Frequently asked questions

London Intercultural Academy (LIA) is a London-based corporate training provider that designs and delivers CPD-certified programmes in leadership, inclusion, communication, compliance and wellbeing for organisations.

Founded in 2022, LIA is the executive-education arm of London Intercultural Centre (LIC). Its portfolio of 103 programmes is delivered in person in 38 cities across the United Kingdom, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and online worldwide, by a network of 200 trainers in 40 countries working in 9 languages.

LIA works with employers, government departments, public-sector bodies and international organisations, commissioning training for a single team, a site or an entire workforce.

Yes. LIA is an accredited CPD provider (CPD Provider Number 781813), is registered on the UK Register of Learning Providers (UKPRN 10093621), is registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ZB346894) and holds Cyber Essentials certification.

Some programmes carry additional recognition from professional bodies; this is confirmed for each programme in the proposal. LIA was named Most Innovative Workplace Inclusion Experts (2024) and Best Workplace Education Platform (2025) in the UK and Greater London Enterprise Awards.

LIA is the executive-education arm of London Intercultural Centre (LIC), an intercultural organisation working in strategic communication and behavioural research.

LIC (lichq.com) provides the research on which LIA programmes are built: how people communicate, decide and behave across cultures. Enquiries and proposals are handled by LIC on behalf of LIA.

LIA programmes are built on behavioural research from London Intercultural Centre, designed around workplace behaviour and evaluated after delivery.

• Research base. Content draws on LIC's work on how people communicate, decide and behave across cultures.
• Intercultural design. Each programme accounts for how culture, generation and background affect communication, leadership and decision-making.
• Practitioner faculty. 200 trainers in 40 countries, delivering in 9 languages through scenario-based, discussion-led sessions.
• Evaluation. Most full programmes include pre- and post-programme assessments and a 90-day follow-up survey, with reinforcement where results indicate a need.
• Delivery options. Facilitated delivery, online licences, or certification of in-house trainers.
• Published pricing. Starting prices are published so that budgets can be set before a proposal.

LIA is based at 167–169 Great Portland Street, London W1W 5PF, which is also its London training centre.

Telephone +44 20 3834 9468; email [email protected].

Client feedback centres on practical, scenario-based sessions that managers apply at work.

• “LIA delivered a programme that helped our managers understand psychological safety, communication styles and inclusive decision-making. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive.” Dr. Britta Simon, HeartMath Institute GmbH, Munich
• “As a leader committed to fostering diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces, I would recommend LIA as a premier destination for professional and leadership development.” Maria Drueco, CEO, Inclusive Journey, London

The Sunday Times has described LIA's training programmes as “surprisingly entertaining”.

LIA offers 103 CPD-certified programmes in six subject areas.

• Leadership & Management (25 programmes): first-time managers, delegation, feedback, decision-making, strategic and executive leadership.
• Inclusion, Diversity & Culture (18): DEI certification, unconscious bias, neurodiversity, psychological safety and cultural intelligence.
• Communication & Professional Skills (15): presentations, negotiation, meetings, critical thinking and difficult conversations.
• HR, Compliance & Policy (13): harassment prevention, GDPR, code of conduct, inclusive recruitment and redundancy.
• Wellbeing & Emotional Intelligence (18): stress, resilience, anxiety and emotional intelligence.
• Personal Development & Growth (14): confidence, productivity, goal setting and AI literacy.

Programme selection starts with the behaviour or outcome the organisation needs to change. Common starting points:

• New managers leading former peers: First-Time Manager Training.
• Problems and mistakes raised late: Psychological Safety Training.
• Friction between offices, nationalities or generations: Working Across Cultures or Managing Multigenerational Teams.
• Recurring conflict or avoided conversations: Conflict Resolution or Difficult Conversations.
• The legal duty to prevent harassment: Sexual Harassment Prevention for Managers.

