Abstract
Intercultural education is a category of the „new education” and a desideratum of the European dimension of education. This study presents the results obtained from a research centred on the training and development of intercultural skills of students of „Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu which are enrolled in various study programmes of the Socio-Human Sciences Faculty. The study was based on the general hypothesis that teaching in higher education in an intercultural context contributes to the formation and development of intercultural skills in students, as well as improving and streamlining the learning process, increasing interest in the cultural characteristics of other peoples. The research method used diagnose the intercultural component of the sociohuman sciences curriculum, was the survey method and the tool used on identifying students’ intercultural competencies was a questionnaire. Intercultural skills of students can be formed by teachers, who in turn have such skills and capitalize them in educational and professional contexts, so that teaching becomes a living laboratory in which democratic values are promoted based on acceptance of otherness, respect for other cultures and the confidence in the potential of every human being. Students with intercultural skills can contribute to the sustainability of a future society since they can integrate socially, culturally professionally without high costs and financial investments.
Highlights
Intercultural education is a category of the „new education” and a desideratum of the European dimension of education
Intercultural education is a pluri-determined action, which involves: the capitalization of many human and material resources aiming to orient the young generations towards democratic values, respect, trust in the potential of every human being no matter what the ethnical, social, cultural statue
Intercultural competences of students, which includes an assembly of knowledge, competences, skills and behaviours, may be trained and developed through an intercultural curriculum projected and systematic implemented within programmes of bachelor, master and doctorate [14]
Summary
Intercultural education is a category of the „new education” and a desideratum of the European dimension of education. The evolutional process of the concept has led to the inclusion of the intercultural education in the phrase „education for all”, being defined in the spirit of education paradigm for cultural diversity. Intercultural education involves an „inclusive teaching-learning process, which involves all students in consolidating a strong sense of self-confidence, strengthening empathic perceptions of people from different cultural backgrounds and promoting equal opportunities to reach their full potential” [1]. Intercultural education is an integrative concept [2], and the application of its principles implies, at the same time, respect for diversity and equity, by offering an equal importance to the possibilities offered to each cultural group, to maintain, develop and affirm publicly its own identity, as well as communication, contacts and cultural exchanges, which require knowledge, understanding and mutual respect of people with different cultural backgrounds. The values of interculturalism are part of the key values of the European consciousness: respect for human rights, tolerance, cultural traditions, social justice, solidarity, promotion of social inclusion
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