Cultural diversity refers to the ideological belief that society recognizes, respects, and appreciates people’s cultural presence. This term occurs within groups of people, especially at higher education levels. Diversity at university is crucial for bringing new perspectives, experiences, and skills based on different cultures.
As a student at university, especially at Sampoerna University, you could meet a huge range of cultures. Thus, you need to expand your cultural knowledge by navigating how to build good relationships and communication even with different languages and cultures.
The Multicultural Experience at Sampoerna University
Multiculturalism is when a group of people consisting of members with different cultural backgrounds gather to have equal opportunities. At Sampoerna University, you will meet a range of cultures from all around the world to study.
The campus recognizes the great priority to build strong connections through cultural diversity by adding approaches to study. Through developed study approaches, Sampoerna University produces professional graduates.
The programs include engineering, business, communication, and creative industries with equal priority for each student. Aside from the main programs, you can join student clubs such as the debate community, scientific research club, or business group.
After joining groups within the campus, you will be able to learn about the different mindsets of each country. Diverse cultural exposure to different languages, traditions, and social expectations would expand your ideas, thoughts, and perspectives.
Why Cultural Diversity Matters?
The range of cultures becomes a crucial matter within social communities. Here is why the situation become an important thing for us.
1. Creates a More Inclusive Learning Environment
A classroom or community consisting of people with a range of cultures will build a new inclusive environment. An inclusive environment will make you feel more engaged due to a harmonious blend of races, cultures, and mindsets.
For instance, in a group with limited representation from certain cultural backgrounds, individuals may feel their perspectives are less valued. This can lead to a reluctance to share opinions and ideas, as they fear having their voice disregarded in favor of the majority.
2. Provides Opportunities for Learning and Growth
The embrace of cultural diversity at the university will boost your growth after stereotypes in the world. This situation results in a good relationship among group members to understand and respect people’s perspectives as it is the growth of their knowledge.
3. Prepares Students for the Future
The deeper your cultural knowledge and experience, the easier you will be ready for a career in the future. Your potential to solve problems will work on certain issues with specific perspectives will be your strength.
On the other hand, communication skills acquired after joining communities at the university with a range of cultures will put you at ease when negotiating and discussing in the workplace.
4. Foster Empathy Through Cultural Diversity
The range of culture within a group can train your mental and emotional skills to be more stable and full of empathy. It is necessary to be able to feel other people's emotions to know more about the problem and help them to solve it. Without empathy, you will not be able to understand your colleagues.
Moreover, communication is a key to building strong empathy in the social environment for others. You can learn, listen, and understand people’s positions through communication.
Challenges of Cultural Diversity
Going through the ups and downs is the challenge to face a range of cultures at the university. You will have an organizational attachment issue when diversity isn’t effective in building great connections among group members. To prevent issues keep coming, maintain the communication straight and clear.
This is the challenge since a failure in communication will lead to misunderstanding of certain issues. Listening and understanding people's opinions will make problem-solving easier and avoid bias.
Tips to Navigating Cultural Diversity on Campus
Since the university has become a place where you will face a range of cultures and their challenges, here is how to navigate the diversity of cultures on the campus.
1. Be Open-Minded and Curious
Accepting diversity is the key to embracing a range of cultures that occur at the university. Be open-minded about people’s perspectives and available to receive new knowledge by being curious to show interest in their cultures.
2. Join Cultural Clubs and Organizations
Expand your cultural knowledge by meeting with people in cultural clubs and organizations. Within the group, you can exchange information about each culture and get more cultural perspectives.
For instance, you would know the meaning behind South Korean customs and how their language developed. In return, you can share about your culture and how its perspectives toward certain issues.
3. Be an Active Listener
Listening to others’ stories and perspectives, giving them empathy, and accepting opinions are ways to show your respect for cultural diversity. Being an active listener, you can avoid misunderstanding through gestures and expressions.
4. Learn about Different Cultures
You could learn a new language when expanding your cultural knowledge and it would be your second language. Moreover, you will learn about the norms and etiquette you have to obey in certain countries and regions. This capability would be useful as your strength for your career.
5. Attend Cultural Diversity Events
Get enough of your safe zone and start to expand your experiences through events such as cultural conferences and cultural exhibitions. You can improve your cultural research by learning about specific ethnicity. For instance, you can learn about Moslem culture by attending LDK Syamil at Sampoerna University.
6. Build Relationships with People from Any Backgrounds
An exchange mindset with people from any background would be challenging for you since you might find different perspectives. However, that diversity will bring you intense discussion about culture that would boost your cultural knowledge.
Conclusion
Sampoerna University provides students with great experience of cultural diversity with improved programs such as cultural clubs and organizations. During your study at Sampoerna University, you will deepen your cultural knowledge by challenging yourself to learn and grow with a range of cultures.
With the American standard curriculum, Sampoerna University has been producing 9 out of 10 students to be career-ready before graduation. You can be the one by applying for a two-degree program available with S1 and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona. Build your global study and career with Sampoerna University!
