BOOST-IN Virtual International Programme

Name: BOOST-IN Virtual International Programme
Start: 2026-11-09T09:00:00+01:00
End: 2026-11-13T17:25:00+01:00
Location: MCI | The Entrepreneurial School

9 Nov 2026, 09:00 → 13 Nov 2026, 17:25 Europe/Paris

MCI | The Entrepreneurial School

Description

BOOST-IN Virtual International Programme (VIP)

Navigating Change – Global Competence and Innovation for Sustainable Futures

The BOOST-IN Virtual International Programme (VIP) is a five-day interactive international learning experience that brings together students, academic staff, and professional staff from partner institutions to explore global competence through collaborative online learning.

Through engaging workshops, intercultural discussions, simulations, digital collaboration, and peer learning, participants will develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to thrive in an increasingly interconnected world. The programme promotes Internationalisation at Home, enabling participants to engage in meaningful international and intercultural experiences without the need for physical mobility.

Throughout the week, participants will explore topics including:

Global competence and intercultural communication;
Digital collaboration and innovation;
Sustainability and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs);
Empathy, inclusion, and intercultural problem-solving;
Collaborative design and global engagement.

Working in international teams, participants will exchange perspectives, co-create solutions to real-world challenges, and reflect on how global competence can support their academic, professional, and civic development.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the programme, participants will be able to:

Strengthen their global competence and intercultural communication skills.
Collaborate effectively in diverse international and virtual teams.
Apply digital collaboration tools in cross-border learning environments.
Reflect on global challenges through the lens of sustainability and inclusion.
Identify opportunities to continue their international learning journey through BOOST-IN and Ulysseus initiatives.

The programme is delivered fully online over five consecutive days (approximately 1.5–2 hours per day) and combines expert input, interactive activities, collaborative challenges, and reflective learning in an inclusive and engaging virtual environment.

_{Register via the link below!}

Register now to shape your international academic journey with Ulysseus. After registering, you’ll find the link to the live sessions below, available from 9–19 November 2026.

Monday 9 November
- 09:00 → 09:10
  Welcome & Orientation 10m
  Quick overview of the week’s goals
  - Offer a new internationalisation@home experience (Annual)
  - Strengthen students' Global Competence
  - Foster active, immersive participation etc
- 09:10 → 09:20
  
  Icebreaker: “My Global Map” 10m
  
  🌍 Pin Your Place: A Map of Us
  
  How it works:
  
  Find your hometown (or the place that feels most like "home") on the map.
  Drop a pin and add a post.
  In your post, tell us about one of the following — pick whichever one lights you up:
  🍲 A taste of home — What's a dish or snack you'd make every visitor try, no exceptions?
  🤚 A cultural quirk — A gesture, phrase, or superstition from your culture that outsiders always find surprising (or that you had to explain to a confused roommate once).
  🗺️ The tourist myth — What's something visitors always get wrong or misunderstand about your city?
  🎉 A tradition you love — A local celebration, ritual, or seasonal event that means something to you.
- 09:20 → 09:30
  
  Mini-Keynote: “Global Competence in a Changing World” 10m
  
  Keynote by MCI Prof. Markus Kittler on Global Competence
- 09:30 → 09:45
  
  Interactive Workshop: “Cultural Intelligence (CQ) in Action” 15m
  
  Interactive workshop linked to the Micro-learning module:
  
  TOPIC 1- EXAMINE LOCAL, GLOBAL AND INTERCULTURAL ISSUES
  ML1 – Understanding Global–Local Interconnections
  MC1 – Case Analysis: Global Issue in My Context
  
  Proposed tool: Flinga
  
  Coordinated by the Haaga-Helia team
- 09:45 → 09:55
  
  Q&A Section 10m
  
  Questions and Answers
- 09:55 → 10:05
  
  Reflection Journal 10m
  
  Interactive Reflection- My Global Starting Point on Menti
- 10:05 → 10:10
  
  Warm-up & Daily Challenge 5m
  
  Prompts to guide the sharing:
  
  💡 "What's one thing you learned today that you didn't know this morning?"
  😲 "What moment surprised you most?"
  🤝 "Did you connect with someone or something in a way you didn't expect?"
  🔄 "Is there anything you'll think about differently after today?"
Tuesday 10 November
- 10:00 → 10:10
  
