Intercultural Theory Meets Lived Experience: Dr. Isaac Nketsiah from UCC Visits H-BRS

The session was highly engaging and prompted active participation. Dr. Nketsiah introduced students to Ghana's ethnic and linguistic diversity, cultural traditions and everyday social practices. Among other topics, he explained the Akan practice of incorporating the day of the week on which a person is born into their name, a custom that reflects the cultural significance of names and identity among Akan communities. Students then worked out their own day names and added them to their name signs, making an abstract cultural concept personally tangible.

The discussion also explored differences and similarities between university life in Ghana and Germany, including student–lecturer relationships and classroom communication. Students learned about Ghana's distinctive figurative coffins, whose designs reflect personal identities, occupations and cultural traditions.

The visit also demonstrated how strategic international academic partnerships can enrich classroom learning through direct cultural exchange. We warmly thank Dr. Nketsiah for his contribution and look forward to welcoming further visiting academics from our partner universities, whose first-hand perspectives enrich our teaching and help students relate cultural theories to lived experience.