Description: Teaching intercultural communication at Christian universities has become both necessary and complicated by increasingly plural and polarized societies and student bodies. When faced with interacting with people from different cultural backgrounds, many students either avoid it, don’t recognize its value, or fail to connect principles of their faith to the practice of living at peace with their ethnic neighbors. This workshop will begin by offering a biblical perspective to understanding intercultural communication so that students understand the ‘why.’ Using concepts from our book, Communicating in Intercultural Spaces (2025), we offer insights, activities, and strategies for facilitating difficult conversations that move intercultural communication from a “required class” to one of the most meaningful experiences of a student’s semester. The presenters bring more than 30 years of combined experience teaching intercultural communication, both in the classroom and in study abroad contexts. Join us for an interactive conversation sharing some best practices and honest mistakes, to inspire and stimulate your approach to intercultural communication.
L. Ripley Smith (PhD, University of Minnesota) is Professor of Intercultural and Media Communication at Bethel University, St. Paul, MN, USA. His areas of expertise include intercultural social support networks and acculturation, and the intersection of faith and culture. Ripley has presented papers, workshops and lectures across the world, including Germany, Singapore, Norway, China, and Uganda. He has also taken student groups abroad for more than 20 years for immersive cultural experiences within Austria, Italy, France, Switzerland, Thailand, Mexico, and Venezuela. His recent publications include Communicating in Intercultural Spaces (Arasaratnam-Smith & Smith, Routledge, 2025), and chapters appearing in Communication Science and Linguistics for Business Administration and Management (Peter Lang, 2023), The Sage Handbook of Intercultural Communication (Sage, 2025), The Handbook of Communication and Culture (Edward Elgar, 2025), and The Handbook of Intercultural Psychology (Edward Elgar, in press). Ripley is a Fellow and President-elect in the International Academy for Intercultural Research. Learn more about Ripley.
Lily A. Arasaratnam-Smith (PhD, Rutgers University) is Vice Provost and Deputy Vice President Academic at Alphacrucis University College, Australia. Her area of expertise is in intercultural communication competence. Lily has taught at universities in the United States and Australia and has conducted intercultural training and presented keynote talks in various countries, including Cambodia, Fiji, Germany, Hong Kong, and The Netherlands. Her recent publications include Developing Intercultural Competence in Higher Education (Arasaratnam-Smith & Deardorff, Routledge, 2023), Communicating in Intercultural Spaces (Arasaratnam-Smith & Smith, Routledge, 2025), and the Handbook on Communication and Culture (Edward Elgar, 2025). Lily is the President of the International Academy for Intercultural Research. Learn more about Lily.
