1. Erik van ‘t Klooster www.getupandgo.nl eklooster@rsm.nl
Dear Rector Magnificus, promoters, committee members, friends, family and colleagues,
In the following 15 minutes, I will provide you with a summary of my thesis: Travel to Learn: the
influence of cultural distance on competence development in educational travel.
The content of my presentation is as follows. First I will introduce the research context. Then I will
state the objectives of my research and the research methods that I have used. Next, I discuss my
findings with regard to the competence framework and cultural distance. Finally, I emphasize my
theoretical contribution and point out the practical recommendations for learning programs in higher
education.
The imperative for my research is the fact that over the past two decades, innovations in transportation
and information communication technology have resulted in an ever expanding global perspective
among people and companies. On the one hand this offers opportunities for international business.
Also, more and more people travel abroad to gain new experiences and get in touch with other
lifestyles. However, this new playing field doesn’t solely offer advantages. The world has also become
much more dynamic, competitive and more uncertain due to international supply chains, global
restructuring, and interdependent markets. This uncertainty doesn’t merely apply to the world of work
and material things but also refers to deeper feelings of uncertainty about who we are and what we can
expect from others (e.g. other cultures). The British sociologist Anthony Giddens uses the term
ontological security / insecurity to describe this phenomenon.
Educational institutes play an important role in preparing students for this new reality. One way of
doing this is for students to engage in educational travel experiences. Indeed, over the past two
decades increasing numbers of students participated in study abroad programs, study tours,
international internships and relatively new short-term programs such as international research
projects. Yet, at the same time, globalization seems to have reduced some of the traditional benefits of
educational travel, as the challenge of adapting to a different cultural environment has become easier
than it has been in the past. Equally, there is a need to reconsider the competencies that educational
travel should develop, as there is a noticeable shift towards pointing out the professional relevance of
these experiences. The aim of this research is to work towards a competence framework and
investigate how the learning of competencies is related to overcoming cultural distance. Based on
these findings, implications for learning programs are formulated.
My research objective is to provide a foundation to support decision-making in higher education. In
order to do so the following research questions are answered in my research.
1. What competencies are developed during educational travel?
2. How is the learning of competencies influenced by cultural distance?

2. Erik van ‘t Klooster www.getupandgo.nl eklooster@rsm.nl
3. What are the practical implications for educational institutions?
Answering these questions is relevant for different actors related to higher education, for the following
reasons:
1. Educational institutes will be able to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the learning
experience.
2. Students are better able to articulate their learning experiences to recruiters.
3. The industry benefits from students with more international and profession-related work
experience.
4. From a government perspective, students are better prepared for an uncertain, international
society.
To answer my objectives, I have used the following research methods in my dissertation. First, I
did an extensive literature research on competence learning during educational travel to build a
conceptual framework. Because there is little consensus among scientists in this field, I have also
used insights from other research fields such as management, learning and expatriate literature. I
then explored this model empirically for both the international internship and the "International
Research Project". On the one hand this is a quantitative study covering 967 surveys filled out by
international internship students. On the other hand it involves qualitative research: a content
analysis of 116 evaluation reports of participants in the International Research Project.
The combination of the literature study and empirical research has resulted in the following
competence framework, consisting of three components: Cross-cultural competencies,
management competencies and personal development.
Regarding cross-cultural competencies, we can make a distinction between relationship and
perception aspects, similar to the popular visualization of culture as an iceberg. Immediately
visible at the surface, are relationship competencies such as business etiquette, foreign language
skills or factual cultural knowledge. The less visible part relates to perceptual competencies, such
as understanding cultural values that form the basis for behavior. For example, values related to
hierarchy, individualistic or collective cultures.
For management competencies, a similar division can be made. First there are technical
competencies which include factual, codified and procedural knowledge. Second, there are
competencies which are more difficult to define such as problem solving and collaboration.

3. Erik van ‘t Klooster www.getupandgo.nl eklooster@rsm.nl
Finally, I define personal development based on (1) more behavior-related competencies such as
independence and flexibility, and (2) perception and reflective competencies such as self-
awareness and an expanded worldview.
Regarding the concept of cultural distance, this study shows that cultural differences are still
obstacles in the context of international business and more specifically in the context of
educational travel. Students experience greater cultural differences when they travel to low-
income countries or countries characterized by high power distance and collectivism. Here, you
can think of Asia, Africa and parts of Catholic Europe or South America. These students have to
put more effort in acquiring cross-cultural competencies.
In addition, my research confirms that:
1. Students learn a considerable amount of competencies in educational travel.
2. The learning process is sometimes hampered by:
 A lack of realistic judgment.
 The short duration of the experience.
 The retreat into an "expat bubble".
 Moderate working conditions.
3. A better support structure would help students to get more out of their experience
abroad.
Regarding this last point, my practical recommendations for educational institutions in particular
emphasize the importance of reflective learning, in order to:
1. Measure the progression made with respect to the different competencies.
2. Understand initial vague concepts such as underlying cultural values.
3. Asses the learning process in a more realistic way.
4. Apply new insights into the familiar ‘home country’ surroundings.
Thank you for your attention.
For more information:
Erik van ‘t Klooster
Puntegaalstraat 45
3024 EB Rotterdam
The Netherlands

4. Erik van ‘t Klooster www.getupandgo.nl eklooster@rsm.nl
Telephone: +31654386822
Email: eklooster@rsm.nl
Website: www.getupandgo.nl