Lauder Intercultural Ventures
Lauder Intercultural Ventures (LIVs)
The Lauder Intercultural Ventures (LIVs) provide an opportunity to road test earlier lessons on intercultural leadership in the context of a week-long off-site immersion and related pre-departure academic work. Each LIV, led by a faculty member, focuses on a theme relevant to the site’s historical, social, political, economic, and/or cultural context. LIVs are scheduled during Fall and Spring break, and each student will enroll in two LIVs throughout their two years at Lauder. A LIV combines academic and experiential learning activities, and thus has contextual knowledge objectives (such as learning about environmental issues, consumption habits, religious studies, etc.) as well as field-based exercises and leadership development opportunities.
Spring 2023 LIVs
Peru
Global Heritage, Desert Cities and Living Legacies
Peru
Peru boasts one of the greatest archaeological and heritage landscapes in the world, as well as a vibrant and complex array of cultures, communities, and socio-economic challenges. This LIV focused on diverse historic sites in their current setting from urban Lima to coastal pyramid complexes, examining issues of tourism, environment, development, colonialism, and rights. Students learned about these sites within the context of how UNESCO’s World Heritage program, Peru’s own Ministry of Culture, heritage NGOs, and community driven initiatives are crafting Peru’s national image as a major heritage destination. Students were asked to consider how heritage places are entangled with issues of national branding, ethical business development, the role of extractive industries, conflict and resettlement, and the potential for community benefits. This LIV brought together global forces and local outcomes in the context of Peru, providing lessons that can be applied internationally.
In geographic terms the LIV was based in the capital Lima moving north to Chiclayo, the ancient Moche heartland. In Lima, students visited the Archaeological Sanctuary of Pachacamac, the Larco Museum, and De la Puente’s colonial mansion. The group then followed the Moche Route, a tourist destination promoted by the Peruvian government, beginning in the city of Trujillo that once was the seat of power of the Moche culture known as The Temples of the Sun and the Moon. Other sites explored included Chan Chan, Túcume, Señor de Sipán with its golden treasure, El Brujo and the pyramids of the Sun and Moon. This route is today marketed by ministries of culture and trade for its beautiful beaches, diverse gastronomy, as well as its deserts, pyramids, mummies and museums with breath-taking objects of gold and precious stones. The LIV concluded with a trip to the Historical Centre of Callao, the most important port of Peru since colonial times and recently transformed by contemporary artists into a modern and pop art hub.
Kenya
Education for Transformation, Transforming Education
Kenya
The role of education in individual and societal transformation is evident, however, calls for changes in education have been a stable part of the history of post-colonial Kenya. Various stakeholders and communities in Kenya frequently debate the extent to which education enables upward socioeconomic mobility, and advances equity in society. Participants in this LIV explored how these issues are at play in the discourse and everyday activities of scholars, practitioners, and students. Kenya has received accolades from the World Bank and UNESCO for progress towards increasing access to education and school enrollment rates – including its attainment of 100 percent transition from elementary/primary to secondary school. The LIV used this as a starting point to trace the last two decades of educational transformation and examine challenges associated with the implementation of educational reform such as the competency-based curriculum aimed at improving quality and appropriateness of education. Particular attention was devoted to the history and contemporary reality of how politics, financing, sponsorship, philanthropy, values, staffing, and questions of equity have influenced education in Kenya.
While in Kenya, participants met with key education experts and transformative leaders to learn about innovative strategies that are advancing formal education as well as learning in the areas of youth and gender empowerment, natural resource and environmental conservation, gender equality, democracy, peace, and human rights.
Thailand
Buddhist Material Culture and Magic
Thailand

