Cross-Cultural Learning in Digital Spaces: A Qualitative Analysis of Palestinian Students in Virtual Exchange

This article examines the experiences of Palestinian students at An-Najah National University who participated in the Soliya virtual exchange program between 2023 and 2025. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), the study explores how students participated in intercultural dialogue, political expression, and academic growth under Israeli occupation, mobility restrictions, and digital inequity. Thirteen undergraduate participants from different majors provided testimonies through interviews and written reflections. Findings show that initial fears of linguistic inadequacy and cultural misunderstanding shifted into confidence, agency, and critical engagement through sustained, thoughtfully mediated dialogue. Communicating in English as a second language strengthened students’ self-expression and sense of identity in meaningful ways. Dialogue became a transformative practice through which they negotiated belonging and asserted narrative presence in intercultural encounters. Virtual exchange offered a safe space for political witnessing, enabling students to articulate experiences of occupation and genocide while cultivating empathy, leadership, critical thinking, and a broader ethical awareness.