Cultural Competence in Higher Education

Culture refers to the knowledge and characteristics of a specific group of people including the religion, social habits, language, cuisine, music and arts. Cultural competence is the ability to understand and cooperate efficiently with people from other cultures. Effective engagement, active listening and demonstrating empathy are its three essential components. The acquisition of cultural competence is a lifelong process for developing behaviors and social skills related to diversity and improving self-awareness. Within the context of higher education, cultural competence can be promoted by providing opportunities wherein students can interact with students from other cultures. Encouraging the learning of a foreign language can also lead to cross-cultural competence. This book studies and analyses the role of cultural competence in higher education. It will provide comprehensive knowledge to the readers.