Student profile: Alexandra Sulz, 21 years old, Environmental Engineering student
Thu: How do you define cultural diversity?
Alex: I would define it as the combination among cultures in society, in a group or an organization.
Thu: Do you think cultural diversity and globalisation are the same?
Alex: They connect with each other; without globalization, it is hard for cultural diversity to be created. But I think globalisation is a bigger thing.
Thu: Which benefits does cultural diversity bring you?
Alex: I love travelling a lot. I enjoy cultural exchanges, and I do a lot of volunteer work via a platform called Workaway. There you can find your host from anywhere and ask to stay with them, help them and learn about their cultures. I always feel happy to get to know new things in life, especially in terms of cultures and traditions. I learn to cook new food, eat with more than forks and knives, wear traditional clothes and more.
Thu: How is your student life connected with diversity?
Alex: I lived in an international WG before, but we felt like family. Everybody shared their culture with me, and I learned a lot from them.
Thu: Do you think COVID-19 has affected cultural diversity since it restricts social contacts and creates more inequality?
Alex: Totally. As an extrovert, I think it is sad to stop travelling and get to know other cultures. I hope that the pandemic will soon be cured so that we could move freely again.
Thu: Do you think digitalisation and technologies help us to bring more cultural diversity?
Alex: I’m not a fan of technologies and social media, but I think it does help bring people from all over the world together. It is just a different experience when you meet a person personally than digitally. However, I still recognize and acknowledge the benefits of virtual networks.
Thu: Thank you so much for your time and effort!
*Note: This interview was done in the form of audio.