Intercultural Experience
Benefits of intercultural experience
International experience is about more than crossing borders and visiting other countries. It’s about the meeting of different people, languages, traditions, values and ways of interpreting the world — international experience is intercultural experience. There are so many wonderful benefits:
- Travelling to a new country builds confidence and expands your comfort zone.
- Learning to connect with people from different cultures leads to quicker adaptation and success in new environments.
- Intercultural competencies will help you manage the challenges of a global workplace.
- International experiences cultivate cultural and interpersonal understanding and help build more effective communication skills.
- Speaking multiple languages builds higher-level cognitive abilities.
The Global Lounge
The Global Lounge Staff organize various events, initiatives and programming to provide meaningful opportunities for international and domestic students, to engage students over the orientation period, and to facilitate global learning and internationalization on campus throughout the year.
For more information, please contact us at global.lounge@utoronto.ca.
Global Ambassador Program (GAP)
The Global Ambassador Program (formerly Exchange Student Network) is for international students who are at the University of Toronto (U of T) for a short term, through the CIE international exchange and visiting program.
How to join
As an international exchange/ visiting student coming to U of T through a CIE program, you are automatically a member of GAP and will be matched with a Global Ambassador.
An invitation to the GAP program will be sent to you after you are admitted to U of T, around August for Fall/ Winter students and April for Summer students.
Intercultural Learning Program
Intercultural learning happens wherever different cultures meet. It’s partly about gaining practical knowledge of the differences and similarities between cultures, but it also goes deeper. It involves discovering how your own cultural identities shape the way you understand and operate in the world, and recognizing culture at work in your everyday experience. Simply immersing yourself in a different culture does not automatically produce intercultural awareness. In reality, it usually depends on a blend of personal motivation and guided learning. The Intercultural Learning Program (ILP) is a way to build your intercultural skills at home or abroad.
iConnect International Mentorship Program
iConnect is an intercultural mentorship program. This means that you will be matched (where possible) with a mentor who is from a different country.
As an iConnect member, you will have opportunities to reflect on your own cultural identity and strengthen your intercultural skills. At monthly meetings, you can connect with other students and with helpful U of T offices. Last year, members played board games, learned to ice skate, attended a stress-management workshop, toured the city and U of T campus, shared meals, sang karaoke, and celebrated the year at our fancy party. All activities focus on intercultural conversations and experiences to help you grow comfortable in your new life in Canada and at U of T!
CIE Language Exchange
Bonjour U of T! Te gusta estudiar lenguas? The Centre for International Experience launched a Language Exchange for all U of T students. If you are studying a language, or just have a general interest in languages, we welcome you!
Volunteer at CIE!
Looking for a way to get involved in the international community at the University of Toronto? CIE's Volunteer Program gives you the chance to help us provide the best services, support and social opportunities for international students during their stay in Canada. Both Canadian and international students are welcome to join!
