Prof. Keiko IKEDA
Prof. Keiko IKEDA
Professor, Division of International Affairs, KU-COIL Coordinator,
Kansai University, Japan
Keynote Speech: Digital Competencies for Global Employability: Empowering Future Leaders through Communication and Collaboration
Biography:
Professor Keiko Ikeda is the Vice-Director of Institute for Innovative Global Education (IIGE) at Kansai University, a well-established private university in Osaka, Japan. She has taken the role as the principal project manager for the Inter-University Exchange Project supporting exchange with U.S. universities using COIL-style education (Collaborative Online International Learning) funded by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), which helps to develop global career mindset. Currently she is a few MEXT funded initiatives, namely, JIGE (Japan hub for Innovative Global Education) 2023-2028 and OSIP(Osaka Social Impact Project) 2024-2030.
Abstract:
In today’s global job market, employability depends not only on technical skills but also on human-centered digital competencies—such as intercultural communication, digital empathy, and collaborative problem-solving in virtual environments. This talk highlights how virtual exchange (VE) and COIL interactively develop these competencies, aligning with SDG 4 (Quality Education).
Empirical studies show that VE fosters growth in digital communication, intercultural collaboration, and 21st-century skills across disciplines. These experiences also enhance learners’ adaptability, cultural fluency, and leadership capabilities. The talk will illustrate how educators can design programs to cultivate Virtual Interactional Competence (VIC), digital empathy, and reflective teamwork—skills explicitly valued by global employers. The audience will gain insights into effective curriculum design, competency assessment, and micro-credentialing strategies that identify, certify, and scale these essential traits. By reframing digital competence to center on ethical, communicative, globally competent professionals, this talk offers a powerful vision for human-centered education in the digital age.