Research Article

The Role of Cultural Exchange in the Development of Intercultural Competence in the Context of Cultural Diplomacy

Authors

  • Samira EL-ASRI Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences, Dhar Al Mahraz, Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdelah University, Fez, Morocco
  • Abderrahim EL Karfa Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences, Dhar Al Mahraz, Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdelah University, Fez, Morocco

Abstract

This study positions cultural exchange students at the core of cultural diplomacy and argues that those students can become potential agents of soft power by making them appreciate cultural differences and developing their intercultural competence. In other words, this study aims to report on the role of cultural exchange in developing students’ intercultural competence. A mixed-method approach was used to collect the data, including a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. 16 former exchange students of the YES (Youth Exchange Scholarship) Program were invited to complete a questionnaire related to their cultural exchange experience. Then, seven of them were selected to take part in the semi-structured interviews. The findings of the study showed that the development of participants’ intercultural awareness and abilities is largely positive in consideration of the positive perception of the host culture and the authentic cultural exchange in which they took part. Besides, the findings also indicated how participants become active agents of cultural diplomacy thanks to cultural exchange.

Article information

Journal

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences Studies

Volume (Issue)

6 (1)

Pages

62-70

Published

27-01-2024

How to Cite

EL-ASRI, S., & EL Karfa, A. (2024). The Role of Cultural Exchange in the Development of Intercultural Competence in the Context of Cultural Diplomacy. Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences Studies, 6(1), 62-70. https://doi.org/10.32996/jhsss.2024.6.1.7

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Keywords:

cultural exchange, intercultural competence, cultural diplomacy, exchange students, soft power