Students observed how Buddhism in Thailand can be all three – philosophy, religion, and a way of life. Students also explored how the material and ritual aspects of Buddhism are an integral part of everyday life. Buddhist materials — like statues of the Buddha, other Buddhist deities, even Hindu deities, Buddhist monks, Buddhist kings, alongside Buddhist amulets, talismans, and yantras, as well as embodied materials like sacred Buddhist tattoos or magical diagrams inscribed on taxi cabs and buildings, and spirit houses, too — are ubiquitous.
The geographic focus of the LIV was situated in the capital region of Bangkok. The LIV included a guided tour of an amulet market and the Buddhist products district, temple visits, and meetings with monks, including one who specializes in Buddhist astrology and oracle cards. Students also participated in a one-day meditation retreat, to juxtapose the material culture with the Buddhist soteriological goal. Students met with guest lecturers including Sulak Sivaraksa, a socially engaged Buddhist activist who was twice nominated for the Nobel peace prize.
In talks, discussions, and guided visits, students learned how Buddhist objects are inseparable from Buddhist practice in Thailand, even for those practitioners who claim to focus only on meditation, scriptures, or philosophy of Buddhism. These objects connect the sangha (Buddhist clergy) with the laity, demonstrating their symbiotic relationship. Without these Buddhist material things, and without the “consumption” of these things, there would be no Buddhism.
Tunisia
Insights into the Arab Spring
Tunisia
When a street vendor from the remote town of Sidi Bouzid in southwestern Tunisia immolated himself in December 2010 to protest against the harsh conditions of his life and the indifference of the authorities to his predicament, he inadvertently ignited a powder keg of discontent that had been building up for several months. The conflagration of protests quickly spread throughout the country, leading to the fall of the Ben Ali regime, and the flight of President Ben Ali to Saudi Arabia in January 2011. When other peoples of the region saw Tunisians get rid of their dictatorship, a deeply entrenched regime that was once thought to be unshakable, they were inspired to rise against their own autocratic governments.
This wave of upheavals quickly spread throughout the MENA region, including Egypt, Syria, Yemen, Bahrain, Libya, Morocco and Jordan. These protests were met with different responses, ranging from brutal repression (Syria, Yemen, Bahrain, Libya) to strategic concessions (Jordan, Morocco); some regimes fell when they could not control the protests, leading to elections and new constitutions (Tunisia, Egypt). Twelve years later, the MENA region is totally transformed as a result of these events; different countries have followed different paths and reached varied outcomes, for the most part different from what they had aspired to in 2011.
The analysis of this period raises a number of interesting questions: What is the balance sheet of twelve years of revolution? Is the Mena region experiencing revolution fatigue? What are the implications of the new “New World Order” on MENA democratic transitions? What is the role of external actors and also of women as actors and stakeholders? Is democratic transition possible without economic decline?
Tunisia, the cradle of the Arab Spring, an Arab / Muslim / African / Mediterranean country with a three-thousand-year history at the crossroad of many cultural influences, presented an ideal vantage point to study and investigate these questions.
Past LIVs
India
Cities of Tomorrow, Blueprints of Yesterday
India

Cities of Tomorrow, Blueprints of Yesterday
This LIV engaged with the central question of how cities and spaces with illustrious premodern histories and visible pasts contend with the opportunities and challenges of imagining new urban futures. It explored India’s urban heritage and architecture – what might have been involved in building them and maintaining them over time, and how their significance has changed for patrons, visitors, and citizens over the generations. In a parallel set of readings and questions raised throughout the LIV, students explored how different constituencies in contemporary India maintain, celebrate, or reject particular aspects of the rule of law, city and urban planning, the politics of municipal governance, and the contentious histories of medieval architecture. Which social groups might typically be invested in preserving particular visions of an urban future, and who might be keen to challenge those visions? Questions were explored of how and why monuments from several centuries ago, urban heritage including old walled cities, dilapidated forts and palaces turned into luxury hotels, and other contentious urban forms have become flashpoints for debates about India’s present, as well as how India should manage its enormous diversity of cultures, religions, and socio-economic classes. This LIV also examined the role of institutions, ranging from government bodies like planning authorities to private organizations, and commercial real estate developers to citizens themselves.
While the geographic focus was Delhi, its neighboring areas, Agra and Udaipur, the historic focus spanned the twelfth century to current times. During the LIV, students visited heritage landmarks of architectural significance, analyzed the multiple city sites of India’s capital Delhi, and interacted with those directly involved in transforming the urban fabric of India’s dense metropolitan settlements.
Switzerland
Living Sustainability
Israel

