*Originally written by YS Research Coordinator, Comi Nyugen.

Intercultural competence (ICQ) is no longer just a trendy term, it has become a crucial factor for success in 2025. Organizations that actively cultivate and enhance their ICQ are better positioned to innovate, collaborate, and lead in today’s diverse and interconnected world.

With this in mind, Young SIETAR is excited to introduce the ELEVATE Project, a groundbreaking, two-year initiative co-funded by the European Union. This project aims to transform how organizations perceive, assess, and develop intercultural competence.

ELEVATE is built around four key deliverables, each designed to address the complexities of today’s intercultural landscape.  &

• The best practices and opportunities for growth, exploring how organizations currently manage ICQ and how they can improve will be identified.
  
• This innovative tool will help organizations evaluate their intercultural competence, uncover gaps, and develop strategies for improvement.
  

• A state-of-the-art platform for tailored ICQ learning and development, integrating cutting-edge technology to deliver personalized, impactful training.

• A comprehensive guide filled with practical methods and tools for delivering effective intercultural competence training.

Researchers from Business Faculty - Mondragon Unibertsitatea (Spain)International University SDI München (Germany) and Université Bourgogne Europe (France) and practitioners from DCONCEPT (Poland) de Reso (Luxembourg) and intercultures España & LATAM (Spain) have launched a comprehensive desk research initiative. Their goal is to define key concepts such as culture and intercultural competence, assess organizational cultural awareness, and analyze existing approaches for evaluating DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) practices and organizational behavior.

To complement this research, the team is developing a questionnaire aimed at:
✅ Collecting data to create evidence-based training tools
✅ Benchmarking intercultural competence across five European countries
✅ Identifying stakeholders to test and refine new resources
✅ Bridging academia and business by leveraging higher education research to design innovative frameworks, tools, and concepts for building interculturally competent organizations

In an ever-evolving world, developing new skills is crucial—and intercultural competence has never been more essential.

Learn more:ELEVATE Project on LinkedIn