Society for Intercultural Education Training and Research (SIETAR)
entry by Julie M. Marx, Global Family Expert at Expat Valley
The primary international professional association for intercultural practitioners, including intercultural trainers, educators, researchers, and coaches. SIETAR was founded in 1974 and operates through national and regional chapters globally, providing professional community, research publication, and standards development for the intercultural field. Alongside FIGT and Worldwide ERC, SIETAR is one of the three primary professional bodies whose work most directly shapes the language, standards, and best practices documented in this vocabulary.
Comparable terms
FIGT (see separate entry — the family-focused professional forum; distinct from but complementary to SIETAR) · Worldwide ERC (the HR/mobility professional body; the organizational counterpart) · IAIE (International Association for Intercultural Education — an overlapping organization focused specifically on educational contexts) · AFS (American Field Service — the exchange program organization; associated with early intercultural education practice)
Why this matters
SIETAR helps define standards and shared language for intercultural work worldwide. Many tools and models used in global mobility and education have roots here. Its presence signals that intercultural practice is a profession, not just “common sense.”
Cross-references
FIGT (Professional Bodies); Intercultural Trainer (Professional Support Roles); Intercultural Coach (Professional Support Roles); Intercultural Competence (Cultural Adaptation); IDI (Cultural Adaptation); DMIS (Cultural Adaptation); ICF (Professional Support Roles). The IDI and DMIS are the two most influential assessment and theoretical frameworks within SIETAR’s practitioner community; both are regularly featured in SIETAR conference programming and published practitioner resources. ICF is the coaching body most directly complementary to SIETAR’s training and research focus — many practitioners hold credentials from both organizations.
Sources
SIETAR is documented through its own organizational publications and history. The most directly applicable verified source for SIETAR’s role in professionalizing intercultural practice is: Bennett, M.J. (Ed.). (1998). Basic Concepts of Intercultural Communication. Intercultural Press, whose contributors include many SIETAR founding and early members. For current SIETAR standards and frameworks, see: SIETAR. Competency Framework for Intercultural Trainers. Available at sietar.org.
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