Where needs span several areas, LIA recommends a programme or a short pathway during the scoping call.

Yes. Each programme is adapted to the organisation's context, sector and leadership values.

Tailoring ranges from organisation-specific scenarios and terminology to fully bespoke design for multi-site rollouts, including multi-language delivery and executive briefings.

Demand for 2027 is concentrated in six areas: practical AI skills for employees, first-line management, psychological safety, fair and respectful workplaces, multigenerational and cross-cultural teams, and sustainable performance.

Four developments drive this: AI in everyday work, permanent hybrid working, four generations in the workforce, and regulation moving from awareness to prevention.

The LIA Development Framework organises all LIA programmes into five connected areas: Self, Team, Culture, Leadership, and Risk & Compliance.

It supports commissioning a single programme or a structured learning pathway, and shows how individual capability, collaboration, inclusion, management and governance relate.

No. All in-person and live programmes are delivered privately for a single organisation, on dates agreed with the client.

Individual professionals can purchase self-paced online access to a programme, from £80 per learner with 12 months of access.

Cultural intelligence (CQ) is the ability to work and communicate effectively with people from different cultural backgrounds. The concept was introduced by P. Christopher Earley and Soon Ang in 2003.

Low CQ appears as misread feedback, unequal participation in meetings and decisions that stall between offices. High CQ allows people to adapt feedback, meetings and trust-building to the people they work with. CQ is central to LIA's intercultural approach.

Psychological safety is a shared belief that a team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking: people can speak up, ask questions, admit mistakes and challenge ideas without fear of embarrassment or punishment. The term was defined by Harvard professor Amy Edmondson in 1999.

Google's Project Aristotle identified psychological safety as the most important factor in the effectiveness of its teams. Teams with high psychological safety identify risks earlier and learn faster.

Unconscious bias training addresses individual awareness of how automatic judgements affect decisions. DEI training covers the behaviours, processes and strategy that make a workplace fair and inclusive.

Evidence favours combining bias awareness with changes to hiring, promotion and team practice. LIA's DEI programmes are scenario-based for this reason.

Emotional intelligence (EI or EQ) is the ability to recognise and manage one's own emotions and to read and respond to the emotions of others. It can be developed through structured practice.

In leaders it appears as composure under pressure, more effective feedback conversations and influence without formal authority. Training is most effective when practised on real workplace situations.

LIA programmes are delivered as in-person workshops, live online sessions, self-paced online courses, or a combination of these.

• In person: a half day, a full day or a multi-session pathway, facilitated by an LIA trainer.
• Online: self-paced courses, team licences with live virtual sessions, or an organisation-wide rollout.
• Train the Trainer: certification of the organisation's own staff to deliver the programme internally.

A half day (around four hours) establishes shared understanding and common tools; a full day (around seven hours) adds the practice needed to apply them.

The half day covers the key models, practical examples, interactive exercises and tools for immediate use. The full day adds behavioural diagnosis, multiple scenarios and live simulation, team exercises, work on participants' own situations and individual action plans.

In-person workshops are priced per cohort of up to 20 participants, a size that allows discussion and practice for every participant.

Larger groups are trained in several cohorts, through a combination of in-person sessions and online licences, or by certified in-house trainers.

LIA delivers in person in 38 cities across the United Kingdom and Ireland, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, at its London centre, at client premises or at partner venues.

• United Kingdom & Ireland: London, Manchester, Birmingham, Dublin.
• Western Europe: Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Luxembourg City, Zurich, Geneva.
• Germany & Austria: Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Vienna.
• Southern Europe: Madrid, Barcelona, Milan, Rome, Lisbon.
• Nordic region: Stockholm, Copenhagen, Oslo, Helsinki.
• Central & Eastern Europe: Warsaw, Prague, Budapest, Bucharest.
• Middle East: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Riyadh, Jeddah.
• Africa: Johannesburg, Cape Town, Nairobi, Cairo.

