In today’s rapidly globalizing landscape, higher education institutions (HEIs) are under unprecedented pressure to equip students with competencies that transcend borders and cultures. At the heart of this evolving challenge lies the development of intercultural competence (IC)—a multifaceted set of skills, knowledge, and attitudes that enables individuals to navigate and engage meaningfully in diverse cultural contexts. A groundbreaking study emerging from an elite university in China’s Yangtze River Delta region casts new light on how these competencies are cultivated, especially within less internationally integrated educational settings. This research proffers critical insights into the dynamics underpinning the growth of global capabilities among undergraduates, raising profound questions about how internationalization is conceptualized and operationalized in emerging economies.
Traditionally, the skill dimension of intercultural competence—comprising the ability to perform cross-cultural communication, empathize with cultural others, and adapt behavior appropriately—has been viewed as the most challenging to nurture. Scholars including Deardorff and Hunter have emphasized the complexity of translating theoretical knowledge into actionable skills within increasingly fluid global frameworks. Contrary to these long-held assumptions, the present study’s quantitative data revealed a somewhat unexpected pattern: students rated their skill development more positively than their attitudinal growth. This intriguing discrepancy suggests that while universities may successfully impart technical intercultural proficiencies, shaping students’ underlying openness and non-judgmental acceptance of cultural diversity remains considerably more elusive.
A closer examination of interview transcripts from participating students elucidates why this divergence occurs. It appears that the university’s internationalization courses maintain a predominantly monocultural and skill-driven orientation, limiting students’ exposure to genuinely intercultural experiences. Compounding this issue is the relatively low presence of international students within classrooms—a circumstance common throughout many institutions in the Global South and non-English-speaking countries. Such environments restrict meaningful intercultural interaction, thereby stifling opportunities for learners to authentically ‘step outside their own cultural boxes.’ Moreover, students frequently perceive these internationalization offerings as temporary add-ons rather than embedded components of the university’s strategic mission, undermining their engagement and reducing the transformative potential of these programs.
Attitudinal development is foundational to true intercultural competence. It encompasses the recognition that cultural norms and values are not universal, coupled with a willingness to embrace difference with empathy and respect. This dimension challenges students to inhabit the perspectives of ‘the other’ and to dismantle ingrained biases and ethnocentrism. The stark deficiency in this area, revealed in the research findings, highlights the pressing need for institutions—especially those operating within less globalized contexts—to integrate internationalization more thoughtfully and holistically into their curricula. The study’s mediation analysis further suggests that students with prior international experiences, such as travel or study abroad, or those possessing higher proficiency in English, are predisposed to engage more openly with formal internationalization efforts. This underscores a potent feedback loop where exposure begets openness, which in turn enhances the efficacy of intercultural education.
Institutional factors substantially influence how students develop their intercultural capabilities. Consistent with broader research from developed countries, this investigation affirms that formal ‘Internationalization at Home’ (IaH) initiatives—collaborative efforts coordinated across universities and faculties—are pivotal in fostering global competence. IaH approaches allow institutions to simulate international experiences domestically, offering equitable access to intercultural learning absent physical mobility. Nonetheless, the study exposes stark variability in the quality and scope of such initiatives, which heavily depends on available resources, faculty expertise, and the institutional commitment to internationalization. Despite the positive correlation between well-resourced programs and students’ self-assessed IC, the mediation effect of personal internationalization experience was surprisingly non-significant, a finding that merits further research.
Qualitative interviews with faculty and students unveiled a constellation of challenges hindering effective internationalization. Many participants cited the narrow range of internationalization courses and programmes, limited pedagogical innovation, and a pervasive misconception equating internationalization solely with English-medium instruction. These factors create barriers that constrain students’ experiential engagement and silence the potential contributions of faculty members possessing international expertise. In effect, there arises a profound mismatch between what educators offer and what students need to develop critical thinking and intercultural skills. The institutional environment itself—marked by constrained resources and administrative pressures—further erodes faculty capacity to deliver engaging, inclusive, and transformative educational experiences, engendering a sense of helplessness and frustration.
The study’s insights carry particular weight for elite Chinese universities navigating the post-pandemic era. While the COVID-19 crisis disrupted international mobility, it also catalyzed creative local initiatives and an expansion of IaH programmes within China. This shift has seen an increase in required internationalization curricula, signaling a growing institutional recognition of global competency as a core educational objective. However, the dichotomy between attracting international talent and lacking a coherent, systematized internationalization strategy poses a critical long-term risk. Without meticulous planning and robust support mechanisms, Chinese universities may unintentionally exacerbate global inequalities in knowledge and human capital production, deepening the divide between the Global North and South.
