Ever since 1997, the BMW Group has been inviting applications for the BMW Group Award for Intercultural Learning. The Award is divided into two categories, Theory and Practice, and invites academics in many disciplines, including education, to submit qualifying papers and research projects that represent innovative approaches to the advancement of intercultural learning. Entries should be closely aligned to the basic philosophy of the LIFE concept.

In the “Theory” category, we welcome papers submitted by academic researchers anywhere in the world, in any discipline, whose degree dissertations or other types of academic research project demonstrate a new approach to the advancement of intercultural learning and, moreover, are closely aligned to the basic philosophy of the LIFE concept. We particularly welcome innovative ideas in any discipline – from architecture to economics, from agriculture to urban studies, from linguistics to medicine, from education to psychology.

In the “Practice” category, we are looking for examples of innovative projects aiming to promote a better understanding of other cultures, languages or religions that have been realised in schools or nursery schools, as part of a parents’ or neighbourhood initiative, or in any public social establishment, or in connection with extracurricular sporting or cultural activities. We would like to encourage not only private individuals, but also groups and institutions, to enter the competition and present their projects to the international jury.

Prizes will be awarded to the three best practical projects; the jury also reserves the right to award a special prize for “Intercultural commitment”. The purpose of this special prize is to reward a person displaying exceptional commitment who has constantly endeavoured to promote international understanding (e.g. in the context of several projects and initiatives) and has thus rendered outstanding service to the propagation of intercultural learning.

You can find more details on the BMW Group’s website on the Categories, Philosophy and Topics of the award. The deadlines for this year’s application is: October 15, 2007.

中国这个民族是最渴望平等的。然而，我们又特别喜欢特权，甚至每时每刻都会让你体会到特权的存在。走在街上，你不时会看到那些横冲直撞的特别车辆。他们旁若无人，肆意挑战交通规则…

虽然特权在这个世界上到处都是存在的，但在观念上对于什么是特权，如何对待特权等等问题，大家还不尽相同。我们看看一个外国人的观点，看看他谈V.I.P.是什么？：

在我的国家，大家不常用这个”V.I.P“或Very Important Person, 这个单词。基本上VIP只有一个用法。比如说，如果你去体育场看足球，可能有一个好地方，很贵的地方。那儿就是Vip Section或Vip区。

我到中国的时候，我听见很多人说”他是个Vip” 或者 “明天有Vip到我们公司来”。在中国，中国人用这个单词比我们外国人多。中国有Vip医院，在加拿大我从来没听说过了。肯定没有。
为什么有区别吗？

可能是因为在中国有钱的人跟没有钱的人有特别大的区别。在我的国家，虽然也有穷人和富人，但是大部分比较平等的。

这个人是VIP吗？在中国，有钱的人特别有钱，没有钱的真的没有钱。

别忘了，在世界上肯定没有Not Very Important People。大家都很重要。 所以我们都是VIPs。 不管有没有钱， 不管有没有权利，不管你是CEO, 老板，还是服务员…

Respect everyone。

虽然社会是分层的，但“和谐社会”至少应该否定特权对规则的破坏！“尊重所有人”。

According to Hospitality Net on July 19th, 2007, the Center for Hospitality Research (CHR) of Cornell University is “making available to the hospitality industry an intercultural education exercise that was initially developed for its executive education programs and has subsequently been used in college courses and corporate training.” It is in fact a Cocktail Party Simulation in which “participants examine their experience and apply it to their own professional lives”. According to Cornell Professor Daphne Jameson – the simulation developer, participants gain new insights about the following principles of intercultural interaction:

• Cultural values are relative, not absolute;
• Intercultural communication involves emotional as well as rational responses;
• Invisible cultural differences, such as values, attitudes, and beliefs, are more difficult to handle than visible differences, such as manners, customs, and rituals;
• Deciding who adapts to whom—and how—is the greatest challenge in intercultural interactions; and
• Cultural identity is multidimensional, involving far more than nationality alone.

The University has made the simulation tool available for free on the center’s website: Developing Hospitality Managers’ Intercultural Communication Abilities: The Cocktail Party Simulation.