All posts by Dr. Darla K. Deardorff

Deardorff is chairholder of the UNESCO Chair of Intercultural Competences at Stellenbosch U. in S. Africa, and research fellow at Duke U. She served 19 years as Executive Director/CEO of the Assoc. of International Education Administrators and is Founding President of the World Council on Intercultural and Global Competence (nonprofit partner to UNESCO Chair). She has over 30 years in international education & held positions at North Carolina State U. & the U. of North Carolina–Chapel Hill. She has lived, taught & worked in Germany, Japan, South Africa, & Switzerland and had 2 Fulbrights - to S. Africa, to Japan. Her faculty experience includes Harvard's Future of Learning Institute, Harvard's Global Education Think Tank, Shanghai International Studies U. (China), Nelson Mandela U. (S. Africa), & Meiji U. (Japan).
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Intercultural Competence Framework/Model – by Darla Deardorff

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INTRODUCTION

At the beginning of this month, I wrapped up teaching my  4 week intercultural summer course at Harvard with 31 students from numerous countries around the world. During our intense and transformative time together, we explored deep questions of identity, communication, and connection across difference. From our shared learning and lived experiences, the following key themes emerged, which I’d like to share with you:

  • The urgency of resisting dehumanization — even when it begins with something as seemingly small as name-calling
  • The power of recognizing the humanity in others: “This is a human being in front of me”
  • The necessity of cultivating empathy regularly in ourselves
    The value of intergenerational collaboration and learning across generations
  • The insight gained from seeking discomfort daily and staying curious
  • The discipline of intentional reflection — the practice of regularly pausing to step back and reflect
  • The importance of developing intercultural conflict resolution competencies
  • The imperative to embrace our shared humanity
  • The transformative effect of integrating intercultural micro-practices into daily life
  • The significance of co-creating solutions with stakeholders, rather than imposing intercultural problem-framing and solutions from the outside

One core takeaway was the vision of living an intercultural lifestyle – an intercultural way of being — rooted in seeing and hearing others fully, approaching every person with cultural humility, and acknowledging that each of us carries unseen challenges. It’s a commitment to listening for understanding, to stepping beyond our comfort zones with courage and resilience, and to seeking connection and common ground. Most of all, it’s a way of life that honors the deep interconnectedness of all living beings.

The Process Model of Intercultural Competence highlights adaptability, empathy, and reflection as key to working across cultures. These qualities will be indispensable in high-stakes environments where trust and cooperation determine success or failure.

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