Living Sustainability
This LIV explored Switzerland’s dedication to sustainability in various aspects of daily life, education and business. The country as a whole as well as several of its major cities consistently rank at or near the top of various global sustainability surveys, and Swiss residents enjoy some of the highest living standards and life expectancies in the world. During this LIV, students learned about the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) and how these goals can be reached. It explored various approaches to achieving the SDGs, for example, by limiting CO2 emissions, reducing energy consumption, using renewable energy sources, enhancing the circular economy, sourcing of alternative raw materials for the industry, and preserving and increasing urban green spaces and forested areas. One of the key questions posed to students was how sustainability measures can be applied to the entire country and to some of the largest companies in the world. During the LIV, students visited various key sites to illustrate that sustainability measures can and will lead to competitive advantages rather than economic disadvantages. In discussions, talks and guided visits, students explored how sustainability is deeply rooted in Swiss culture, how residents are genuinely connected to nature, and how education from Kindergarten to University plays a crucial role in promoting the value of a clean and healthy environment. Students also learned why the Alps are experiencing an increase in temperature that is twice that of the global average, why actions to protect the residents are so important, and why extraordinary investments are required to enhance the safety of mountain communities. Moreover, government policies and measures taken by the private industry, often in tandem, are crucial in promoting responsible behavior in all aspects of life and business, in enhancing the appreciation of the fragility of our planet, and in increasing the resilience of the population.
Senegal
Muslim Civil Society and Peace Making
Senegal

MUSLIM CIVIL SOCIETY AND PEACE MAKING
Senegal is one of the rare Muslim-majority countries where Sufism (mystical Islam) remains dominant. It is also the sole West African nation to have enjoyed continued civilian rule and peaceful transfer of power since acquiring independence in 1960. This LIV explored how Sufi Muslim civil society has contributed to establishing peace and social cohesion in post-colonial Senegal. The group focused primarily, but not exclusively, on exploring the role and influence of the Cadre Unitaire, a civil society organization founded recently by Muslim intellectuals to promote peace and political stability in Senegal. The Cadre has emerged as an effective peace maker as its role in ending the violent political protests that shook Senegal’s cities last March demonstrates. During the LIV, students met with the founders of the Cadre Unitaire to learn about their motivations in founding this organization, their goals and strategies, with special attention to the Cadre’s intervention during the March disturbances. Students also met with other civil society stakeholders, particularly those engaged in peace building. In addition to engaging civil society organizations in Dakar, students met the leadership of Senegal’s two largest Sufi orders, the Muridiyya and the Tijaniyya, in their holy cities of Tuubaa and Tivavouane.
Israel
Consumption, Innovation, and Diversity on the World Stage
Israel

CONSUMPTION, INNOVATION, AND DIVERSITY ON THE WORLD STAGE
This LIV explored how diverse people and organizations in Israel contribute to the global economy, develop ties to world markets, and cultivate local identities built upon understandings of history and links to the landscape. The program focused on consumption styles, local markets, and innovations as they relate to the country’s food sector. During the venture, students visited markets, restaurants, research centers, and businesses and meet experts in many fields. Talks and activities covered innovations in agriculture and bioengineering; the evolution of cuisines through the integration of local, regional, and global food cultures; the impact of religion on dietary practices; the role of food in shaping “gastronationalism” and forms of “culinary diplomacy;” and the significance of food as an arena for competition, collaboration, and exchange between Israel and other countries. Students emerged with a greater awareness of Israel’s diverse Jewish and non-Jewish communities. Participants learned, too, about non-citizen inhabitants, including recent refugees from Eritrea and Sudan, and guest workers from countries like Thailand, many of whom work in food-service positions in restaurants and cafés, or on farms.
The study of food and foodways illuminate modern and contemporary migrations and trade networks. Participants saw, for example, how Jews with connections to Iraq and India popularized amba, a mango chutney sometimes served with falafel, while others brought the hot sauce called zhug out of Yemen; or how migrants from central Europe brought the pastry known as hamantaschen (associated with the holiday of Purim), but over time swapped fillings made from poppy seeds or dried apricots for newer ingredients ¬like chocolate, made from beans imported from West African countries like Ghana. Students also became aware of how tensions regarding Israeli-Palestinian and broader Israeli-Arab affairs have involved debates over foods like hummus, and how concerns about “McDonaldization” tie the rise of industrial fast food to globalization and various forms of soft power.
Poland and Hungary
In or Out of Europe?
Poland & Hungary

