Intercultural Train-the-Trainer Course

Supporting professionals in navigating cultural complexity in today's working world

Intercultural collaboration has become a daily reality in many organizations – yet misunderstandings, value conflicts and unspoken assumptions continue to challenge teams, leaders and trainers. The Intercultural Train-the-Trainer Course prepares professionals to design and facilitate learning processes that address these challenges in a structured, reflective and sustainable way.

Globalization has not made intercultural work easier – it has made it more complex. International teams, hybrid collaboration, migration, geopolitical tensions and shifting value systems shape everyday professional interactions. Cultural differences no longer appear only in international assignments, but in project meetings, leadership situations, training rooms and virtual classrooms.

The Intercultural Train-the-Trainer Course is based on a well-established training concept that has been continuously developed over many years in close connection with academic research, professional practice and the realities of adult education. Participants learn how to translate theory into practice, how to work with research-based models, and how to design intercultural trainings that go beyond cultural stereotypes or simplified explanations.

Rather than offering ready-made answers, the course focuses on developing professional competence: understanding cultural frameworks, dealing with ambiguity, facilitating reflection and supporting learners in addressing difference constructively. Graduates of the program are equipped to work as intercultural trainers, facilitators or consultants and to support organizations in developing sustainable approaches to intercultural collaboration.

Who should take this course?

Communicating across cultures and creating inclusive working environments are key topics in adult education, HR development and leadership. Organizations in both the private and public sector increasingly rely on qualified professionals who can design and deliver intercultural learning formats. This course is designed for professionals who want to work with intercultural topics in a structured, research-based and practice-oriented way, including:

• Freelance intercultural trainers, coaches and consultants: Do you want to strengthen your professional profile and demonstrate your training competence to the market – whether at the beginning of your career or as an experienced colleague? This course allows you to document your expertise within a structured and recognized qualification framework.
• Corporate and in-house trainers: You design and deliver trainings within your organization and work with culturally diverse teams, international colleagues or global leadership programs. This course helps you strengthen your methodological competence, reflect on your own training practice and develop intercultural training formats that are aligned with organizational realities.
• Regional experts and consultants: You bring in-depth knowledge of specific regions or cultural contexts and want to translate this expertise into effective training formats. Develop your methodological and didactic skills using a certified quality framework for curriculum design.
• Trainers working with international audiences: Your training topic may not be intercultural communication, but your participants come from different cultural and professional backgrounds. Strengthen your ability to design learning processes that take diverse learning styles and expectations into account.
• HR professionals: You are responsible for culturally diverse teams or international staff development and want to better understand the needs of international employees. Learn how to develop sustainable strategies for intercultural collaboration and learning within organizations.
• DEI professionals: You actively contribute to the development of organizational culture and inclusive working environments. Deepen your understanding of intercultural dynamics and strengthen your ability to design learning formats that support long-term organizational change.

Course Structure

A modular qualification pathway with maximum flexibility

The Intercultural Train-the-Trainer Course follows a modular structure that allows participants to tailor their learning pathway to their professional situation and availability. The course consists of four subject-specific modules that cover the core competencies required for professional intercultural trainers. Participants who wish to obtain certification can subsequently complete an additional certification module with a colloquium.  The modules are offered throughout the year. Depending on the chosen format, modules can be completed as part of the online course or within an intensive program. This structure allows participants to combine learning formats, locations and timelines in a way that fits their professional commitments.

At a glance

• Four stand-alone modules
• Flexible entry – modules can be booked individually and in any order
• Two learning formats: online course or Summer Academy in Tallinn, Estonia
• Languages of instruction: English (German modules available on request)
• Optional certification module in cooperation with BAMIK and DVWO

The modular design ensures a balanced combination of theory, reflection and practical application. Participants receive comprehensive learning materials, including templates and tools that can be directly applied in their own training practice.

