Educating for Intercultural Dialogue in the Age of Digital Information and AI: Implications for Future Higher Education

This paper examines the role of higher education in facilitating intercultural learning among the digital native generation, which now constitutes the majority of students worldwide. Traditionally, intercultural and global competencies have been developed mainly via physical mobility, such as study abroad programs and international exchanges. While these options remain highly important, the rapid digitization of society and the wide adoption of new technologies in daily life are shifting how students encounter and engage with cultural differences. This change raises urgent questions about how curricula should be designed to teach students with the intercultural and global competency skills required in a globally networked information society. In other words, due to the rapid emergence of new technologies, including online interaction and generative AI, this paper seeks to reconsider how future higher education can respond to modern technological developments and how the cultivation of intercultural and global competencies can be redefined within this context. This work considers how traditional elements of intercultural education, such as language acquisition, the development of historical and cultural understanding, and direct immersion, should remain central. At the same time, we identify new opportunities enabled by digital learning environments, including virtual exchanges, online collaboration, and digital storytelling. By studying the pros and cons of traditional and digital approaches, this study argues for a reimagined curriculum that combines traditional learning methods with newer technology-enabled approaches for Generation Z students. The analysis sheds light on pathways for higher education to enhance intercultural learning and global competence that respond to contemporary student needs and the realities of a globally connected information society.