The ELCI is proud to serve the UAB community as a resource for training on working with persons of a different culture. In addition to training American faculty and staff, we also offer training to international faculty and staff on working with Americans. All training is designed to help improve understanding and communication between cultures.

An ideal way for UAB employees to receive ELCI-led training on cross-cultural communication is to attend our seminars offered through UAB’s Training and Development Office. These seminars are free for UAB employees interested in learning about the various cultural groups represented at UAB facilities. To register, please visit the Training and Development website. Search by "cultural etiquette" or "cross-cultural communication" in the Quick Register section of their site. Seminars are offered periodically throughout the year. Check the UAB Training and Development website or newsletter for dates and times.

If your department or school is interested in the seminars, but Training and Development is not offering them at a convenient time for your group, please contact the ELCI office about organizing a seminar just for your department or office. The ELCI is also working on developing seminars to train UAB employees on cross-cultural communication with ethnic groups not represented below. If your department needs training on a specific culture or country, please contact our office for assistance.

Below are descriptions of the courses available to employees through Training and Development:

Do you work with professionals from another culture in your department? Are you planning to travel overseas for business or work-related experience? Are you planning to host persons from another culture? Do you have difficulty communicating with individuals whose first language is not English? If your answer is yes to any of these questions, then this workshop is designed to initiate you into the principles and theories behind successful cross-cultural communication. This seminar is an excellent introductory or supplementary course to the seminars detailed below.

Do you work with professionals from India in your department? Are you planning to visit India for business in the future? Are you planning to host some special visitors from India? If your answer is yes to any of these questions, then this workshop is designed for you. As a result of the workshop, you will:

Come and start the process of understanding basic cultural do’s and don’ts that will help you show respect and be respected in your interactions with Indians here or abroad.

Do you work with professionals from China in your department? Are you planning to visit China for business in the future? Are you planning to host some special visitors from China? If your answer is yes to any of these questions, then this workshop is designed for you. As a result of the workshop, you will:

Come and start the process of understanding basic cultural do’s and don’ts that will help you show respect and be respected in your interactions with Chinese here or abroad.

Do you work with professionals from Japan in your department? Are you planning to visit Japan for business in the future? Are you planning to host some special visitors from Japan? If your answer is yes to any of these questions, then this workshop is designed for you. As a result of the workshop, you will:

Come and start the process of understanding basic cultural do’s and don’ts that will help you show respect and be respected in your interactions with Japanese here or abroad.

Join other international UAB employees as you learn the etiquette that will enable you to interact with Americans at UAB as your students or mentors and colleagues with respect and appropriateness. In the workshop you will gain: