Adaptive Curriculum, Digital Literacy, and Global Collaboration for Enhancing Multicultural Competence in Higher Education

The objective of this study was to examine the impact of adaptive curriculum, digital literacy, and global cooperation on the multicultural competence of undergraduate university students. A structured questionnaire was disseminated to 700 students from various higher education institutions in Indonesia, who were identified using purposive sampling, and the data were processed with a quantitative research approach. The validity and reliability of these instruments have been confirmed by exploratory factor analysis and Cronbach's alpha. The hypotheses were tested using multiple regression analysis. The findings indicated that an adaptive curriculum (? = 0.342, p < 0.01), digital literacy (? = 0.416, p < 0.001), and global collaboration (? = 0.289, p < 0.05) all significantly and positively contribute to the development of multicultural competence. Digital literacy emerged as the most robust predictor. These results indicate that digitally enhanced and globally oriented pedagogical strategies should be incorporated into adaptive curricula. The study makes a theoretical contribution by establishing a link between the constructs of education innovation and intercultural competence under the umbrella of global learning. The results offer practical insights to educational policymakers and university leaders on curriculum structures that foster inclusive, globally relevant skill sets. The recommendation includes strengthening digital platforms and international cooperation in teaching models to ensure students are better prepared for different cultural environments.