IN OR OUT OF EUROPE?
Borders have shifted frequently in European history, with massive repercussions. Today, the European Union’s eastern boundary separates the mostly prosperous and secure nations of Central Europe from those perched precariously outside looking in. Yet, Poland and Hungary, two of the most successful economies in the region, have elected and re-elected populist governments that question the very nature of the European Union (EU) integration project, from which both have benefited greatly. Meanwhile, Moscow asserts its own “zone of privileged interests” in neighboring countries, such as Belarus and Ukraine, creating a dramatic tug of war between Russia and the West that some liken to a new cold war. This LIV explored the nature of the European project and its boundaries in their geopolitical, economic, religious, cultural, architectural, and historical dimensions.
The trip started in Warsaw, the capital of Poland, a regional power and arguably the most successful economy to emerge from communist rule in 1989. The group studied with executive MBA students at University of Warsaw, learned the geopolitics of Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia with leading Polish experts, and visited the Eastern gateway city of Lublin to explore the extensive Ukrainian immigration to Poland which included hearing a church perspective on Europe from the Catholic University. En route to Budapest, the group made brief stops in Poland’s beautiful second city of Krakow, the magnificent Orava Castle in Slovakia that has guarded trade routes between Poland and Hungary since the 13th century, and the ancient Slovak/Hungarian/German mining city of Banska Bystrica. In Budapest, a self-professed “illiberal” democracy, the group explored Hungary’s highly divided society by soliciting both pro- and anti-government perspectives on the meaning of Europe and by visiting controversial cultural monuments over which these perspectives frequently clash. The LIV also explored the meaning of European economic integration, business practices, and media conditions in a semi-authoritarian system.
India
Architecture as Material Culture
India

ARCHITECTURE AS MATERIAL CULTURE
This LIV explored India’s monuments and architecture as material culture – what might have been involved in building them and maintaining them over time, and how their significance has changed for patrons and spectators over the generations. What were the architectural precedents for some of the monuments visited? What kinds of materials were used, and how were buildings on this scale financed? Why did so many Islamic buildings in medieval India incorporate elements of Hindu design and objects from older Hindu buildings? How should we interpret instances of iconoclasm when we encounter it? And, how should we respond to claims of iconoclasm when it might not have occurred in historical fact? While the geographic focus of the LIV was the region around Delhi and its neighboring states of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, the historic focus spanned the 12th century to current times. During the LIV, students visited heritage landmarks of architectural significance and comprehended their political and cultural significance in their own time.
In a parallel set of readings and questions raised throughout the duration of this LIV trip, the immersion also explored how different constituencies in contemporary India maintain, celebrate, or reject particular aspects of its monumental heritage. The group explored which social groups might typically be invested in preserving and celebrating particular monuments, and which others might be invested in challenging that celebration. For instance, why have monuments from several centuries ago become flashpoints for debates about India’s present? The LIV also examined the role of institutions like the governmental organization, the Archaeological Survey of India, and private organizations, both salaried and volunteer, like the Aga Khan Foundation and the Indian National Trust for Architecture and Cultural Heritage (INTACH).
Botswana
Closing Health Gaps through Partnerships?
Botswana

