participating in exchange programs had an orientation character. The students got information about what it means in general to get to a foreign country, to integrate into a new culture. What challenges should we expect and how can we overcome them? We talked in detail about the peculiarities, norms and values of cultures. These meetings will help students to understand that difference does not necessarily mean better or worse, we must consider all events in their own cultural context, accept these differences to our advantage and use them for our personal development. The meeting related to verbal and non-verbal communication was particularly interesting, which will help us a lot in understanding people's behaviors and intentions. The recommendations we received at this meeting will further simplify the period of mobility, which is usually accompanied by certain difficulties. In the end, the group work, where all students were involved, summed up the material of both meetings and clearly showed us the challenges and ways to solve them, which we will actively use in the future."

2. "This two-day meeting was first of all interesting on a personal level, because it was an opportunity to get to know different people, whom I will probably meet again in the future. Personal contacts are always important. As for the content of the meetings, I would say that it was interesting for me as a lawyer. Lawyers often look at the issue in terms of the text of the law or different interpretations of the law. And here I had the opportunity, in addition to making some judgments based on values, to learn how body language and non-verbal communication can be used to evaluate people, especially in foreign cultures. Sometimes we think we know how to act, but when it comes to it, we forget and act like any standard person. Perhaps the most that these meetings gave me was that we should think more about the process of forming our attitude towards people from other cultures after contact with them. It is true that we are going to a specific country with an exchange program (for example, Spain, France, Italy, etc.), but we must remember that there will be students from other countries with an exchange program. Therefore, when we actually find ourselves in a multicultural space, that's when we will need it and it will be seen to what degree we can actually accumulate knowledge from the lectures conducted by you and then apply it in practice. I am still optimistic and think that the vast majority of students will be able to correctly assess the behavior of a person coming from a foreign culture, which at first glance will be strange to us.

To summarize, I think it's a great idea to offer an event like this to exchange students. This was not the experience in previous years and I welcome this innovation. Hopefully, similar meetings will be offered to students in the coming years. Thank you very much!"

3. “Regarding the need to hold a meeting:

1. It is necessary to understand that such a thing exists (if not studying psychology or similar sciences, students are not required to know this);

2. It is an effective means of socialization among the participating students.

Regarding the topic of the meeting:

1. It helps us to understand that something may look simple, but it is not that simple. External relations require caution and attention;

2. On a meaningful level, we were given the opportunity to discuss possible challenges and solutions with practical examples, which, of course, has a positive impact on life abroad and will significantly facilitate the adaptation process."