Yes. Every programme is available online, either self-paced or with live virtual sessions led by an LIA facilitator.

Self-paced courses include video lessons, knowledge checks after each module, downloadable tools and a CPD certificate, with 12 months of access. Team licences add live virtual sessions, cohort learning, a progress dashboard and discussion guides for managers.

Yes. Organisation-wide rollouts are designed for delivery across sites, countries and business units, in several languages.

The network of 200 trainers in 40 countries delivers in 9 languages, so one programme can run consistently across offices. Language of delivery is confirmed in the proposal and can affect the price.

Yes. Organisation-wide licences support single sign-on (SSO) and integration with the client's LMS or LXP.

Smaller teams use the LIA platform directly, with a team progress dashboard and group licence management.

Self-paced online modules typically take 2–4 hours; in-person programmes run from a half day to several days; Train the Trainer certification takes three days.

In-person training starts from £2,400 for a half day and £3,800 for a full day, per cohort of up to 20 participants.

• Half day: from £2,400 per cohort (from £120 per person in a full cohort).
• Full day: from £3,800 per cohort (from £190 per person in a full cohort).
• Self-paced online: from £80 per learner, with 12 months of access.
• Team licence with live sessions: from £199 per learner.
• Train the Trainer: from £5,500 per trainer for the three-day accreditation, including materials, one year of support and an internal delivery licence.
• Organisation-wide rollouts: priced to scope.

In-person prices are indicative and vary with cohort size, location and language of delivery.

Price is determined by format, cohort size, location, language and the degree of tailoring.

A single London half day sits at the lower end of the range; a multi-country, multi-language rollout with bespoke content at the upper end. Proposals itemise each element.

For programmes that need to reach several cohorts, Train the Trainer usually gives a lower cost per learner.

Outsourced delivery is priced per cohort. Under Train the Trainer, certified in-house trainers run unlimited internal cohorts for 12 months without per-learner fees, so the cost per learner falls with each session.

Yes. Small teams can book a private in-person cohort or use online team licences from £199 per learner, which add live virtual sessions to the self-paced course.

For one or two people, self-paced online access from £80 per learner is usually the most cost-effective option.

Yes. Every engagement begins with a scoping call at no charge, followed by a written proposal.

Yes. LIA is an accredited CPD provider (CPD Provider Number 781813), every programme carries CPD certification, and each participant receives a CPD certificate on completion.

CPD stands for Continuing Professional Development. A CPD-certified course has been assessed against CPD standards, so the learning can be recorded towards a professional's ongoing development.

CPD certification confirms that learning is structured, relevant and of a recognised standard. It is distinct from a degree or a regulated qualification. Many professional bodies and employers require staff to record CPD each year.

LIA's UK Provider Reference Number (UKPRN) is 10093621, listed on the UK Register of Learning Providers.

LIA programmes are delivered by a network of 200 practitioner trainers in 40 countries, working in 9 languages.

Trainers specialise in leadership, inclusion, communication and wellbeing, and each programme is matched with a trainer who knows the client's region, sector and language.

Most full LIA programmes include a pre-programme assessment, a post-programme assessment and a 90-day follow-up survey, with reinforcement sessions where results indicate a need.

This records behaviour change over time and gives HR and L&D teams evidence to report to leadership. Train the Trainer certifications add session evaluation forms and line-manager surveys, so in-house delivery is measured on the same basis.

Since 26 October 2024, UK employers have had a legal duty to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of their employees. The law does not name training specifically; the Equality and Human Rights Commission identifies it as one of the steps it expects.

The duty was introduced by the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023. Where an employer breaches it, an employment tribunal can increase compensation by up to 25%. Effective, regularly refreshed training for managers and staff is one of the clearest ways to demonstrate reasonable steps.

It can. Under the Equality Act 2010, an employer can defend a claim by showing it took all reasonable steps to prevent the conduct, and training is central to that defence.

Tribunals assess whether training was effective and current. In Allay (UK) Ltd v Gehlen (2021), the Employment Appeal Tribunal held that training which had become stale was insufficient. Training should be refreshed regularly and records kept.

Organisations that provide or use AI systems in the EU do. Since 2 February 2025, Article 4 of the EU AI Act has required providers and deployers of AI systems to ensure a sufficient level of AI literacy among their staff.

The requirement can apply to UK organisations that operate in the EU or serve EU users. AI literacy training also reduces everyday risks such as data entered into public AI tools and AI-enabled fraud.

Yes. LIA delivers compliance training at short notice, in person or live online, following an incident, complaint, audit or policy change.

Frequent urgent requests cover harassment prevention for managers and staff, workplace discrimination, GDPR and data protection after a near-miss or breach, and AI literacy before a new tool is introduced. Live online sessions reach a whole team fastest; self-paced courses can follow to complete coverage and create a record of completion.

UK GDPR requires organisations to take appropriate measures to protect personal data, and the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) expects staff to be trained as part of those measures.

Human error is among the most common causes of reported data breaches. Regular data protection training reduces that risk and demonstrates accountability.

LIA Train the Trainer certifies an organisation's own staff to deliver an LIA programme internally, over three days.

Trainers learn the programme, practise under supervision and are assessed. They then receive a 12-month licence to deliver it to unlimited internal learners, with facilitator and participant materials, four quarterly check-ins and impact measurement included. The accreditation is delivered in person and starts from £5,500 per trainer.

In recent partnerships, small groups of certified in-house trainers have extended LIA programmes to between 70 and 2,000 employees.

• Electric vehicle industry: 3 certified trainers trained 200 employees in one year.
• Hospitality: 8 certified trainers reached 2,000 employees.
• Fintech: 2 certified trainers trained 70 employees.

Train the Trainer is available for LIA's most requested programmes, including Leadership Development, First-Time Manager, Psychological Safety, Inclusive Leadership, DEI Strategy, Emotional Intelligence for Leaders, Giving and Receiving Feedback, Managing Multigenerational Teams and Working Across Cultures.

No. The licence covers delivery to the organisation's own employees. LIA retains ownership of the programme materials; organisation-specific examples remain the client's.

Commissioning follows four steps:

1. Enquiry. Through the request form on any course page or the contact page, with objectives, participant numbers and timing.
2. Acknowledgement from London Intercultural Centre (LIC) within one working day.
3. Scoping call. A short call with an LIA facilitator on the team and its objectives.
4. Proposal. Format, dates, tailoring and itemised price.

Yes. LIA delivers training at short notice, including within a week of the request, subject to date, location and format. Requests are made through the contact form.

Short-notice requests typically precede a launch, policy change, audit, restructure or team event. The trainer network, the London training centre and live online delivery allow tight timelines to be met.

To confirm availability quickly, include:

• the topic or programme;
• preferred dates;
• in person (with location) or online;
• number of participants;
• any deadline behind the request.

Yes. LIA works with government departments and public-sector delegations as well as private organisations.

Registration on the UK Register of Learning Providers (UKPRN 10093621), CPD provider status (781813) and ICO registration (ZB346894) support supplier onboarding.

LIA holds Cyber Essentials certification, is registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ZB346894) and processes personal data in accordance with UK GDPR.

Supplier onboarding forms and information-security questionnaires can be submitted with the enquiry and are completed alongside the proposal.

Yes, as self-paced online learners. Live and in-person programmes are delivered for organisations; individual professionals can purchase online access to a programme from £80, with 12 months of access and a CPD certificate on completion.

Yes. LIA is a member of 1% for the Planet.

Electricity used by LIA's data centres is matched with renewable electricity through its infrastructure partners, and LIA funds permanent carbon removal through Climeworks and CHARM Industrial. Online and blended delivery reduce the travel footprint of training.