A window to the future of intercultural competence in tertiary education: A narrative literature review

The influence of globalization on education, in particular higher education, has brought to the fore constructs which were kept in the background for a long time. One of such constructs is intercultural competence (IC), which has a wide range of applications for both incoming international students and the admin and teaching staff of tertiary education in the host country. There have been considerable attempts to address the growing demand for IC development in the field, but a wide gap is still felt in the literature due to the complexity of the construct. To move towards a substantial contribution to filling the gap, the present paper examined the status of IC literature and suggested an efficient approach aligned with its existing status. Besides the applicable approach to different contexts, this paper reviewed IC development programs in tertiary education and provided insight into promoting the efficiency and sustainability of their outcomes. It also highlighted the effects of IC on the three elements of teaching and learning: academic, affective, and social outcomes in tertiary education.