Modules and workload

Each module combines guided learning, interactive sessions and self-directed study. Depending on the format, learning takes place through live sessions, structured self-study and practice-oriented exercises.

The workload for each module corresponds to approximately two full training days or 16 teaching units of 45 minutes.

1. Concepts of Culture and the Professional Role of the Intercultural Trainer
2. Methodology & Didactics, Designing Sustainable Intercultural/DEI Trainings
3. Intercultural Conflict Resolution
4. Intercultural Management and HR Development

Flexibility

All modules are offered several times a year and can be completed in any order. Entry into the program is possible at any time. If participation in a scheduled module is not possible, it can be completed at a later date without additional fees. On request, online modules and single modules of the Summer Academy can also be combined, allowing for a highly individualized learning pathway.

Feedback on your training practice

Throughout the course, participants develop and present their own intercultural training concepts. In selected sessions, these concepts are presented to the group and receive structured, practice-oriented feedback from both the instructors and peers.

The focus is on professional reflection, methodological clarity and further development of the individual training profile. Presentations can be recorded upon request and made available to participants for personal review and continued development.

Online Course

You can start right away!

In the online course, we conduct the four modules of the course in weekly meetings on Zoom. In addition, there is extensive learning material on our e-learning platform Diversity Webinars as well as the personal get-together in the three-day colloquium.

Live online sessions (main program)

The main program of the online course consists of four modules, each delivered through four live online sessions. Each session comprises four teaching units and is scheduled on a weekly basis. This results in a total of 16 live online sessions across the core program. Additional live sessions are offered separately for exam preparation and certification and are not included in this section.

Webinars for self-paced learning

Much of the theoretical content is provided as self-paced webinars on our e-learning platform Diversity Webinars. This means that you can work through the content flexibly according to your personal schedule. We regularly publish new content here, which you can use to keep up to date even after you have completed your program.

Scope of the online course

• 64 training units in 16 weekly meetings on Zoom
• 24 training units in the colloquium (face-to-face)
• 6 training units in 3 weekly meetings for exam preparation on Zoom  
• 2 hours of individual coaching
• 20+ hours of material for self-paced learning on Diversity Webinars

Colloquium

The personal encounter and mutual learning with peers are very important for any sustainable train-the-trainer course. Therefore, we offer a special colloquium for the participants of the online course. It is conducted together with the participants of the parallel Diversity Train-the-Trainer Course. Since most of the theoretical instruction takes place online, the colloquium focuses on practical exercises, exchange of experiences, enhancement of methodological skills and the development of the personal profile as a trainer. The colloquium takes place independently of the modules and can be attended at any time. We offer several dates at different locations throughout the year. Participation in the colloquium is a prerequisite for certification by the DVWO.

Summer Academy 2026 in Tallinn, Estonia

Complete the program in a focused, immersive learning setting

Our Summer Academy offers a compact, on-site alternative to the online course and is held in Tallinn, Estonia. It is designed for participants who prefer an intensive learning environment and want to complete all four modules of the Intercultural Train-the-Trainer Course within a short, clearly defined time frame.

Tallinn provides a particularly rich setting for intercultural learning. As a city shaped by different historical, cultural and political influences and located at the intersection of Northern, Eastern and Western Europe, it offers many points of reference for reflection and discussion throughout the program.

The Summer Academy is open to English-speaking participants from different professional and cultural backgrounds. It combines in-depth training with intensive exchange and reflection in a shared learning setting.

Structure of the Summer Academy

During the Summer Academy, all four modules of the Intercultural Train-the-Trainer Course are conducted over two consecutive weeks. The program follows a structured daily rhythm that allows for input, practice, discussion and reflection.

The Summer Academy is offered once per year as a dedicated on-site program.

Dates and organization

The Summer Academy takes place 20–31 July 2026 in Tallinn, Estonia.

Participants are expected to arrive the day before the program starts. Teaching days begin in the morning and follow a full-day schedule. The weekend between the two weeks is free and can be used for individual study, reflection or informal exchange with fellow participants.