  Recap & Energizer 10m
  
  Quick game to reinforce Day 1 insights.
- 10:10 → 10:25
  
  Mini-Workshop: “Digital Skills for Global Citizens” 15m
  
  An introduction to collaborative tools such as Miro, Padlet, and Canva, combined with teamwork best practices and guided conversations on their relevance and application in today’s global workforce.
- 10:25 → 10:45
  
  Panel: “Innovation Without Borders” 20m
  
  Speakers from partner universities share real cases of virtual collaboration. (Connect possibly to a Micro-learning Modules - Current Events & Classroom Discourse; Basics of Intercultural Communication).
- 10:45 → 11:05
  
  Group Challenge Kick-off 20m
  
  Mixed teams (4–6 members) form to brainstorm SDG-inspired project ideas. (Connect possibly to a Micro-learning Module/ Challenge- SDGs and Global Competence; Mini-Action Design Prototype).
- 11:05 → 11:15
  
  Wrap-up & Tools Recap 10m
  
  Quick reflection: which tool felt most intuitive for cross-border work?
Wednesday 11 November
- 10:00 → 10:10
  
  Check-in & Icebreaker 10m
  
  Quick SDG quiz or visual puzzle to spark engagement.
- 10:10 → 10:20
  
  Guest Talk: “Leading with Purpose – Youth & Sustainability” 10m
  
  Inspiring speaker shares lived experience in sustainability leadership. (Connect possibly to a Micro-learning Module/ Challenge- What Shapes Perspectives?; Bias Self-Assessment)
- 10:20 → 10:35
  
  Interactive Simulation: “The Climate Negotiation Game” 15m
  
  Teams represent countries negotiating for resources under climate constraints.
- 10:35 → 10:45
  
  Group Reflection: “What Would You Do Differently?” 10m
  
  Each team shares negotiation insights and links to real-world SDGs.
- 10:45 → 11:00
  
  Journal Reflection 15m
  
  Participants write a 100-word takeaway on personal responsibility for sustainability.
Thursday 12 November
- 10:00 → 10:10
  
  Check-in & Empathy Warm-Up 10m
  
  Reflect on experiences of misunderstanding to explore the emotional and cultural dimensions of collaboration.
- 10:10 → 10:25
  
  Mini-Workshop: “Practicing Empathy in Academic & Global Spaces” (ML-9) 15m
  
  Explore assumptions, active listening and perspective-taking through a short intercultural scenario.
- 10:25 → 10:40
  
  Breakout Activity: “The Empathy Lens” (MC-9) 15m
  
  Identify hidden assumptions and redesign an academic scenario using empathy-driven responses.
- 10:40 → 10:55
  
  Mini-Workshop: “Intercultural Problem-Solving & Conflict Navigation” (ML-17) 15m
  
  Explore common intercultural misunderstandings and practical strategies for navigating them.
- 10:55 → 11:10
  
  Group Challenge: “Repairing Miscommunication” (MC-17) 15m
  
  Develop context-sensitive solutions to an intercultural conflict through empathy and negotiation.
- 11:10 → 11:25
  
  Co-Creation Lab: “Designing for Global Engagement” (ML-19) 15m
  
  Refine SDG projects with an inclusive element that strengthens global engagement
- 11:25 → 11:30
  
  Wrap-Up & Day 5 Preparation 5m
  
  Consolidate key takeaways and prepare for the final-day learning exchange.
Friday 13 November
- 10:00 → 10:10
  
  Welcome & Learning Framing 10m
  
  Set the stage for peer learning and exchange across different learning pathways.
- 10:10 → 10:15
  
  Learning Exchange: "What I Learned & Why It Matters" 5m
  
  Share key module insights and how they apply to academic or professional contexts.
- 10:15 → 10:35
  
  Whole-Group Harvest & Pattern Spotting 20m
  
  Identify recurring themes and connections across different learning experiences.
- 10:35 → 10:45
  
  Break?? 10m
- 10:45 → 10:55
  
  Reflection: "My Next Global Learning Step" 10m
  
  Identify the next global competence skill or learning pathway you want to develop.
- 10:55 → 11:05
  
  Closing, Recognition & Pathways Forward 10m
  
  Recognise participation and explore further modules, badges, COIL and virtual exchange opportunities.

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