Resilience: A “Psychosocial” Competency and Its Role in the Pathways of University Students in Intercultural Research (Pre and Post-COVID19)

Abstract

Rapid changes to the workplace, even more so after the pandemic, demand education in competencies different from strictly disciplinary competencies, competencies which allow the individual to deal with emergencies and which imply a renewal of professional and institutional identity, favoring restructuring, employability and professionalization focused on future needs. In this paper, the focus is on what the author describes as a “psychosocial competency” in light of her theory, or Resilience. Like resilience, this theory, the Three Dimensional Spiral of Sense, involves three interacting and self-sustained levels: micro (individual), meso (organizational) and macro (national). We present two studies in which the impact of Resilience was observed: a) on academic achievement for delayed students, associated with institutions that do little to promote resilience and b) its importance in the shared representations of university students with respect to the competencies necessary for facing new challenges in the workplace. This group was taking part in a bilateral exchange program in France. COVID-19 suddenly placed them in an emergency situation, which demanded flexibility and the ability to adapt (stranded, without financial or health resources and lacking psychosocial support). Both research studies refer to the Quality of university education as regards Achievement, Professionalization, Identity and Employability. Both reveal deficiencies in the education system in terms of coping with crises. The methodologies, respectively, were quantitative (bivariate and multivariate level) and qualitative (techniques: interview and hierarchical evocation). The results of both studies show: a) the relevant role of Resilience with respect to Achievement; b) the lack of development in this regard. Finally, with a view towards transfer and intervention, a proposal is made to create and/or improve resilience and other psychosocial competencies by means of agreed-upon psychosocial support programs.