Alumni Stories: Lou Coppermann

I studied a BSc Global Sustainable Development and PAIS (BASc) at Warwick, graduating in 2022, and an MSc in International Development of Emerging Economies at King’s College London (2023/24) and I now work as an ESG Analyst at Amplegest in Paris.

One thing I remember from the Intercultural Awareness and Intercultural Games workshops at Warwick is how simple situations can play out very differently depending on how people think and communicate, and that these are often very unconscious, even our own behaviours.

In my current role, I see this quite often in team discussions. Some people are very quick to speak and express their views, while others take more time or approach things more indirectly. Before, I might have interpreted that in one way, but now I’m more aware of these differences and try to adjust how I listen and respond, as the workshops taught me that even the way we take turns in conversations and team discussions is influenced by cultural values and perspectives and that my way of taking turns is not the only way.

It’s also helped me build more natural connections with colleagues from different backgrounds, not just at work, but on a more personal level as well.

So I can absolutely say that the awareness and games workshops at Warwick Uni back then didn’t just teach concepts, they gave me a different way of noticing and understanding people, which I still carry with me today.