Intercultural Competence as a Core Focus in International Higher Education

Abstract

This chapter explores definitions of inter-cultural competence, highlights some practices and lessons learned as higher education institutions seek to develop intercultural competence in their students, and concludes with strategies that can be implemented in relation to this central paradigm. In understanding intercultural competence as a core focus of internationalization efforts in higher education, it is first necessary to explore definitions and approaches to intercultural competence from a variety of perspectives. For many international educators, education abroad presents a key opportunity for developing intercultural competence. Such interventions for developing intercultural competence in education abroad may use ethnographic questioning techniques, be guided by experiential learning, or follow transformative learning theory. Creative methods for intercultural competence assessment in education abroad programs have been developed. Meanwhile, others have called for intercultural competences as well as other learning outcomes from education abroad to be integrated into the curriculum to benefit all students.