Fagpressenytt

... I've always been curious and fascinated with other cultures and the different perspectives they have on the world. Over a 12 year period I studied and worked in Australia, Germany, Japan, Italy and Kenya. I have also traveled extensively to other countries whose cultures seemed exciting and exotic to me. The many impulses and relationships I forged always seemed to offer me a new way of looking at things. This gave me a sense of enrichment. However, it wasn't until I began studying the various theories on intercultural competence that my interest for the topic really was sparked. The theories offered a frame of reference with which I could reflect on my many intercultural encounters. Suddenly, so many of my experiences abroad made sense. I now had a clear idea of the value these experiences have for me, both personally and professionally. I had gained intercultural competence. Even though this article will concentrate on the importance of intercultural competence in higher education, many of the same aspects mentioned is equally relevant to ensure effective and appropriate communication in multicultural research teams. In 2011, the Institute for the Future ranked intercultural competence as number 4 of the top 10 work skills needed for the future. Not so surprising considering the fact that global trade agreements, revolutionary technologies and increasing human movement across national borders are all parts of the trend toward globalization. The share amount of people entering the international scene through affordable access to the Internet has now reached over half of the world's population (Internet world stats, 2017). Ideas and causes are spreading like bonfire through social media with a reach considered unthinkable only a decade ago. Globalization reached Norway a long time ago, and Norway is today in reality an intercultural society. This is also the case in the academic field. So how does the need for intercultural competence play out in higher education?

The globalization in higher education has seen both the student mass and the educators who educate them, becoming more and more multicultural. In fact, 9 million students have participated in the EU's Erasmus+ mobility program since it started 30 years ago (European Commission, 2017). The Norwegian government has already been pushing for a continued internationalization of higher education for nearly 10 years (Den norske regjering, 2017). As a result, the classroom is increasingly becoming an arena for intercultural interaction, making intercultural competence relevant for educators and students alike.

A theoretical framework for understanding cultural differences
Needless to say, successful communication in the classroom is paramount for learning. It is also equally important for the effective implementation of student active learning methods, currently a hot topic in academia (Regjeringen, 2017). Thus, an educator's level of intercultural competence - the ability to communicate effectively and appropriately with the students regardless of their cultural background, is directly linked to how much learning actually occurs in his or her classroom. To illustrate how cultural differences may play out in a classroom, I will use Geert Hofstede's cultural dimensions theory (Hofstede, Hofstede, & Minkov, 2010). This theory offers a framework for understanding intercultural differences. Using a structure derived from factor analysis, his six cultural dimensions describe the effects of a nation's culture on the values of its population, and how these values relate to behavior. These six dimensions are named Cooperation-oriented versus Performanceoriented (also called Femininity vs. Masculinity), Collectivism versus Individualism, high or low Power Distance, high or low Uncertainty Avoidance, Restraint versus Indulgence and Short-termorientation versus Long-termorientation. Each dimension measures a culture's preference towards either of these opposing orientations or preference