# Investigating the Perceived Link Between Intercultural Mentoring and Cultural Competence Among Graduate Students and Faculty

## TL;DR

This study explores how intercultural mentoring helps graduate students and faculty develop cultural competence through experiential learning.

## Contribution

The study identifies intercultural mentoring as a platform for developing transferable intercultural relationship skills.

## Key findings

- Intercultural mentoring is perceived as aiding cultural competence development through experiential learning.
- Skills learned in intercultural mentoring are seen as transferable to other intercultural relationships.
- The study provides recommendations for training in intercultural mentoring.

## Abstract

Intercultural mentoring relationships, which are increasing in higher education, require cultural competence to be effective and successful. Therefore, the current study focused on perceptions of cultural competence and intercultural mentoring effectiveness among graduate students and faculty in departments of Agricultural Leadership, Communication, Education, and Extension (ALCEE) and leadership educators in the United States. Using an online survey, 32 participants shared their perceptions of mentoring effectiveness and cultural competence. The findings from the thematic analysis revealed a perception of intercultural mentoring as aiding the development of cultural competence by providing an experiential learning platform where participants learned intercultural relationship skills (e.g., how to deal with cultural differences). In addition, lessons learned through intercultural mentoring were perceived as transferable to other intercultural relationships. Our findings inform specific recommendations for intercultural mentoring training.