THE CAPIRE PROJECT CONSISTS OF FIVE WORK PACKAGES WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE OUTPUTS
WP 1: PROJECT MANAGEMENT
The project leader was responsible for proper budget control and time management using a Gantt chart, which was slightly updated throughout the project. A Budget sheet showed how the budget was structured per WP, activity and partner. During a monthly Zoom meeting of the coordinators of the partner universities (the first contact persons), the progress in achieving the outputs was evaluated, and if necessary, additional measures were decided. There were multiple email contacts. The goal of the project management was to realise the outputs of the other work packages within the timeframe (3 years) and the budget of the project.
WP 2: THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL FRAMEWORK
The objective was to carry out a systematic literature review of the scientific and other publications that deal with the tool (the Culture Simulator), the development it has undergone in the last 50 years, and the various practical and theoretical approaches that were chosen. In short, this research was to acquire up-to-date, comprehensive knowledge of the tool in order to establish the optimal model for the Culture Simulators that we aimed to build. It was important to determine the optimal model so that a uniform and high-quality training tool could be built.
WP2 resulted in the following outputs:
- a theoretical and practical framework and a model
- a scientific paper describing the results of the literature review (including framework)
- a white paper on the project website describing the process of establishing the framework and model
WP 3: CONSTRUCTING THE DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE
The objective of this Work Package was the construction of the digital infrastructure (platform) for the Culture Simulator, in which later the cases for the Simulators could be loaded. That means creating the software for a user-friendly, trouble-free functioning and attractive online training tool. This WP started with determining a programme of requirements. Next, a competent developer was selected (Junior ESIEE from ESIEE engineering school in Paris). After this, the construction of the tool by the developers was supervised, closely following and evaluating all the intermediary and final stages. Finally, the online Culture Simulator platform was delivered and put online.
WP3 resulted in the following outputs:
- an attractive, user-friendly online platform culturesimulation (which can be loaded with case stories) which is functioning online.
- a white paper on the project website reporting on the construction process of the digital infrastructure
WP 4: WRITING THE CULTURE SIMULATORS
The core of this WP was to create the content of the Culture Simulators: to write the cases, the interpretations, the comments, and to explain the deeper cultural background (overarching theme). The cases were to be based on real-life situations on the work floor. So, the WP started with interviewing expatriates about their experiences abroad and their stories were used to write the cases. The cases and the interpretations that were written are discussed with the partner whose culture is involved until both agreed that the story culturally make sense. The Simulators for each country have been translated into English, German, Polish, Italian, French and Dutch.
WP4 resulted in the following outputs:
- 5 complete Culture Simulators (for France, the Netherlands, Poland, Italy and Germany), each consisting of 80 different cases, loaded into the digital platform
- a white paper reporting on the process of writing the Culture Sensitisers
WP 5: VALIDATION AND FINALISING
The Culture Simulators have been tested with students in higher education, in the first place at our own universities. In each country, a number of intercultural teachers outside the university were contacted and invited to test the Culture Simulators with their students. Their experiences and feedback have been used to finalise the tool. The Culture Simulator has been promoted two times at the EURAM and IACCM conferences among cross-cultural scholars and trainers. A final dissemination event (Symposium on Teaching Intercultural Management) was organised at Twente and was attended by around 30 teachers from various universities in the Netherlands and Germany.
The Simulators for each country have been translated into English, German, Polish, Italian, French and Dutch. The Culture Simulator is now released to the public and accessible for free to all.
WP5 resulted in the following outputs:
- Testing of the Culture Simulator on our own students
- Inviting 10 colleagues, cross-cultural teachers, to test the Culture Simulator with their students
- Incorporating the feedback to improve the Simulator
- Organising a dissemination event, the Symposium on Teaching Intercultural Management at Twente (17th September 2025)
- Translating the English cases into the five other languages