Observations, Reflections and Suggestions on the Urgent Necessity of Repositioning Intercultural Education in Universities and Other Educational Institutions

Abstract

Shifts are taking place around the globe that are bringing us to consider radical changes to the kind of higher education that we deliver to students all over the world. Cross-cultural qualifications and intercultural competence form a critical part of the skills needed by individuals to successfully navigate the challenges of their daily lives. Today’s globalized and highly connected world has us more in contact with one another than ever before; but many of us lack the skills and experience to make use of this ever-increasing connectivity and mobility, particularly in the face of mass media, materialism and a consumer-based society. Awareness, reflection and ‘real’ learning are crucial if we want to succeed in the future. Intercultural exchange and interaction can only be successful when it is built upon a foundation of broad and multidisciplinary knowledge and genuine interest and understanding of other people, their cultures and their contexts.