BIP Sustainable Business Development and Intercultural Communication

This course is aimed at students at a Bachelors or Masters level interested in intercultural teamwork and business sustainability organized by Université Côte d’Azur in collaboration with Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences, Technical University of Košice, University of Genoa and external business stakeholders.

 

Please be aware that your home university may set a different application deadline depending on their internal selection process.

Registration dates 03 November 2026 08 February 2027
Course dates 24 May 2027 28 May 2027
Registration is open
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BIP Sustainable Business Development and Intercultural Communication

Course Content

Virtual Component:

  • An asynchronous task (given 1/04/27) that needs to be submitted to Moodle course by all incoming BIP student participants by 15/04/27.
  • Kick-off synchronous 2-hr Zoom class on 22/04/27 (14:00 -16:00 CET)

Physical Component: Mon – Fri

Monday, students will meet the commissioner ( sustainable local company) who will introduce the real -life business task. During the week the students, working in mixed intercultural teams of 6, will have input each morning (including workshops on: intercultural communication, team building, UN SDGs, su stainable business development, business lab tools, presentation skills) and then time to work with their team on the commissioner’s task under guided supervision. Their final work will be presented back to the commissioner on Friday with both business and language/communication feedback.

Approx schedule: 9:00 – 12:00 and 13:00 -16:00

Learning Outcomes

Following this course, students will be able to:

  • Understand key principles of sustainable business and responsible management;
  • Analyse sustainability challenges through the specific context of a local business;
  • Work effectively in multicultural and international teams;
  • Communicate, negotiate and solve problems across cultural differences;
  • Respond to a real -world business brief set by a local commissioner;
  • Produce the required task -based deliverables collectively develop practical, sustainable and commercially realistic solutions;
  • Present and defend recommendations in an international professional context.

 

The course will combine sustainable business thinking with intercultural teamwork and communication, using a real local sustainable business challenge as the central

Requirements

  • The BIP is open to Bachelor’s and master’s students from a range of academic backgrounds. No specific prior knowledge of sustainable business is required; however, participants should be motivated, open -minded and willing to collaborate actively in an intercultural environment.
  • A minimum good B1 l evel of English is required, and students should be willing and able to communicate, exchange ideas and participate fully in teamwork and project activities in English.

Virtual Component

The virtual component will run from 1 April to 22 April 2027. Students will complete an asynchronous preparatory task focusing on sustainable business values and intercultural communication, to be submitted by 15 April 2027. This activity will introduce key concepts, encourage reflection on cultural perspectives, and prepare participants for the collaborative work undertaken during the BIP. The virtual phase will conclude with an online kick-off meeting on 22 April 2027, during which students and teaching staff will meet, review the project objectives and organisa tion, and prepare for the physical mobility.

Topics covered will include:

  • UN Sustainable Development Goals
  • Sustainable Business Principles
  • Eco-tourism and Responsible Tourism Practices
  • Intercultural Communication and Teamwork
  • Preparation for the Business Challenge

Physical Mobility

*Please note the schedule may change slightly to suit the commissioner working under real world business constraints.

Day 1 (Monday)

Morning

  • Introductions: Ice-breaking and team building activities. Student/staff co-created cultural fair.

Afternoon

  • Meet the commissioner and understand the task. Q&A with supervisors. First ideation.

Day 2 (Tuesday)

Morning

  • Workshop: Exploring the UN SDGs Workshop: Intercultural self-awareness and teamwork

Afternoon

  • Field Visit: company/local area to understand cultural/business context. Building ideation.

Day 3 (Wednesday)

Morning

  • World Café seminar: Exploring meanings and perspectives
  • Talk/Q&A: business development

Afternoon

  • Input: Business lab Tools
  • Guided project work

Day 4 (Thursday)

Morning

  • Workshop: Working Interculturally Workshop: Presenting confidently using English as a lingua franca

Afternoon

  • Input: Creating presentation visuals
  • Guided project work

Day 5 (Friday)

Morning

  • Business Forum: f inal team presentations and r eporting back to the commissioner plus feedback

Afternoon

  • Adjourning the project
  • Networking

Application Process

Please contact your Ulysseus Local Mobility Officer. Feel free to reach out to them with any questions. They will manage the selection process internally.

Professors

  • Zenna Marshall – Université Côte d’Azur, France
  • Catherine May – Université Côte d’Azur, France
  • Ana Dimkar – Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences, Finland
  • Pia Kiviaho -Kallio – Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences, Finland
  • Niina Moilanen – Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences, Finland
  • Laura Santini – University of Genoa, Italy
  • Ľudmila Bartóková – Technical University of Košice, Slovakia
  • Manuela Raisová – Technical University of Košice, Slovakia

More information