‘Defining, developing and assessing intercultural competence in the age of AI’
22 July 2026, Bowland North Seminar Room 7 (Lancaster University) and on Microsoft Teams by clicking on <<CULCOM2026>>
To register to attend without presenting, email Dima Atanasova at d.atanasova@lancaster.ac.uk Registration is open until 23:59 BST on Sunday, 12 July.
The event is free (no registration fees) thanks to financial support from the Lancaster University Confucius Institute.
The role of technology in intercultural communication is a subject with a long tradition of research, exploring how it can both foster connection and create isolation. Platforms like social media enable people from different backgrounds to interact and share cultural traditions globally. Translation tools help bridge language gaps, while video conferencing and virtual reality offer real-time and immersive cultural experiences. But these technologies can also create imbalances and barriers. Social media algorithms often create ‘bubbles’, preventing users from naturally encountering (more) diverse cultural content. Such issues necessitate a re-evaluation of how we define, develop, and assess intercultural competence (IC). This re-evaluation is already underway, as seen, for example, in the European Union’s 2019 Common Framework of Reference for Intercultural Digital Literacies and emerging tools like the Chinese Intercultural Competence Scale. Against this background, we invite submissions that consider the impact of digital technologies, especially Artificial Intelligence (AI), on how we understand, develop, and assess IC.
Schedule:
| 08:30-09:00 | Coffee & Opening Remarks (Dima Atanasova, Lancaster University, UK) |
| 09:00-10:00 | Guest talk: Lies Sercu (Associate Professor, KU Leuven, Belgium) |
| 10:00-10:20 | Fostering Global Competence in the Age of AI: A Multi-modal, Data-Driven Pedagogical Model in the Chinese Context (Zhang Yong, Sichuan International Studies University, China) |
| 10:20-10:40 | The Correlation between AI Usage and Intercultural Communicative Competence: A Survey of English Majors at Xidian University in China (Lu Li, Xidian University) |
| 10:40-11:00 | Intercultural Competence in the AI Era: A Survey of Pre-Service Japanese as a Foreign Language (PSJFL) Teachers, Rui Tojo (Lancaster University, UK) & Tomoko Kitano (Kansai University, Japan) |
| 11:00-11:20 | When Culture Becomes Capital: Intercultural Communication in Global IT, Emmanuel Echeverria (Lancaster University, UK) |
| 11:20-11:30 | Break |
| 11:30-12:30 | Guest talk: Zhu Hua (Professor, University College London, UK) |
| 12:30-13:00 | Lunch & Concluding Remarks (Dima Atanasova, Lancaster University) |
Guest talks:
Beyond Individual Possession: Reimagining Intercultural Competence in the Age of AI
Lies Sercu (Associate Professor, KU Leuven, Belgium)
Lies Sercu, Associate Professor of Linguistics in the Research Unit of Language, Education and Society at KU Leuven, is widely cited as a leading global expert on the cultural dimensions of language teaching and intercultural competence. Maintaining a highly interdisciplinary academic footprint that blends quantitative and qualitative methodologies, her work has contributed significantly to our understanding of how university students acquire cultural awareness and sensitivity through foreign language education. Her most recent work addresses the assessment of intercultural competence in the digital age, the expansion of traditional, Western-centric frameworks of intercultural competence, and the integration of Generative AI (GenAI) like ChatGPT in intercultural education.
Abstract: This talk explores how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the definition and development of intercultural competence. Building on established models such as Byram’s and Deardorff’s, it argues that intercultural competence can no longer be understood as an individual possession grounded primarily in knowledge, attitudes, and skills. Instead, AI introduces three fundamental shifts: from interaction to mediation, from knowledge accumulation to navigation, and from authentic individual expression to co-constructed communication. In this context, competence increasingly involves critical engagement with AI-generated representations, reflexive awareness of one’s own and technological assumptions, and the ability to act responsibly in mediated environments. As regards the development of intercultural competence in the age of AI, the talk examines how AI can support intercultural learning through simulations and reflection, while also highlighting risks such as stereotyping and homogenization. It proposes guiding principles for pedagogy, including critical AI literacy, dialogic learning, structured reflection, and a focus on human–AI complementarity. Overall, the talk calls for reimagining intercultural education, placing critical engagement with AI at the centre of intercultural competence.
New Dynamics, New Agendas? Revisiting the Promises and Priorities of Intercultural Research
Zhu Hua (Professor, University College London, UK)
Zhu Hua, Director of the International Centre for Intercultural Studies at University College London, is a prominent linguist specializing in intercultural communication, applied linguistics and language learning. Her latest research at the intersection of applied linguistics, intercultural communication, and Generative AI (GenAI) critically examines how GenAI and Large Language Models (LLMs) impact global communication, specifically addressing their tendency to reproduce cultural stereotypes in professional settings. Her research explores how human-AI interactions shape our understanding of culture, offering vital frameworks for both language educators and professionals to mitigate bias and responsibly leverage AI for inclusive, cross-cultural engagement.
Abstract: Technology is recognised as one of the six ‘imperatives’ that have historically shaped the field of intercultural research (Martin and Nakayama, 2011). With the increasing integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies into our lives and society, it becomes crucial to understand their impact on intercultural dynamics. In this talk, I will explore the emerging dynamics and new research agendas in digital interculturality, using AI recruitment interviews as an example. I will reflect on the conceptual and methodological issues that emerge in this context.