To redress these disparities, the study advocates for a concerted effort to embed internationalization within institutional mission statements, governance structures, and resource allocation frameworks. This involves securing adequate funding for IaH programmes, encouraging faculty development in intercultural pedagogy, and fostering campus cultures that valorize diversity and inclusion. Scaling internationalization beyond superficial curricular adjustments demands a transformational approach that aligns educational practices with the evolving complexities of global interdependence. Only by doing so can universities prepare their graduates not merely to survive but to thrive amid rapid social, economic, and geopolitical transformations.
Despite the valuable contributions of this research, the authors acknowledge the inherent limitations of their exploratory case study design. Focusing on a single institution curtails the generalizability of findings across the diverse landscape of Global South universities, where internationalization modalities and challenges vary widely. Additionally, the exclusion of variables such as family socioeconomic status, academic discipline, and standardized English language proficiency may obscure nuanced intra-cohort differences in intercultural competence development. Addressing these gaps through larger, multi-institutional, and longitudinal studies could yield deeper understanding of how intersecting factors shape global capability formation.
The emerging divergence in perceptions between students and faculty regarding classroom dynamics and internationalization effectiveness invites innovative methodological approaches. Particularly, incorporating ethnographic field observations into future research could illuminate the lived realities of intercultural learning environments, offering granular insights into how knowledge, skills, and attitudes evolve in situ. Such qualitative richness complements quantitative self-assessments and facilitates the design of more tailored and impactful internationalization strategies.
Looking to the horizon, the rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI) presents an intriguing frontier for internationalization in higher education. Particularly in resource-constrained or under-supported contexts, AI-powered tools promise to democratize access to multilingual and multicultural learning resources, mitigate English language proficiency barriers, and foster more inclusive, interactive, and culturally responsive pedagogies. Leveraging these technological advances could revolutionize IaH practices, enabling institutions to surmount traditional limitations and expand intercultural competence development at scale. This nascent synergy between AI and internationalization merits urgent scholarly attention, replete with ethical considerations and pedagogical innovations.
The implications of cultivating globally competent graduates extend well beyond academic achievement. As contemporary societies grapple with complex global crises—ranging from climate change and pandemics to social inequities and geopolitical tensions—the capacity to engage across cultural divides emerges as an indispensable skill for future leaders and citizens. Universities in China and the broader Global South thus bear a pivotal responsibility to pioneer internationalization frameworks that are contextually grounded, culturally sensitive, and ambitiously forward-looking. Progress in this domain will require genuine institutional commitment, strategic vision, and collaborative action across multiple stakeholders.
This research underscores the urgent need to reconceptualize internationalization not as a peripheral or transactional endeavor but as a core educational imperative integral to the mission of higher education. By investing deeply in intercultural competence development, universities can empower students to navigate uncertainty, embrace diversity, and contribute meaningfully to a more interconnected and equitable world. The pathway ahead is admittedly complex, demanding systemic change and innovative pedagogy, yet the potential dividends—in human understanding, global collaboration, and socio-economic progress—are profound and far-reaching.
In sum, the study from the Yangtze River Delta exemplifies the challenges and possibilities of nurturing international capabilities within a Global South context. Its findings invite educators, policymakers, and scholars to rethink how intercultural learning is embedded in curricula, how institutional cultures support or constrain this learning, and how novel tools such as AI can expand inclusivity. As global relations evolve, the imperative to cultivate open-minded, culturally agile graduates has never been more pressing. This research offers a compelling roadmap toward achieving that vision, highlighting the nuanced interplay between institutional factors, individual experiences, and broader geopolitical realities shaping intercultural competence in higher education today.
Subject of Research: Development of undergraduates’ intercultural competence and international capabilities at an elite university in China’s Yangtze River Delta within the context of internationalization at home initiatives.
Article Title: Cultivating global minds: the development of undergraduates’ international capabilities at an elite university in China’s Yangtze River Delta.
Article References:
Zeng, L., Sun, X., Wu, H. et al. Cultivating global minds: the development of undergraduates’ international capabilities at an elite university in China’s Yangtze River Delta. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 12, 1362 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-05599-w
Image Credits: AI Generated
