Valérie Borrell, an HDR Researcher/Lecturer at the University of Montpellier and in CHARM-EU’s master’s programme Global Challenges for Sustainability, shares her experiences. The challenges associated with the intensification of hydrological extremes are at the core of her research activities. This includes understanding the genesis of floods in karstic catchments, assessing the impact of land-use changes on runoff, real-time flood and inundation forecasting, and the reduction of water resources during low-flow periods in Mediterranean climates (northern shore) and tropical climates (Central and West Africa). Beyond hydroclimatic processes, she focuses on multidisciplinary solutions for multi-purpose land management at various scales. This involves reconciling human activities with the preservation of natural resources and exploring adaptation pathways to enhance the climate resilience of territories.

In this interview, Valérie reflects on how participating in CHARM-EU has taught her valuable lessons about herself and highlighted both the benefits and challenges of working alongside people with diverse cultural perspectives.

Valérie, can you tell us how the intercultural composition of CHARM-EU has influenced your teaching methods and your exchanges with students from different cultural backgrounds?

The cultural diversity within CHARM-EU universities has made me more aware of interpretation gaps between students and the implicit biases I may have. However, we are not always aware of our own limits in understanding and interpretation. To understand that we don’t fully grasp what is being expressed to us, integrating other cultural perspectives and being open to other cultures helps us imagine, understand, and accept our differences. CHARM-EU has provided me with tools to be more vigilant and attentive to these differences, to clarify my messages, make implicit points more explicit, and adjust my approaches to foster better intercultural understanding.

Sometimes, it is more relevant to recognize our own limits of understanding, to ask further questions, or to explore alternative ways of investigating to fully grasp all dimensions of a difficulty.

But to understand that we do not fully grasp what is being expressed to us, we sometimes need to be exposed to different cultural perspectives. This requires opening ourselves to other cultures and being willing to imagine and embrace differences because we are not always aware of our own limitations.

You mentioned certain tools CHARM-EU has helped you develop as an educator. Can you elaborate on those a little more?

CHARM, and particularly the educationalists, have provided me with a broader range of pedagogical tools that are well-suited to adapting to the needs of each student, whether those needs are cultural or more generally cognitive.

This expanded toolkit allows me to design my course sequences using various complementary approaches.

I use these methods not only for CHARM but also for other master’s programmes, as well as for staff training, research meetings, and more.

One key aspect is listening: learning to listen to understand the needs of the students here. Too often, we tend to listen only to respond. Sometimes, it is more relevant to recognize our own limits of understanding, to ask further questions, or to explore alternative ways of investigating to fully grasp all dimensions of a difficulty.

But to understand that we do not fully grasp what is being expressed to us, we sometimes need to be exposed to different cultural perspectives. This requires opening ourselves to other cultures and being willing to imagine and embrace differences because we are not always aware of our own limitations.

Finally, CHARM has also helped break down barriers surrounding unspoken needs for inclusivity among students. It’s a real topic, with a dedicated working group and team. We address things as they are, without taboos. Any type of difficulty related to inclusion or culture is acknowledged and considered.

Do you experience challenges in intercultural cooperation with your colleagues and students? If so, how do you tackle them?

Absolutely. Implicit messages, automatic customs, cultural reflexes, and biases play a critical role in intercultural cooperation. Anything that is not expressed clearly is subject to interpretation, and these interpretations vary across cultures. Such potential misunderstandings require constant vigilance and effort to decode and rephrase exchanges to minimize miscommunication.

The main challenges lie in managing differences in perception and communication. To address these, I rely on varied pedagogical tools and constant rephrasing, while maintaining an open mind and creating a space for dialogue where diverse perspectives can be expressed freely.

Can you provide us with a concrete example?

Of course, there are several examples! Some cultures encourage students to express their feelings and needs clearly and directly, while in others, this is neither customary nor acceptable. Even within Europe, these cultural tendencies can be felt. Students from the north may be more direct, expressing their needs or disagreements openly, while in the south, a more indirect, nuanced, and less abrupt communication style is often preferred.

Similarly, tolerance for imperfect English varies greatly. In some cultures, people are very understanding toward those who struggle with the language. In others, like in France, there is hesitation to speak without perfect mastery, for fear of making mistakes or seeming foolish.

We have talked about challenges; let us talk about advantages: Do you believe the international master’s program Global Challenges for Sustainability contributes to students developing a more diverse cultural understanding of global challenges?

Yes! Students, often from diverse cultural backgrounds, work in multicultural teams, exposing them to varied perspectives. Although the programme is European, it demonstrates that even within Europe, intercultural challenges are significant. This exposure helps students build collaborative skills and gain a deeper understanding of global issues through multiple cultural lenses.

I want to highlight the crucial importance of vigilance and adaptability in intercultural environments for both teachers and students, which stems from awareness followed by a commitment to embracing interculturality.

Do you feel like there are different approaches to certain problems depending on people’s cultural backgrounds?

Yes, this is similar to pedagogy: Just as a teacher must adapt to learners’ varied needs by using diverse formats to explain a single situation, in an intercultural context, it is essential to vary approaches to address a problem. Some individuals favour abstract approaches, others concrete experiences – these variations are guided by their individualities but are often influenced by their cultural backgrounds. Therefore, it is necessary to rephrase and present multiple perspectives to ensure shared understanding.

Could you give an example of a successful intercultural project or initiative implemented within CHARM-EU that has taken cultural differences into account?

Yes, an excellent example is the MoXMo project (and likely the upcoming XHIBIT). This project included African students, some traveling outside their country for the first time (!), further enriching the cultural diversity within student teams. This experience enabled students from the northern and southern shores of the Mediterranean to confront their viewpoints and step out of their comfort zones. What better way to approach global challenges in the Mediterranean region than by uniting these perspectives!