The Interchange Institute

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The Interchange Institute

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The Interchange Institute is a not-for-profit research and training organization focused on understanding and supporting those who live and work across cultures. We conduct research on the process of intercultural transition, produce publications to assist newcomers to new countries, design and deliver specialized cross-cultural training workshops, and train and consult to professionals in the field.

07/25/2026

Anyone can ask AI to explain culture shock.

So why do organizations still hire intercultural trainers?

Because information was never the hard part.

The hard part is standing in front of a room (in person or on-line) of relocating employees — anxious, skeptical, jet-lagged — and turning concepts into confidence. Reading the room. Adapting to learning styles. Handling the question that isn't in any framework.

That's what we've taught for nearly 30 years, and it's never mattered more.

Our next Crossing Cultures with Competence (CCwC) online Training-of-Trainers cohort begins October 2. Five live sessions. Supervised practice. A complete licensed toolkit. A community of 600+ practitioners. And a pathway to ITEC certification.

Information is everywhere. Expertise isn't.

Learn more — link in comments.

07/21/2026

Before we head into our break for August, we’re gathering one last time for Culture Chat. 🌞

This week’s topic: The Permission to Pause: Rest, Learning Science, and Why August Used to Mean Something.

We’ll explore what the brain actually needs to consolidate learning, how different cultures have protected (or lost) the art of the real break, and whether it’s time to bring it back.

Join us for a reflective, lively conversation. All are welcome.

07/06/2026

🇧🇷 "Tem sempre um jeitinho..." — there's always a little way.

Locked out by a rule that won't budge? In Brazil, that's often where the real conversation begins. The jeitinho brasileiro — "the little Brazilian way" — is the art of the creative, personal, improvised fix: bending the rigid, smoothing the impossible, finding the human path through the red tape.

But is it warm resourcefulness, or rule-bending in disguise? And how do you navigate it without getting lost — or getting it wrong?

Join our next Culture Chat with intercultural trainer Marlon Muraro — a Brazilian who's spent 15+ years living abroad and knows exactly how the jeitinho feels from both sides. We'll decode where it comes from, how to spot it, and how to work with it rather than against it.

Register at https://interchangeinstitute.org/culture-chat

05/21/2026

This Culture Chat, YOU'RE the presenter.

We're spinning things up with Culture Chat Roulette — no slides, no single speaker. Just a culture prompt, a small group to swap stories with, and a share-back where the magic happens.

The word from another language you wish English had? The food that tastes like home? The moment a cultural assumption tripped you up?

Free · Online · Everyone welcome

04/27/2026

Every time I fly back from visiting home, my suitcase is heavier than when I arrived.

A specific brand of biscuits. A jar of something pickled. The chocolate that doesn't taste right anywhere else.

I've started wondering — did I actually pack this bag, or did my culture pack it for me?

04/13/2026

"I don't feel like I can be myself here."

If you've ever heard (or felt) that, you know it's a productivity killer. Human beings are social animals, but when the environment feels unsafe, we prioritize protection over performance.

It’s time to talk about Creating Belonging.

Join us for our next Culture Chat with Alan Headbloom, whose background working with U.S. immigrants offers us an insight into the essence of belonging, who is responsible for the "vibe" of a team and how we can do better.

Register at https://interchangeinstitute.org/culture-chat

03/26/2026

How do you build unshakeable trust and communication in a diverse team? You send them on a quest!

When we think of team-building, we rarely think of 20-sided dice. But in our upcoming culture chat, "Rolling a Natural 20 as an Interculturalist," we are exploring why Tabletop Role-Playing Games (TTRPGs) like Dungeons & Dragons are an incredible, untapped tool for workplace synergy.

Join speaker Eric Davis as he breaks down how collaborative storytelling completely transforms team dynamics.

By stepping into new roles and navigating complex narratives together, teams naturally learn how to:

- Break down communication barriers through shared, high-stakes problem-solving.
- Boost empathy by stepping into new perspectives and practicing active listening.
- Reinforce mutual respect by relying on each member’s unique strengths to overcome challenges.

Curious how you can add TTRPGs to your intercultural toolbox? Join us! No prior gaming experience is required—just bring your imagination.

https://interchangeinstitute.org/culture-chat

03/13/2026

For decades, national culture dimensions - popularised by scholars like Geert Hofstede and Erin Meyer - have shaped how we understand cross-cultural differences. But how useful are they in today's complex, global and hybrid work environments?

In this Culture Chat, Brussels-based culture & inclusion specialist Tamara Makoni will lead us on a critical examination of national culture dimensions: the power they hold for promoting understanding, as well as the ways in which they fall short. Drawing on contemporary research and real-world business examples, she will share alternative lenses through which we can understand culture, and invite you to consider how these can better equip leaders and practitioners to bridge differences and collaborate effectively.

By attending, you'll gain a fresh intellectual perspective as well as practical insight for navigating the complexities in today's world.

03/03/2026

Ever wondered - How did K-pop originate in Korea? Why are there so many Dutch DJs in the DJ top 10? Why could Katy Perry's Firework only have been made in America?

Pop music is often dismissed as entertainment: catchy, disposable, and short lived. But look closer and it becomes one of the richest cultural datasets we have. A country's values, history, tensions, and identity all end up in its music, often without anyone intending it.

Join us for our next Culture Chat with Annette van der Feltz, MSc, PCC where we'll move from Gangnam Style to Bad Bunny's Super Bowl performance, from the Dutch club scene to Bollywood, asking one simple question along the way: what does this sound tell us about where it came from?

You'll leave hearing familiar music in a completely different way.

Culture Chat is free and open to all. New to Culture Chat? Register here > https://interchangeinstitute.org/culture-chat/

02/11/2026

We often train people on how to navigate a new country—language, etiquette, and customs. But what happens when gender norms, power dynamics, and professional identity clash with that new environment?

Many assignees discover that geography is only half the battle. The other half is navigating how who they are intersects with where they are.

Join us for our upcoming Culture Chat: When Culture Isn’t the Only Culture, featuring Dr. Joy Wiggins.

Register at https://interchangeinstitute.org/culture-chat

Address

Brookline, MA
02446

Website

http://www.interchangeinstitute.org/

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