Towards Understanding Cross-Cultural Awareness Development Through Security Partnerships Programs: An Exploratory Case Study Examining the PASS Program
Open AccessTumultuous global security challenges face the world, and increasingly multicountry partnership institutions have assumed the burden of preparing leaders to address these challenges. One aptitude critical for leadership success is cross-cultural awareness (CCA); however, insufficient research has explored how a global partnership institution fosters the development of CCA in global security leaders. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how a global partnership institution, The George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies (GCMC), fosters the development of CCA in global security leaders in its Program for Applied Studies (PASS). Thematic analysis of archival documents and interviews with 12 PASS participants revealed a number of findings. First, PASS engaged with characteristics that learners brought with them to the program, including curiosity for learning, open-mindedness, and tolerance and respect. PASS achieved outcomes that built on those characteristics, helping learners develop skills in global networking, team-building, listening, cross-cultural engagement, and situational awareness. Finally, findings revealed that PASS coordinated program and extracurricular activities to foster learning and balance local and global perspectives. Taken together, the findings indicate that diverse social and cognitive experiences, such as those in PASS, generate CCA through experiential learning. Findings offer insights for practice as well, suggesting that program content and process must be managed to achieve CCA as a means to achieve a global perspective and develop the skills needed to engage in culturally aware and responsive ways in global security.
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