Key intercultural experiences

During the lecture, I gained insight into the various cultural norms and social values that shape cross-cultural communication. These sessions have encouraged me to reflect on my own cultural biases and approach cross-cultural interactions with empathy and an open mind.

Sarah Gosper, First time at USP (The University of South Pacific, Samoa Campus)

Samoan people spread their culture and pass on their traditional knowledge by telling stories. They are more willing to provide more information or vote for family members or familiar people.

The word matai means chief and is an honour that is bestowed upon someone, have family, civic, political, and religious duties. The role of the matai is very complex and interwoven deep into the fabric of Samoan culture and history. [1]

Visiting the city in my spare time allowed me to immerse myself in the local culture, interact with residents, and broaden my understanding of the cultural fabric of the region. Samoan people are always warm, and friendly.

It is very pitiful to hear that Samoa hasn’t had a mango season for a few months due to climate issues, it was wet and dry seasons but now it is mixed.

One of my observations is that many Samoan girls wear flowers on their heads. They said the left side of the ear meant they were single and the right side meant they were married or in a relationship.

I bought the traditional dress lavalava in the market. It's so beautiful. It consists of a single rectangular cloth worn similarly to a wraparound skirt or kilt.

Those experiences not only enriched my cultural awareness but also facilitated personal growth and a deeper understanding of diversity.

The process of teamwork

I listen carefully to the ideas and perspectives of my team members and contribute my insights and suggestions to the conversation to identify sustainability challenges. We come from different backgrounds, we are studying in different majors, which is beneficial to our cross-discipline studies. We originally talked about an over-reliance on food imports in Samoa. WHO studies have shown that imported foods that are high in calories and poor in nutrition are then more attractive to the local population. [2] This dietary pattern affects health and increases the risk of chronic diseases. Those knowledge combined with practice in those days reshaped our opinions. In the end, our reframed problem is, Samoa's import-heavy diet influences the nutritional well-being of Samoans.

Day 3 at SPREP (The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme) meeting room

Our team member's major:

Biomedical

Business (marketing/management)

Engineering (Software)

Law/Arts (international relations major)

Media and Communication

Science/ Global Studies (Human Rights)

New knowledge and learning

The first week I also learned about the concept of climate finance. According to the Standing Committee of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), climate finance is "financing aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing their sections." [3] Climate finance is conducive to providing the necessary financial support to developing countries in their efforts to strengthen climate resilience to cope with the adverse effects of climate change.

During treated and migratory species interactive sessions at SPREP, we discussed the topic of biodiversity conservation. The management of threatened and migratory species, particularly whales, dolphins, and marine turtles. Pacific habitats and species face threats from overfishing, ocean acidification, climate change and so on. This knowledge is meaningful for me because my hometown is Xiamen, Fujian, China, a coastal city, also facing the problem of marine protection. This knowledge is conducive to my comparative study.

Saleilua, Samoa

Xiamen, Fujian, China

1. Malama Meleisea and Penelope Schoeffel, “Land, Custom and History in Samoa Centre for Samoan Studies,” The Journal of Samoan Studies 5, (2015):22-34, https://doi.org/10.1080/00223344.2022.2058475.

2. World Health Organization. “Small Island States Agree on Bold Action Plans on Non-communicable Diseases and Mental Health,” published June 15, 2023. https://www.who.int/zh/news/item/15-06-2023-small-islands-agree-bold-plan-of-action-on-health-and-climate-crises.

3. United Nations Climate Change. “Introduction to Climate Finance,” published 2024, https://unfccc.int/topics/introduction-to-climate-finance.

​Key intercultural experiences

The process of teamwork

New knowledge and learning

Key intercultural experiences