Being curious and continually learning helps nurture relationships and cultural understanding

Jeffrey is an active member of our IDP Partnerships Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Employee Resource Group. He arranges cultural infusion activities and shares learnings in our global community. His passion for greater cultural understanding is making an impact across our Employee Resource Group community, and beyond. We talked with Jeffrey about his passion and learnings around cultural heritage:

Jeffery, you’ve been a champion of cultural awareness, where does that come from?

“I have a strong interest in learning about culture, understanding change and continuity and finding similarities and differences across cultures. In Hong Kong, I served as a volunteer docent (guide) at heritage sites for overseas visitors. During my master studies in Europe, I worked on the promotion of a Cultural Route of the Council of Europe. These journeys have presented a lot of cultural exchange and learning opportunities and have deepened my interest in learning about different cultures. It’s also provided an opportunity to learn about how differently people think, and cultural values.”

How do you find interpreting cultural practices and values in English?

“A key consideration in running cultural awareness activities in the workplace is translation to English, the corporate language, when the cultural practices under spotlight are not often practised in English, e.g. Lunar New Year celebration. It challenges us to really think and to sharpen our interpretation and translation skills. We even consult academic sources to better grasp the vocabulary and cultural concepts. Partnership with trusted experts is also invaluable. This year, the Employee Resources Group invited the Smithsonian (the world’s largest museum) to run a virtual tour themed ‘Arts Across Asia’ for team members in Americas. ”

Sometimes it’s easy to think that all celebrations are the same, what’s your experience with that thinking? People celebrate things differently. Can you give an example of learning about the different ways people celebrate?

“As a member of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Employee Resource Group I am involved in arranging cultural incursions and experiences. Even though I celebrate Lunar New Year, I had the chance to learn a lot more about Tết, Vietnamese Lunar New Year from my colleagues. They shared stories about customs like Mam Ngu Qua (Five Fruit Tray).”

When you’re organising cultural events or learning about cultural heritage, what approach do you take?

"I remind myself to learn more about my neighbourhood and community. Learning by doing something I enjoy is easier, so I choose a topic like food, travel, entertainment or sport and then explore culture through that lens. It’s always really interesting to explore niche topics, not necessarily the big newsworthy ones – for example the topic that might be of interest to a neighbour or colleague and explore through that perspective. That can often take me to a small community museum, festival or local attraction for a more immersive experience.

I also try to use multiple sources of information like podcasts, books, videos, events, museums and concerts. Again, it helps to learn by using a format that I enjoy. Recently, I have been watching the 2025 taiga period drama (大河ドラマ) ‘Unbound’ - a drama about marketing and publishing in the Edo era in Japan. I have been inspired by the entrepreneurship of Tsutaya Juzaburo, who boosts masters like Utamaro, Hokusai and Sharaku. I find it fascinating to observe the nuances, differences and similarities of the culture, and I encourage everyone to do the same when experiencing and immersing themselves in different cultures."

What’s been an interesting culture shock, particularly from a work context?

"When I moved to the UK there were culture shocks with being exposed to all the different accents and chinwag topics in the workplace. I quickly discovered that having learnt the language in school was not enough. To immerse myself further and learn the colloquial language I found it really useful to read, listen and watch what’s going on. Even to find out what TV shows people are talking about to learn about pop culture.

Sometimes I watch TV shows, dramas, popular culture shows in languages I don’t understand - with the help of subtitles. I believe the language barrier shouldn’t stop us learning about unfamiliar cultures.”

Can you share a funny story about experiencing a difference in cultures?

“I remember a funny story from when I was having a summer internship in Taiwan. Earthquakes are rare in my hometown Hong Kong, so I wasn’t prepared when there was a small earth murmur. I was the only person who left the dormitory and ran downstairs to evacuate. The locals were used to it and didn’t move. That was a cultural lesson for me.”

How does being respectfully curious help our perspectives?

“Being curious and understanding context helps us in our interactions. I work in privacy, and although similarly worded privacy laws can be found in many countries, the history and context behind each country’s interpretation is really interesting. For example, the history of surveillance in Germany from the 1930s to 1980s, has brought about a culture of strong advocacy in protecting privacy. Having that context helps to appreciate why the European Union have some of the most stringent data privacy laws we see today”

What tips would you give people about getting to know more about each other’s cultures?

"In the workplace, be curious and generous in sharing your experiences. Being aware of how cultures are shaped allows for a mutual relationship and reciprocal learning experience. There are always opportunities to ask questions with respect and curiosity to learn more. Thoughtful dialogues create space for mutual learning and understanding.

Never stop being curious and learning. Culture is always evolving.”

Thank you, Jeffrey, for sharing your experiences and teaching us the importance of curiosity and passionate to learn about the world around us.

#ItsUpToMe to be curious and interested in cultural heritage