Intercultural competence is [the ability] “to see relationships between different cultures – both internal and external to a society – and to mediate, that is interpret each in terms of the other, either for themselves or for other people.” It also encompasses the ability to critically or analytically understand that one’s “own and other cultures’” perspective is culturally determined rather than natural. – Byram, M.
Featuring experts in Intercultural Competence from across the U.S. and internationally, the Intercultural Competence Conference (ICC) is for K-16 educators and students in fields related to Foreign Languages, Social Sciences/Studies and the Humanities, and for others involved in government, NGOs, and the private sector who are interested in seeing and interpreting relationships between cultures. This biennial event brings together researchers and practitioners across languages, levels, and settings to discuss and share research, theory, and best practices, and to foster meaningful professional dialog on issues related to the development and assessment of Intercultural Competence, especially in a foreign or second language. It is hosted by the Center for Educational Resources in Culture, Language and Literacy (CERCLL) at the University of Arizona.
In 2026, the Tenth International Conference on the Development and Assessment of Intercultural Competence focuses on the theme of Intercultural Competence in a Rapidly Changing World: Supporting Sustainable Futures for All. This hybrid event takes place February 27 – March 1, 2026, at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona, and online.
Vanessa de Oliveira Andreotti (University of Victoria)
Irina Golubeva (University of Maryland Baltimore County)
Ricardo Römhild (University of Münster)
In 2015, 191 United Nations member states adopted the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their targets to improve life on our shared planet by 2030. Goal 4 calls for quality education for all, and Target 4.7 calls for increased education in two key areas: global citizenship and sustainable development, which have recently received increased attention in language education. The UN recommendations describe the what but not the how: they recognize the need for a pedagogical shift because “for education to be truly transformative, ‘education as usual’ will not suffice” (2016, p. 163). It must “foster thinking that is more relational, integrative, empathic, anticipatory, and systemic” (2016, p. 163).
In this moment of global reckoning, what does it mean to be a global citizen and how do we, as educators of world languages and other disciplines, help students make sense of the histories that have brought us to this moment? These issues are not new, they are interconnected and require transformative solutions that bring about systemic change. The SDGs can provide a blueprint for examining the intersectionality that exists among pressing global issues and a common language for educators to critically engage with these goals and move from transmissive and conformative to transformative education.
With these issues and questions in mind, the organizers of ICC 2026 invite educators to reflect on how they could re-envision what they teach and how they teach it to meaningfully address these crises with the goal of building a sustainable world for all.
Around 100 peer-reviewed presentations were accepted or invited for ICC 2026; authors of submitted proposals are located at institutions in 44 countries and in 30 US states. Presentations will include papers (in-person and virtual), symposia (in-person and virtual), posters (virtual), and there are post-conference workshops on March 1. The Call for Proposals is closed, but can be reviewed here.
ICC 2026 takes place physically, on the University of Arizona campus in the Environment and Natural Resources 2 building. Lodging is at the Marriott University Park hotel. For location and lodging information, click here. For registration details, click here. Full-time K12 teachers and graduate students can apply for a limited number of registration scholarships to attend this event (details coming soon).