A meeting at an EAIE* Conference in Italy laid the foundation for the Geert Hofstede Consortium. "We had longstanding partnerships at a bachelor level," explains Consortium chair Iekje Smit, Hanze U Groningen, "and we saw the development of a joint master's program in International Communication as an exciting next step."

According to Smit, it was important for the consortium to include universities from geographical and cultural diverse locations all over Europe. All partners are situated in important university cities in order to offer students the total package of a high-quality international education in a virbant academic environment. The partnership now consists of the Budapest Business School in Budapest, Hungary; Hanze U Groningen in Groningen, the Netherlands; IULM - U of Language and Communication in Milan, Italy; Leeds Metropolitan U in Leeds, United Kingdom; New Bulgarian U in Sofia, Bulgaria; and Vilnius U in Vilnius, Lithuania.

"We are honored that Professor Geert Hofstede accepted the invitation to give his name to the consortium." Smit concludes. "A number of partners have an active cooperation with Professor Hofstede, including the yearly Geert Hofstede Lecture series in Groningen. The new Bulgarian University has bestowed upon him an honorary doctorate."

Professor Hofstede has stated that "Culture is more often a source of conflict than of synergy. Cultural differences are a nuisance at best and often a disaster".

The consortium has chosen the turbulent intercultural environment as its stomping grounds, in search of the synergy and aware of the conflict. We have chosen Geert Hofstede's work as a point of departure and source of inspiration.

A European-Funded Joint Degree Program
The consortium has received European funding for the development and pilot phase of the project under the Life-Long Learning (LLL) program. This LLL program offers financial support to innovative educational projects. The curriculum itself is being jointly developed by the six partners according to European quality standards and in close consultation with the profession. Ongoing harmonization of the curriculum, the assessment criteria, and the procedures will insure comparability of the program.

The core curriculum of one semester will be offered by all universities, and each will offer three specializations. Between all of the universities, students may choose from a wide range of specializations, including "NGO and Civil Organizations Communication," "International Marketing Communication," "Social Responsibility and Communication," and "International Crisis Communication." The master project is carried out in the third semester under the supervision of two of the universities, each of which will award their Master's degree to the student. Students will also receive a consortium certificate, signed by all of the partners.

The course is centered on competence-based learning. Students will work on 'real life' cases brought in by companies and (governmental and other) agencies. The course will be offered in English to an international student body. Core competencies are English-language proficiency (as the lingua franca of the profession) and intercultural competence. Pan-European research is integrated into the program. The course will establish a new master's program, preparing communication professionals for their tasks in an international and intercultural diverse communication environment.

A solid network of professional partners
The program will be linked to the research centers of the partners. Applied research, by which students will analyze and solve problems for the professional field, is an essential part of the program. The staff can draw upon their many years of teaching and research experience as well as their international professional backgrounds. The professors and lecturers are published authors whose contributions can be found in professional journals, conference papers, and (text)books.

Their work in the field allows for great networking opportunities. Partnerships have already been set up with organizations such as the European Ombudsman and the World Bank, as well as multinational and internationally oriented companies. The website offers an overview. Projects for these organizations serve as a touchstone for the professional development component of the program. Associated partners are organizations active in the professional field, such as the European Association of Communication Directors (EACD); the International Association of Facilitators (IAF); and the Society for Intercultural Education, Training, and Research (SIETAR).

The Master of International Communication starts in September 2009 at Leeds Metropolitan U, IULM in Italy, and the New Bulgarian U. The other consortium partners will be welcoming the first class in September 2010. Interested non-EU students, as well as students wishing to obtain a scholarship, need to apply before June 1; EU students not applying for a scholarship may do so until September 1, 2009. For more information about the program,an overview a complete list of all available specializations, resumes of staff members, as well as the application form, please go to http://www.masterinternationalcommunication.com/.

* = European Association for International Education