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Authentic workplace experience is becoming increasingly challenging to provide for students. Simulation represents an effective pedagogical strategy for communication competency development in preparation for, or in lieu of clinical placements/practicums. The case study represents an innovative approach to simulating aspects of a pharmacy practice when insufficient placements were available. Prior to undertaking a three-week placement, a cohort of Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) students (N = 95) completed two four-hour simulated learning modules (SLMs). Each of the six SLMs addressed interpersonally challenging, commonly experienced pharmacy practice scenarios generated by pharmacists/pharmacy educators. Scenarios, underpinned by the Excellence in Cultural Experiential Learning and Leadership (EXCELL) model, included schemas called Social Interaction Maps (SIMs), and involved interacting with trained actors. EXCELL is an evidence-based, professional development resource centred on learning generic social competencies including participating in a team, refusing a request and giving feedback. Evaluations comprised students' survey responses collected before, during and after SLM workshops and pharmacy placements, and reflections from workshop facilitators.

Students reported significant improvements in their overall communication competencies post-workshops and post-placement. Facilitators rated SLMs as a useful strategy to improve students' communication competence and workplace readiness. Future curriculum development could benefit from including discipline-specific, interpersonally challenging SLMs using SIMs and actors (where possible) to simulate workplace interactions.

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The aim of the Internationalisation at Home Project was to internationalise the learning and teaching practices of business and health higher education, through intercultural capacity-building of teachers, international students, and local students, as well as the development and dissemination of adaptable, evidence-based intercultural competency curriculum resources. In summary, this project has developed, modelled, and thereby strengthened national approaches to, the effective embedding of intercultural competence development in business and health curricula through: (1) developing and disseminating adaptable intercultural competence curriculum resources, created by integrating stakeholder-generated, discipline-specific critical incident scenarios with components of EXCELL (Excellence in Cultural Experiential Learning and Leadership), an existing validated intercultural training program; (2) capacity-building of teachers in business and health higher education, to engage multicultural classes, and to embed intercultural social competencies into curricula, including preparation for work-integrated learning; and (3) facilitating the development of cultural awareness and skills in international and local students.

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