Developing Across Differences: Adult Bullying & Difference

Participant profile

This course is for you if are a mid- to senior-level in-house professional or consultant/trainer/multiplier/educator who helps those who:

• Lead, work*, or teach in a setting where adult bullying behaviours are a concern — or you would like to prevent them from becoming one.

• Strive to create a more inclusive work environment, enhance cohesion, and improve overall organizational culture among diverse employees / team members.

• Serve in a role that supports individuals and teams to improve cooperation and performance (e.g., HR, people development, management, leadership or organizational development).

*Please note that while this course focuses on those working in higher education, it is open to those who work across differences and seek interpersonal strategies for preventing and mitigating bullying behaviours in other workplace settings. 

Contact the organisers at ic rug.nl or info iddifferences.org if you have questions about the suitability of this course for your circumstances.

Level requirements

The DAD is for multipliers who help individuals, organizations and societies better recognize, appreciate and use differences as a way of better communicating, working and thriving together.

These are (in-house and external) trainers, educators, consultants, coaches, researchers, scholars, facilitators, HR staff, advanced-level (MA+) students, and professional development specialists with 5+ years of experience/study in the greater Differences field. Contact the organisers at ic rug.nl or info iddifferences.org for consultation about appropriateness and eligibility.

It is expected that the participants have a sufficient command of the English language to actively participate in the discussions and to present their own work in English.

In this course, you will learn how to help yourself and those you work with so that you/they can better:

1. Understand how culture and power dynamics shape perceptions of appropriate communication and behaviour, including if and when such behaviour crosses a line.

2. Identify different kinds of bullying behaviours in adult workplace encounters, notably in higher education settings.

3. Apply interpersonal level strategies to minimize instances of bullying behaviours and foster a culture of trust, respect, and civility.

4. Gain practical strategies to address / mitigate bullying using culturally-adaptive conflict resolution and communication skills.

Workload
12 hours of in-class learning and active participation using experiential methods.

Upon successful completion of the programme, the Summer School offers a Certificate of Attendance that mentions the workload of 12 hours (28 hours corresponds to 1 ECTS). Students can apply for recognition of these credits to the relevant authorities in their home institutions, therefore the final decision on awarding credits is at the discretion of their home institutions. We will be happy to provide any necessary information that might be requested in addition to the certificate of attendance.

Sunday, 6 July
15.00-18.00 Optional networking event

Monday, 7 July - Tuesday, 8 July
09.00-17:30

LEARNING APPROACH

This course has three components: 

• In Part 1, learn about the nature of adult bullying in academia and workplaces, learn how seemingly “normal” behaviours may (unintentionally) constitute harm in intercultural settings.

• In Part 2, explore in a hands-on capacity how Cultural Humility practices can help minimize or prevent bullying.

• In Part 3, develop bullying mitigation skills, developing your ability to respond constructively to bullying behaviours that you encounter or observe as a bystander.
  

While this workshop prioritizes interpersonal skill-building, it also provides insights into how to analyze and begin to change the broader institutional context in which bullying behaviours occur.

Jana Holla, PhD
Having lived and worked internationally for 20+ years in combination with her academic training in Cultural Anthropology, Dr. Jana Hollá assists organizations, teams and individuals to make the most of the differences they encounter. 

Based in Cairo, Egypt and southern France, Jana lectures and provides consultancy, training, and facilitation services primarily in the areas of Cross-cultural Competence Building, Diversity Management, and International Mobility. Her interventions explore the nature of difference, knowledge and learning as a means of developing and transforming individuals, teams and their organizations who seek to build effective and meaningful working relations across cultures and differences.

She has previously led customized versions of this workshop for higher education institutions on behalf of the IDD working together with Dr. Nagesh Rao, Melissa Liles and Dr. Nadine Binder.

Please note that as all courses are subject to meeting minimum enrolments, the DAD team will confirm on or before 19 May 2025 that your course is taking place. We strongly advise you not to book non-refundable travel until you have received this confirmation. In all cases, refunds for courses are not available except in the case of course cancellation by the DAD organisers. In the case that your preferred course is cancelled, you are welcomed to enroll in an alternative course or request a refund. You will be notified on or before 19 May 2025 if the DAD course is cancelled. This policy is different from that of other University of Groningen Summer School and Language Centre courses. Full details are available on the Developing Across Differences (DAD) Learning Lab & Community Week Terms and Conditions page.