Enabling inter-cultural competence within double degree program

In our increasingly globalized world, joint double degree programs have become increasingly popular towards internationalization of higher education around the world. The main reason for their rise is the growing awareness that higher education needs to prepare students to live and work in today’s global networked world. Within this context, the development of students’ intercultural competence plays an important role and is often taken for granted that stay abroad would automatically contribute towards developing inter-cultural sensitivity. Research on intercultural competence development shows, however, that it is not as simple as that. Development of inter-cultural competence needs “ad hoc” systematic support. In this paper, we use MAIB - Master in International Business Development as a case in point to understand and demonstrate the holistic approach towards building intercultural sensitivity among the students. MAIB is a joint double credential Master Program between University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy, Alliance University, India and Centennial College, Canada, where students study and live across 3 different campuses in 3 global dynamic cities in the world – Milan, Bangalore, and Toronto over a 14 months period. Since the MAIB Master 1st edition has been launched in 2014, this paper attempts to share first learning outcomes based on semi-structured interviews with students and faculty. The focus of the paper is more on qualitative aspects to gain insight into the development of intercultural sensitivity among the students. The authors apply Milton Bennett’s Model of intercultural competence sensitivity as a theoretical framework.