Four Westminster College students and a group from The Arab Academic College for Education in Haifa, Israel, participated in a summer virtual online course to learn the art of modern negotiation techniques.  

The course, Game Changers: Creative Negotiation Skills, was hosted by PATHWAYS Institute for Negotiation Education as part of the Stevens Initiative of the U.S. State Department, an international leader in exchange programs for young people worldwide.  

“The word ‘negotiation’ has a negative connotation to it, as if there is a lot to lose from negotiating, but, in truth, there is so much more that can be won by resolving issues as a team. The opportunity to approach negotiation with students internationally has shown me how willing most people are to disperse success rather than steal it,” said Madison Mamula, a sophomore biology major from New Brighton, Pa.

Other students who participated in the program—aimed at connecting students from the U.S. with Israeli students for interactive learning that encourages cross-cultural understanding while teaching innovative negotiation skills—included Reaghan Wilkerson, a criminal justice and psychology double major from Cranberry Township, Pa., Ellis Moore, a senior political science and psychology double major from Millington, Mich., and senior Christina Loewe, an international studies and political science double major from Austin, Texas.

During the course, Mamula, Wilkerson, Moore and Loewe had the opportunity to participate in active paired exercises, simulations, games and group discussions with Israeli students. Upon completing the course, each student was given a certificate and invited to enroll in the Department of State’s International Exchange Alumni Network.  

“As a social psychologist and educator, I truly value opportunities that enable Westminster students to engage internationally with other students and faculty in a meaningful and sustained way.  By participating in this summer program, we collaborated across three time zones with students and educators in the U.S., Israel and Belgium,” said Dr. Sherri Pataki, Westminster professor of psychology and coordinator of the Peace Studies program. “I believe these experiences are critically needed to prepare our students to thrive in a diverse and interconnected global community following graduation.”

PATHWAYS launched in 2015 as an independent non-profit organization to bring negotiation education into various learning environments. Based in Haifa, Israel, and PATHWAYS has an additional European location in Belgium. Their mission is to foster problem-solving and cooperative communication techniques to people from different perspectives while teaching them skills imperative to negotiating challenging topics.  

For additional information about the exchange program, please contact Pataki at patakisp@westminster.edu. 

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