Intercultural Competence and Academic Development in Study Exchange Program between Germany & Namibia: Mixed-Methods Evidence from Baden-Wuerttemberg and Windhoek

Yvonne Zajontz; Judith Flora Wanda

doi:10.2991/978-94-6239-705-7_16

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Intercultural Competence and Academic Development in Study Exchange Program between Germany & Namibia: Mixed-Methods Evidence from Baden-Wuerttemberg and Windhoek

Authors

Yvonne Zajontz¹, Judith Flora Wanda²^{, *}

¹Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University (DHBW), education campus 5, 74076, Heilbron, Germany

²St Augustine University of Tanzania, BOX 307, Mwanza, Tanzania

^*Corresponding author. Email: judith.flora1@gmail.com

Corresponding Author

Judith Flora Wanda

Available Online 13 June 2026.

DOI: 10.2991/978-94-6239-705-7_16 How to use a DOI?
Keywords: student exchange; intercultural competence; academic development; education partnerships
Abstract: The study aims to showcase that as study exchange mobility is often assumed to enhance intercultural competence and academic development while contributing to sustainable partnerships. Yet empirical research on intercultural competences through study exchange mobility between Germany and Sub-Saharan Africa remains limited. Using a mixed method approach the article presents findings from a study conducted in 2024 in Baden-Württemberg (Germany) and Windhoek (Namibia). A survey was carried out among 122 students and qualitative interviews with a total of 11 International Offices under the themes: motivation for study exchange, academic development, intercultural competence and support systems. The results indicate both promising opportunities and persistent challenges, that is the importance of structured academic engagement and sustainable institutional frameworks. The study adds to the under-researched field of Germany–Africa exchange and provides insights into how mobility can be better aligned with developmental and educational goals.
Copyright: © 2026 The Author(s)
Open Access: Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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Volume Title: Proceedings of the FIREtalk Conference - Research on FIRE! (research-on-fire 2025)
Series: Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research
Publication Date: 13 June 2026
ISBN: 978-94-6239-705-7
ISSN: 2352-5398
DOI: 10.2991/978-94-6239-705-7_16 How to use a DOI?
Open Access: Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

Cite this article

ris enw bib

TY  - CONF
AU  - Yvonne Zajontz
AU  - Judith Flora Wanda
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/06/13
TI  - Intercultural Competence and Academic Development in Study Exchange Program between Germany & Namibia: Mixed-Methods Evidence from Baden-Wuerttemberg and Windhoek
BT  - Proceedings of the FIREtalk Conference - Research on FIRE! (research-on-fire 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 227
EP  - 241
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-705-7_16
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6239-705-7_16
ID  - Zajontz2026
ER  -

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