A decade ago, Botswana, located in Southern Africa, was at the epicenter of the global HIV crisis and faced a prevalence rate of over 25% among people 15-49 years old. Despite resource constraints and a high demand for health services, Botswana drastically improved HIV health outcomes and in the process developed its health systems following international standards. This LIV explored health care in Botswana as a case study in understanding global health. The LIV examined the relationship of Botswanan health care to social, cultural, economic, political, and spacial (rural-urban) factors, as well as the roles of the state, private sector, non-governmental organizations, and universities in health care. It investigated relational dynamics and sustainable international partnerships. Drawing on the networks of the Botswana-University of Pennsylvania Partnership, the group met with Ministry of Health officials, engaged in intercultural communication, and discussed health policy with graduate students from the University of Botswana in the capital Gaborone.
Cuba
A Society and an Economy in Transition
Cuba

A SOCIETY AND AN ECONOMY IN TRANSITION
This LIV was designed to understand, analyze and reflect on the realities of contemporary Cuban society and economy. Students learned about the forces that gave rise to the revolution of 1959; the role of Cuba in international relations; and, the changes of ‘the Revolution” since the so called “Special Period” in the 90s until the current administration of President Miguel Diaz- Canal. During the LIV, students met with scholars and Cuban foreign policy leaders to discuss Cuban-US relations and the current process of economic reform. Students also met with local entrepreneurs and business owners to discuss the private sector in Cuba and the challenges of doing business. Lastly, students interacted with artists and attended short performances to reflect on the social impact of Cuban arts education. The group visited different neighborhoods in Havana to compare and contrast diverse communities and cultures, as well as rural areas to learn about Cuba’s geography, history, social and economic conditions, and the impact of tobacco and tourism industries in the area.
Click here to read about a Lauder student’s experiences in Cuba during an LIV.
I had been to Cuba numerous times before returning with Cultural Ventures. Nonetheless, experiencing this complex and crazy country along with Lauder students, alumni, and professors and interacting with such an interesting array of Cubans was an unparalleled opportunity. All Lauder alumni should try a Ventures program!
-Nancy Kail, Class of ’89
Denmark and Estonia
Entrepreneurial Economies of the Baltic Backwaters
Denmark and Estonia

ENTREPRENEURIAL ECONOMIES OF THE BALTIC BACKWATERS
This LIV explored the questions: Why does Denmark rank as one of the world’s best environments for doing business? Why is Estonia a startup paradise? Students experienced entrepreneurship in action by comparing and contrasting economies of business across two of the most vibrant countries in the European Union. Students learned how Denmark has established itself as one of the world’s leading entrepreneurial economies, including a focus on cultures of commerce, the ebb and flow of high capital investments, the rapid adoption of cutting-edge technology, and a growing professional workforce. Compare how Estonia’s advanced entrepreneurship policies, especially its progressive e-residency program, have enabled digital nomads, freelancers, and entrepreneurs from all over the world to get access to resources around company formation, banking, payment processing, and taxation. Discussions will also debate to what extent each country’s topographical features and geographical location have made certain kinds of business environments possible. For example, can Denmark’s advanced industrial peninsula and vast archipelago of 443 islands be productively compared to the striking biodiversity of Estonia on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea? What about the nature of politics and policies that have affected cultures in both countries? Through a series of firsthand experiences, including company tours, exchanges with local academics, and interactions with businesses at various stages, this LIV is all about entrepreneurship in action.
Listen to a Lauder student’s experience on this LIV by clicking the image below:
LIV Application
Students will be asked to apply for a LIV that focuses on a theme of greatest interest to them. The Institute aims to meet student interest, but cannot guarantee first choices. Students will submit an application for participation in which they provide first, second, and third LIV choices and submit an application essay. Criteria for LIV assignments are: the quality of the academic rationale and the availability of slots. Once a LIV has been assigned, students will sign an agreement that commits them to participating in all the planned activities related to the LIV and to follow the policies. After signing the agreement, students cannot change their LIV.