The course fee does not include travel and accommodation.

Program overview

Week 1
Monday – Wednesday: Module 1
Wednesday – Friday: Module 2 (shared sessions with participants from the Diversity Train-the-Trainer Course)

Week 2
Monday – Wednesday: Module 3 (shared sessions with participants from the Diversity Train-the-Trainer Course)
Wednesday – Friday: Module 4

Certification after the Summer Academy

Certification does not take place during the Summer Academy itself. After completing the four modules, participants develop a training concept as part of the certification process.

Participants of the Summer Academy are certified together with participants from the online course on several dates throughout the year. Certification therefore does not require a return to Tallinn.

Certification

Demonstrate your expertise with an internationally recognized certificate!

After the course, participants may apply for certification with DVWO, Germany's independent umbrella organization of the adult education industry. Certification takes place in a separate module and, after successful completion of all requirements, our graduates will be awarded with the certificate DVWO Certified Intercultural Trainer (BAMIK).

For each completed module, you will receive a certificate of attendance. Once you have attended all four modules, you are eligible to register for the separate certification module. Participants of the online course must also have attended the colloqium. The certification requirements are:

• development of a training concept for a two-day (16 units) intercultural or diversity training
• presenting a training unit of 45 minutes from your concept in front of a life audiance
• written exam of about 90 minutes

Why DVWO?

Our collaboration with the DVWO guarantees that the certification is conducted by a neutral (!) institution of the German education industry that is widely acknowledged across Europe. The certificate shows that the trainer is able to develop and implement training according to the DVWO's strict quality guidelines.

The DVWO was established in 2002 as a representation for the professional interests of adult educators and is an umbrella organization of professional associations that represent over 10,000 members. The members of the associations within the DVWO are mostly trainers, consultants, and coaches who work regularly as freelancers in adult education. The DVWO unifies approximately 80 percent of Germany’s adult educators. In dialogue with industry, politics and academia, the DVWO participates in the political procedures related to educational topics. As an umbrella organization, one of the DVWO’s central tasks is to shape the conditions under which adult educators pursue their profession.

Dates

Modules 1-4 are offered on a regular basis and can be booked in any order. It is possible to combine online and classroom sessions. If there are parallel sessions (e.g. Monday and Friday), two modules may be taken at the same time. Dates for the exam preparation and certification are not published here, but are arranged with the participants according to demand.

Pricing & Registration

We offer three participation options for the Intercultural Train-the-Trainer Course. All options follow the same curriculum and learning objectives, while differing in format and scope.

• Online course: The full program delivered through live online sessions, self-paced learning on Diversity Webinars and the colloquium. This option is ideal for participants who want maximum flexibility alongside their professional commitments.
• Summer Academy in Tallinn, Estonia: The compact, on-site format that allows participants to complete all four modules in an intensive learning setting over two consecutive weeks.
• Combination package: Intercultural and Diversity Train-the-Trainer Courses: A comprehensive qualification pathway covering both programs, with a total of six modules, offered at a reduced package rate.

	Online course with colloquium and certification	Combination package with Diversity TTT Course (six modules)	Intercultural Train-the-Trainer Course: Summer Academy 2026 (July 20-31, 2026 in Tallinn, Estonia)
Course language	English	English	English
Number of full days (classroom)	3	3	10
Number of online meetings (Zoom)	19	35	3
Total scope (teaching units)	96	128	96
Modules can be attended in any order.	✔	✔	-
You can start your course at any time.	✔	✔	-
Independent working on course content on our eCampus in accordance with participant's schedule.	✔	✔	✔
Certificate	DVWO Certificate	DVWO Certificate	DVWO Certificate
Course Fee VAT-free in accordance with Art. 4, 21, a, bb UStG (German VAT Act).	3,499 US$ *	4,590 US$ *	3,499 US$ *
Registration	sign up	sign up	sign up