Academic projects on SDGs and intercultural competence development in higher education

  • Chess Emmanuel Briceño Nuñez Faculty of Humanities and Education, Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida 5105, Venezuela
Article ID: 2061
Keywords: global citizenship; intercultural collaboration; Sustainable Development Goals; intercultural competence; experiential learning

Abstract

Globalization and increasing cultural interconnectedness have highlighted the importance of fostering intercultural collaboration and global citizenship in higher education. This article explores how academic projects oriented to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) facilitate the development of intercultural competencies and a greater understanding of global citizenship among students. A quantitative approach is used with a sample of 100 students in São Paulo who participated in collaborative projects related to the SDGs. The research, supported by Kolb’s experiential learning theory and Deardorff’s intercultural competence approach, highlights how participation in these projects enriches students’ perception of global citizenship and fosters practical intercultural skills. The results show a positive assessment of participation and engagement in these projects, with an overall perception of increased intercultural competence and global awareness. However, areas for improvement are also identified, such as variability in the level of student involvement. This study contributes to filling a gap in research on the specific impact of SDG-oriented projects on the development of global citizenship.

Published
2025-05-08
How to Cite
Briceño Nuñez, C. E. (2025). Academic projects on SDGs and intercultural competence development in higher education. Forum for Education Studies, 3(2), 2061. https://doi.org/10.59400/fes2061
Section
Article

References

[1]Morales Carrero JA. Global citizenship and human rights education. Alternative for a possible world (Spanish). Telos: Revista de Estudios Interdisciplinarios en Ciencias Sociales. 2024; 26(1): 240-258. doi: 10.36390/telos261.16

[2]Alcántara-Rubio L, Valderrama-Hernández R, Solís-Espallargas C, et al. The implementation of the SDGs in universities: a systematic review. Environmental Education Research. 2022; 28(11): 1585-1615. doi: 10.1080/13504622.2022.2063798

[3]Hansen B, Stiling P, Uy WF. Innovations and challenges in SDG integration and reporting in higher education: a case study from the University of South Florida. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education. 2021; 22(5): 1002-1021. doi: 10.1108/ijshe-08-2020-0310

[4]Fonseca M. How to eradicate dishonesty in academic integrity (Spanish). Con-Ciencia Boletín Científico de la Escuela Preparatoria No 3. 2023; 10(20): 65-66. doi: 10.29057/prepa3.v10i20.10880

[5]Briceño Nuñez CE. Challenges and opportunities in the implementation of intercultural collaborative projects in virtual environments (Spanish). Educare et Comunicare Revista de investigación de la Facultad de Humanidades. 2024; 12(1): 57-65. doi: 10.35383/educare.v12i1.1053

[6]Briceño Nuñez CE. Promoción de la Conciencia Cultural en el ámbito de la Educación Superior. Ñemitỹrã. 2024; 6(1): 130-140. doi: 10.47133/NEMITYRA20240601-A9

[7]Heleta S, Deardorff DK. The role of higher education institutions in developing intercultural competence in peace-building in the aftermath of violent conflict. In: Intercultural competence in higher education. Routledge; 2017. pp. 53-63.

[8]Briceño Nuñez CE. Situated learning: Effective pedagogical synergy in university pedagogical praxis (Spanish). Cuestiones Pedagógicas. 2023; 1(33): 111-130. doi: 10.12795/cp.2024.i33.v1.06

[9]Garcia-Beltran E. Global Competence Across the Years and Its Educational Challenges Today (Spanish). Journal of Supranational Policies of Education (JOSPOE). 2024; (19): 3-18. doi: 10.15366/jospoe2024.19.001

[10]Mansilla VB, Jackson AW. Educating for global competence: Preparing our students to engage the world, 2nd ed. ASCD; 2022.

[11]Papadopoulou K, Palaiologou N, Karanikola Z. Insights into Teachers’ Intercultural and Global Competence within Multicultural Educational Settings. Education Sciences. 2022; 12(8): 502. doi: 10.3390/educsci12080502

[12]Duffy LN, Stone GA, Townsend J, et al. Rethinking Curriculum Internationalization: Virtual Exchange as a Means to Attaining Global Competencies, Developing Critical Thinking, and Experiencing Transformative Learning. SCHOLE: A Journal of Leisure Studies and Recreation Education. 2020; 37(1-2): 11-25. doi: 10.1080/1937156x.2020.1760749

[13]Morris TH. Experiential learning—a systematic review and revision of Kolb’s model. Interactive Learning Environments. 2019; 28(8): 1064-1077. doi: 10.1080/10494820.2019.1570279

[14]Deardorff DK. Manual for developing intercultural competencies: Story circles, 1st ed. Routledge; 2019.

[15]Deardorff DK, Jones E. Intercultural competence as a core focus in international higher education. In: The handbook of international higher education. Routledge; 2023. pp. 223-241.

[16]Rawal R, Deardorff DK. Intercultural competencies for all. In: Reshaping International Teaching and learning in higher education. Routledge; 2021. pp. 46-59.

[17]Martínez Lirola M. Implementing the 2030 Agenda: A Didactic Proposal Using Sustainable Development Goals to Enhance Social and Intercultural Competencies in English Language Teaching (Spanish). Revista Internacional de Educación para la Justicia Social. 2024; 13(1): 135-151. doi: 10.15366/riejs2024.13.1.007

[18]Mariani L, Trivellato B, Martini M, et al. Achieving Sustainable Development Goals Through Collaborative Innovation: Evidence from Four European Initiatives. Journal of Business Ethics. 2022; 180(4): 1075-1095. doi: 10.1007/s10551-022-05193-z