Session Outline

As European universities continue to diversify, student support professionals are increasingly called upon to facilitate meaningful interactions between domestic and international students. Yet, while “internationalisation at home” is widely referenced in policy documents, practical and scalable methods for fostering genuine intercultural dialogue remain less visible. This workshop presents a structured model of multicultural work-life coaching, developed at the University of Turku as part of a EU-funded project, UNICOM+ Uniting Companies, Employers and International University Talents. The coaching invites students from different cultural, linguistic, and disciplinary backgrounds to explore their identities, expectations, and hopes for the future in a guided and reflective space.

The coaching model combines elements of narrative career guidance (Meijers & Lengelle, 2012), career construction theory (Savickas, 2009), cultural intelligence development (Middleton, 2014), and peer-supported learning. Rather than positioning international and domestic students solely as recipients of support, the approach deliberately groups students so they become co-constructors of knowledge, reflecting together on personal values, cultural assumptions, and the meanings they attach to work, study, and belonging. Early pilot results demonstrate that these encounters help building bridges between domestic and international students, enhance a sense of belonging, and provide a low-threshold arena for practising intercultural communication in an authentic and supportive environment.

During the workshop, participants will engage directly with the kinds of structured activities used in the coaching programme, allowing them to experience the method from a student’s perspective. These activities include guided reflections on cultural and personal identity, which help articulating the values and assumptions that shape expectations of work and study. Participants will also take part in small-group discussions centred on realistic work-life scenarios drawn from multicultural environments. These scenarios prompt participants to consider how workplace norms, communication styles, and cultural expectations influence their behaviour and decision-making, and how they might navigate such differences constructively.

A second practical component introduces techniques for future mapping, encouraging students to reflect on their aspirations, uncertainties, and the individual factors that inform their longer-term plans. By externalising their hopes and concerns through structured visual mapping, students gain greater clarity about their goals while also learning to listen to the diverse perspectives of their peers. The workshop will model facilitation techniques that support these exercises, with attention to creating psychological safety, balancing group participation, and ensuring that culturally diverse viewpoints are treated as assets rather than challenges.

A further focus of the workshop is the contribution that multicultural work-life coaching can make to students’ sense of belonging, particularly within institutions where international and domestic students often occupy parallel social worlds. The coaching model positions every participant, regardless of background, as someone whose experiences, cultural insights, and future aspirations are valuable to the group. By engaging in shared reflections students come to recognise both their common ground and the significance of their individual perspectives. This relational approach helps reduce feelings of marginalisation and strengthens students’ confidence that they have a legitimate place within the academic and wider community.

Learning Outcomes

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