Students discuss intercultural communications in the FIFA World Cup 2022 context at Texas A&M at Qatar class
Published Jan 15, 2023
Undergraduate engineering students at Texas A&M University at Qatar recently studies how cultural perceptions and perspectives are impacted, and how intercultural communication contributed to the recently concluded FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 tournament. As part of their coursework for an intercultural communications class, the students explored and analyzed the different elements for communications at several of the group stage matches.
The course, taught in a compressed format during the winter break, included two weeks of study abroad at the home campus in College Station, Texas, USA, and one week of classes in Doha. During a World Cup watch party held at the main campus, the students presented posters of the different World Cup stadiums and spoke about how Qatar was ready to host the global tournament.
During their final presentations, the students highlighted that intercultural communication can be made easier when there is a common goal: football in this case. All the presenters stressed the importance of open-minded communications to understand different cultures and values, and the need to be tolerant to the mistakes that may occur due to the lack of understanding of a specific culture.
Maryam Al Mannai, an electrical engineering student said, “Being part of the Study Abroad program, and in particular showcasing Qatar’s efforts for making the World Cup a success was a fascinating experience. I felt very proud to showcase my country, and my culture, and to give first-hand accounts of life here. Being in the College Station campus allowed us to meet people from different cultures and backgrounds, and to learn from each other.”
Mohammed Alassi, a petroleum engineering student at Texas A&M at Qatar, said, “We were able to have several cultural experiences including a Thanksgiving lunch, which helped broaden our understanding of the different traditions and customs. The class helped us understand that communication isn’t always direct, we also need to understand the nuances of the communication to avoid misunderstandings. I was also grateful for the opportunity to showcase Qatar without the biases that western media has shown.”
The intercultural communications course focused on communication variables in intercultural contexts including culture and meaning, nonverbal styles across cultures, patterns of symbolic transfer, culture shock and communication, and values in intercultural dialogue.