Emory Intercultural Leadership Program encourages cross-cultural understanding and skill-building
Participants in this year’s Emory Intercultural Leadership Program (EILP) recently gathered for the annual leadership retreat, which Ava Havidic described as transformative.
“The EILP leadership retreat allowed me to expand international friendships across schools at Emory,” says Havidic, a second-year student at Emory College of Arts and Sciences. “It was a place of true connection, where vulnerability was welcomed. I was able to actively listen to the stories of those different than me, which will help me shape a better Emory, Atlanta and global community.”
That connection is exactly what the EILP aims to foster. Part of International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS), EILP is designed for both international and domestic students across Emory’s undergraduate, graduate and professional schools.
The EILP is an academic-year-long cohort program that equips participants with a powerful toolkit of global leadership skills and intercultural communication strategies, culminating in a service-learning experience.
“The EILP empowers students to lead with curiosity, empathy and purpose,” says Shinn Ko, assistant vice provost of International Student and Scholar Services. “By encouraging cross-cultural understanding and collaborative learning, the program prepares these student leaders to thrive in and contribute to an increasingly interconnected world.”
At the leadership retreat, students experienced immersive activities like storytelling, listening circles and team building. Intercultural conflict styles were also explored as a way to better understand diverse cultural perspectives and techniques to communicate across differences — tools necessary to lead in intercultural settings.
Through monthly seminars, students strengthen their understanding of emotional intelligence and intercultural effectiveness while engaging in rich, perspective-shifting dialogue. Reflecting on her decision to join the group, Emory College student Camilla Basco shared, “Within the EILP, I hope to build bridges not for the sake of connection alone, but for the new possibilities that can emerge when we cross those bridges together.”
In the spring semester, EILP participants will collaborate on a service-learning project, applying these skills in a real-world context to foster positive change.
“The EILP empowers the next generation of leaders to think globally, act with empathy and lead with purpose,” says Soundharya Kumaresan, a first-year PhD student in the Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences with Laney Graduate School.
To learn more about the program, visit the ISSS EILP page. Follow @EmoryISSS on Instagram for participant spotlights and program updates.
