Cultural conversations: ’Berg students build global connections through communication

When the Intercultural Exchange Project began in Professor Robin Heaton’s Intercultural Communication (COM 314) class, she immediately noticed something different. The room buzzed with energy! A change came a few weeks after her students began connecting with their partners at Lady Brabourne College in Kolkata, India.

“They were usually really quiet,” Robin said. “But that day, everyone was talking about ‘my person’ and sharing what they had learned. It was exactly what I was hoping for.”

The collaboration grew out of a professional connection made by Heidelberg’s Dr. Julie O’Reilly, who met Lady Brabourne Professor Dr. Amrita Basu Roy Chowdhury at an academic conference. The two schools partnered to give students an opportunity to engage in meaningful cross-cultural dialogue centered around Kolkata’s Durga Pujo Festival, a UNESCO-recognized celebration that honors culture, artistry, and community.

Robin’s course, a required upper-level class for Communication majors, examines how culture influences communication styles, values, and worldviews. The Intercultural Exchange Project lets students apply those ideas beyond the classroom by forming one-on-one connections with students abroad.

“It’s one thing to talk about cultural similarities and differences,” Robin said. “It’s entirely another to experience them.”

Each Heidelberg student was paired with a student from Lady Brabourne College for a month-long exchange. Together, they explored topics such as cultural identity, communication styles, and daily life through text, email, or video calls. After every conversation, students recorded reflection videos to connect their experiences to class concepts like individualism vs. collectivism, high- and low-context communication, and cultural values.

For Elizabeth Brantley, one of Robin’s students, the experience has offered a new way of seeing the world. “This class has made me realize that the little things we do day to day are how we adapt growing up, and it will never be the same for another person,” Elizabeth said. “I've also gotten a new perspective on how we look at what other cultures do, and not to be quick to judge them because we were not raised the same.”

She added that one of her favorite discoveries so far has been learning about her partner’s traditions. “One thing I have learned from my partner so far that surprised me was that she was not too familiar with our Thanksgiving holiday,” Elizabeth said. “She explained how they have festivals that portray some of the same things that we celebrate, but in their culture, it means more to their homeland and heritage.”

Robin said that kind of realization is the heart of the course. She encourages students to stay curious, respectful, and self-aware as they navigate conversations that might challenge their perspectives. “You can never go wrong with understanding other people’s experiences,” she said. “Only good things come from stepping outside of your rural Ohio bubble and seeing how the rest of the world lives.”

Throughout the project, class discussions have touched on how language shapes worldview, how communication norms differ across societies, and how cultural context affects meaning.

-- by Kaidan Mathias, MBA ‘26

Robin said she hopes the project helps students develop empathy, flexibility, and awareness – skills that will serve them long after graduation. She also hopes to continue and expand the partnership in the future. “Amrita and her colleagues have been wonderful to work with,” Robin said. “I’d love to involve more universities someday, maybe even explore other cultures and regions.”

For now, she’s proud of what her students have accomplished through conversation and curiosity.

“Finding ways for students to engage meaningfully with the world is one of my favorite parts of teaching,” Robin said. “If this project helps them see communication through a global lens, then we’ve succeeded.”