Navigating Cultural Dissonance in Qatar and its Global Implications: Ethical Considerations in Intercultural Encounters

This project examines the alignment between the internationalization of education and local cultural traditions and values. As a focal case for analysis, it uses the experiences of students who attended universities within Qatar’s Education City. It seeks to identify and analyze the tensions between the dominant rhetoric, pedagogies, and discourses associated with the internationalization of education and the local frameworks, and epistemologies. Specifically, it explores how students navigate the cultural dissonance and ethical dilemmas arising from the interaction of diverse ways of knowing and being within these academic spaces. The study aims to investigate the challenges and strategies involved in addressing misunderstandings and tensions in classroom settings while advocating for greater attention to local values and integrating cultural heritage and social practices into the internationalization of higher education. Although centred on the Qatari context, the project has broader implications for the global discourse on intercultural education. Students in higher education encounter differences in the classroom in terms of the content being taught or differences of opinion or perspectives. However, these differences can lead to cultural dissonance. Students from different cultural backgrounds may undergo a clash of values, beliefs, or expectations (Olaniran & Agnello, 2008; Olcott, 2010). This can lead to ethical dilemmas as educators and students navigate these complex situations connected to cultural literacy and heritage, encountering differences (Bhatt & Li, 2024). For example, since students’ assumptions about gender equality, religious practices, or societal roles may differ significantly, discussing these issues may elicit intense responses from students with divergent cultural or religious backgrounds (Oord & Corn, 2013). How did students encounter and navigate such differences in a way that fosters dialogue without compromising core ethical principles in Qatar and abroad? What methods and practices can be adapted from similar situations at other universities to bridge these divides effectively? What skills are necessary to address ethical dilemmas arising from cultural misunderstandings or conflicting value systems, and how can these skills facilitate the resolution of such conflicts? Navigating cultural dissonance requires fostering intercultural competence and nuanced understandings of diverse cultural norms and perspectives. Interculturalizing the internationalization of education calls for exploring how the local culture or a non-Western epistemic framework can be integrated within a globalized curriculum. Following a collective case study, the principal researcher will interview graduate students at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU). Students will be asked about encountering diverse cultural values and how such tensions were resolved in the classroom during their experiences studying in Qatar. The researcher will also collect data from Queen’s University in Belfast about how students encounter differences. Queen’s University Belfast’s School of Social Sciences, Education, and Social Work presents an opportunity to examine cultural dissidence because of its large number of international students from Asia, particularly China. There is also the sectarian divide between Northern Ireland and the UK, with Irish language issues and concerns. Another research site will be Hong Kong University, where similar encounters will be investigated to provide comparative insights. The proposed research sites align with ongoing initiatives by The Education Research Center at Qatar University, which is “currently engaged in talks with other institutions in the UK and Hong Kong to establish cooperation in educational research� (Education Research Center, n.d., para. 9). The findings from these two distinct contexts will be analyzed to identify strategies and practices that can contribute the Qatari context. A collective case study methodology offers a powerful approach to investigating the complexities of cultural dissonance in higher education (Stake, 2005). Utilizing specific sites enables researchers to understand how cultural dissonance manifests and the strategies to navigate these challenges. This approach facilitates a nuanced analysis of ethical dilemmas arising in these situations, uncovering patterns, themes, and shared experiences across diverse cultural groups. Data will be gathered through collective interviews and observations.

Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU)