International student mobility programs have increasingly been promoted for the internationalization of higher education. However, only immersing students in another country for an extended period of time cannot guarantee the emergence or advancement of intercultural competence. The core question remains, how everyday encounters in the new, unfamiliar environment can be turned into meaningful experience and constructive learning.
Starting from this inquiry in the field of study on intercultural education and training, the book explores the didactic-methodical question of how to develop intercultural competence on the basis of study abroad experience at the university level. Based on a comprehensive theoretical analysis of the core concepts – culture, interculturality and intercultural competence – from interdisciplinary and multi-cultural perspectives, an action-oriented and situation-based instructional design for the development of intercultural competence is constructed. As the didactic concept is planned, implemented, analyzed and revised throughout the iterative design-research process, 9 typical learning situations and 40 exemplary critical incidents could be generated gradually.

Intercultural scholars who specialize in the exchange between Germany and East Asia can either refer to the holistic approaches to intercultural learning or use the first-hand learning-teaching materials. Especially for German students and young professionals who are interested in studying or working in China, Japan and South Korea, a number of authentic examples in the cross-cultural communication context are provided.

From a theoretical-methodological perspective, the current study also offers a good practice example of how to do a qualitative-oriented design-based research in a concrete practical context. Educational design researchers and practitioners may turn to the analytical discussions on and practical experience of how a teacher can conduct a design research in a responsive manner.