This study explores the role of intercultural communicative competence (ICC) and STEM education in building the soft infrastructure necessary for economic development within Kazakhstan’s transforming education system. The authors conducted an interdisciplinary analysis, emphasizing the cognitive and communicative aspects of foreign language education in secondary schools, proposing a model for integrating ICC through the use of information and analytical technologies. The research focuses on personalized education, teacher competencies, and student engagement, with experimental methods applied in a Karaganda-based school. The study aims to identify mechanisms and principles that enhance ICC development, contributing to Kazakhstan’s modernization efforts in fostering globally competitive graduates prepared for the demands of the international arena. This research lays the foundation for further practical experimentation in profiled schools, aligning education with national development goals.

Use of technologies and online presence is now almost inevitable in language learning. The practice of virtual exchanges (VEs) has been receiving a lot of attention among educators at all levels over the past years. This research paper sheds light on 13 VEs carried out in pre-service teacher education in the last six years and proposes its own VE design based on recommendations from the literature with the future perspective of designing a specific VE for the research. The aim of the systematic review was at first to determine the exchange and interaction set-ups and the potential gains in the terms of pre-service teachers’ skills development. Afterwards, we identified areas for improvement and proposed our design of a VE between pre-service teachers of English in Slovakia and Turkey. Some of the expected contributions of the proposed VE design are development of a linguistic and intercultural communicative competence, digital literacy, and other competences relevant for development of VEs.

This study explores the pivotal factors influencing the adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in the banking sector of Vietnam, focusing on the perceptions of its benefits, the competence of accountants, the involvement of managers, and the guidance from the accounting and auditing community. Employing Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) on data collected from 236 professionals across accounting, auditing, banking, and finance, the research reveals that the perceived benefits of IFRS, active managerial participation, and advice from the accounting-auditing community significantly encourage the adoption of IFRS within Vietnamese commercial banks. Interestingly, the competence of accountants was not identified as a significant determinant. These findings suggest a nuanced landscape of IFRS adoption, emphasizing the importance of managerial support and community guidance over individual accountant competence. The study contributes to the broader discourse on IFRS adoption, offering actionable insights for banks, policymakers, and potentially applicable strategies for firms in Vietnam or similarly positioned economies on the path to IFRS compliance.

In the perspective of this article, the intercultural influences are viewed through the lens of educational benefits likely to be acquired by students following international socio-educational exchange programs. A model analysis is proposed based on these benefits on students majoring in economic areas, and it has been based on the perspective of influences through education and interaction with different cultures as compared to those of which the individual belongs to, respectively social influence. The research carried out was based on the observations made throughout a five-year period, between 2013 and 2018, regarding the evolution of students participating in the Erasmus programs. The analysis of the international socio-educational experience of people who studied abroad at a foreign university for a certain period of time was the starting point to design a research methodology so that the proposed topic could be investigated by collecting, structuring and analysing qualitative data, considering the fact that qualitative data will allow the discovery of associations of features, respectively of the benefits of personal experiences, which can only be analysed and perceived through the lens of points of view of those who experienced them. The qualitative research included the analysis of students in economics majors participating in the Erasmus program during the academic year 2018–2019 at a small university. The interview technique was used and the processing and interpretation of the data was carried out using software specific to qualitative research. The analysis carried out focused on the identification of complex connections underlying in the answers received from the respondents, answers that allowed the outlining of conceptual maps related to the research objectives. The purpose of the analysis was to underline the intercultural influences as perceived throughout four processes: individual internalization, socialization, individualization and humanization. These influences are revealed by the outcome of the research, that is the five conceptual maps that have resulted. These conceptual maps represent a starting point for future similar researches.

In this time of ambiguity, change, and conflict, integrating teacher leadership into initial teacher education (ITE) programs is crucial. However, complexities exist regarding ITE quality globally and in Vietnam specifically. This study explores the perceptions of different ITE stakeholders in Vietnam towards teacher leadership and factors that impact prospective teachers’ preparedness for teacher leadership based on the Teacher Leadership Model Standards. Using mixed methods, data were collected from surveys with pre-service teachers, in-service teachers, and teacher educators in various universities that offer ITE programs in Vietnam. Statistical analysis was deployed to identify similarities and differences in the perceptions of the three groups of participants, highlighting that while pre-service and in-service teachers share similar viewpoints toward teacher leadership, those of teacher educators are significantly different in some key areas. Furthermore, thematic analysis of qualitative responses from in-service and pre-service teachers was employed to shed light on their beliefs about the importance of teacher leadership and explore how the ITE programs support or hinder pre-service teachers’ preparedness in developing and validating their leadership skills. The findings of this study will have ramifications for the potential to restructure the ITE programs in Vietnam to better prepare the nation’s future leaders for the education system and society as a whole.

With the deep integration of artificial intelligence technology in education, the development of AI integration capabilities among pre-service teachers—as the core of future educational human resources—has become crucial for enhancing educational quality and driving digital transformation in education. Based on the AI-TPACK (Artificial Intelligence-Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge) theoretical framework, this study employs questionnaire surveys and structural equation modeling to explore the structural characteristics, influencing factors, and formation mechanisms of AI-TPACK competencies among pre-service teachers in Chinese universities. Findings indicate that while pre-service teachers demonstrate moderately high overall AI-TPACK levels, their technical knowledge (AI-TK) and technological integration competencies (e.g., AI-TPK, AI-TCK) remain relatively weak. School technical support, technological attitudes, and technological competence significantly influence their AI-TPACK capabilities, with institutional level and teaching experience serving as important external moderating factors. Building on these findings, this paper proposes a systematic framework for developing pre-service teachers' AI integration capabilities from a human resource development perspective. This framework encompasses four dimensions: curriculum optimization, practice enhancement, resource support, and policy guidance. It aims to provide theoretical foundations and practical pathways for pre-service teacher training and teacher human resource development in higher education institutions.