Key factors for developing a cross-cultural education program

Abstract

Purpose – As universities and colleges face an increasingly global environment, internationalization is viewed as a critical aspect of education, a fact that has significant academic and economic implications for higher educational institutions worldwide which need to be current with cultural education to adapt to change. Learning from other cultures is essential and valuable for students to connect with other cultures even as they enrich their own lives. Practical processes for developing successful cross-cultural education programs merit serious attention from higher educational institutions. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – The case study explored in this paper demonstrates a practical application of internationalization of music education by examining the experience and outcomes from a cross-cultural program jointly developed by a US and a Korean university. The success of the case study under review hinged on three critical factors for developing a cross-cultural program between international academic partners: organizational commitment, teamwork, and pedagogical content. Findings – The findings support the assertion that the three key factors introduced in the framework can be applied to develop a cross-cultural program between international academic partners. Originality/value – This study proposes a practical framework for developing cross-cultural education programs among higher educational institutions.