Voices of Inclusion: Understanding Student Insights on Diversity and Intercultural Competence in Higher Education

The present study seeks to explore the perceptions of ten students (N=10) studying at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences of the University of Patras regarding the necessity and the means of developing intercultural competence in academia. The qualitative methodology was followed and the purposive sampling procedure was applied. The students recognize as of major importance the necessity of inclusion and acceptance of diversity and cultivation of intercultural competence in the academic space, whereas they state that it is necessary for the academic community to strengthen mobility programs for both students and professors and to enrich the curricula with intercultural content.