University of Applied Sciences, Fulda

Part Two

What is foreign in ICEUS is: ". . . it was not so strictly designed. At first I attended all the classes like I have done at the university, but then I realised that it is not, it is not necessary . . . for my former studies when I had questions I could go to the professors anytime, but now they have strict time. I think it’s only official time for us to talk to him or her, that is also strange."
If the teaching is not done by the professors, it doesn’t look serious enough. ". . . I think it’s not very academic . . . I think I have given more presentations than I have ever made in my life, ha, ha, ha . . . [what irritates is] the loose organisation . . . too many presentations . . ."
Maybe because of skills in the art of adapting, the Chinese interviewee has little problems with the city, ". . . it’s a little bit quiet, but anyway I’m used to it of course . . ."

Uganda

Part One

Uganda belongs to the East African region. As stated by Hofstede, very generally speaking, in this region cultures have relatively high power distance, low individualism; they are highly masculine and low in uncertainty avoidance. These characteristics are, of course, too general, but can provide a rough guideline.
The Ugandan student states: ". . . our education system was kind of like we had to look for the information like on ourselves, so we had to, we were always divided up in groups, and everyone contributed in something . . . everyone had to play their part like in the group . . . you did research . . . group members knew you are active and you contributed . . . they were eager to be in your group and
to give you any information, because they knew that you would give them information too."
The teachers are the authority and they exert their power by setting rules: ". . . some lecturers were mad . . . they were very sensitive about attendance . . . they were really strict and . . . if a lecturer, he noticed that you don’t attend the class or you don’t participate in class, that would, that wouldn’t account some, wouldn’t reflect so good on your test . . ."
Women in a highly masculine society suffer from more discriminations in their relationships. ". . . I personally . . . preferred that the lecturers not know me, because of various reasons, one being a woman . . . in Uganda . . . like there are so many things that can affect your academic performance . . ." The formal facilities to go to in case of problems, such as counselling, are not used and what remains is going back to the group to get the necessary information: ". . . we had a university counsellor, but besides like looking at him and running for cover, not anybody ever, ha, ha, nobody ever, not anybody who has a problem ever went to him that I know . . . so if you’re a first year, you always get in contact with the second years for the same subjects and for social activities . . ."