Why cultural competency in higher education must Be tailored: Lessons from Britain and France

Cultural competency is widely recognised as essential in modern higher education, given the increasing prevalence of culturally diverse student bodies. However, turning that recognition into educational practices that align with the social and cultural realities of each country is challenging. This article argues that prevailing approaches to cultural competency often ignore the ideological frameworks in which they are embedded. Drawing on the contrasting cases of Britain and France, where celebratory multiculturalism and assimilationist republicanism, respectively, shape educational norms, we reveal how cultural engagement is too often constrained by national traditions. We advocate for a reconceptualisation of cultural competency as a dynamic, context-sensitive pedagogical practice rather than a universalised skillset. Grounded in the scholarship of critical pedagogy and intercultural learning, and speaking to an international audience of educators, this work calls for tailored, reflexive approaches that interrogate underlying assumptions and work towards genuinely inclusive and transformative educational experiences across diverse global settings.