Culturally Responsive AI: Enhancing Student Engagement and Belonging in Transnational Education

Transnational education (TNE) broadens global learning but often overlooks students' cultural identities, resulting in exclusion and “spiritual homelessness.” This paper examines how culturally responsive artificial intelligence (AI) can enhance engagement, dialogue, and belonging across diverse educational contexts. It critiques standardized AI systems that reinforce dominant norms and misinterpret culturally shaped learning behaviours, proposing adaptive, culturally aware tools that respond to learners' linguistic, cultural, and relational needs. Such AI promotes inclusion, empathy, and identity affirmation. The paper calls for inclusive leadership, faculty development, and ethical governance, arguing that diversity in AI design is vital to equity, innovation, and human-centered education.