Growing importance of social and emotional intelligence in higher education and its current challenges

Abstract

The article examines the role of social and emotional intelligence in the educational process and analyses the main challenges affecting its integration into higher education. Social intelligence is understood as the ability to accurately perceive and interpret one’s own and others’ behaviour, and to regulate actions appropriately in various social contexts. It is closely linked to emotional intelligence, which refers to the capacity to recognize, understand, regulate, and effectively use both personal and interpersonal emotions to guide thinking, behaviour, and social interactions. Through the analysis of international research, the article highlights global perspectives on the development of social and emotional intelligence among university students. Despite the evident worldwide acknowledgment of the importance of social and emotional intelligence and the efforts of leading international organizations to promote it, higher education institutions continue to face considerable difficulties in integrating social and emotional learning into their educational systems. The findings reveal a gap between the recognized value of social and emotional learning and its practical implementation in universities, caused by curriculum constraints, limited assessment tools, insufficient educator preparation, cultural and conceptual misunderstandings, and challenges associated with online education. The article proposes recommendations for embedding social and emotional competencies into academic curricula, improving assessment practices, strengthening institutional and teacher support, adopting culturally responsive approaches, and designing interactive digital learning environments. The study suggests that a systematic and context-sensitive integration of social and emotional learning is essential for enhancing students’ academic success, well-being, and readiness for professional and social life.