International Student Connectedness And Identity

This book focuses on the interrelationship between international student connectedness and identity from transnational and transdisciplinary perspectives. It addresses the core issues surrounding international students’ physical and virtual connectedness to people, places and communities as well as the conditions that shape their transnational connectedness and identity formation. Further, it analyses the nature, diversity and complexity of international student connectedness and identity development across different national, social and cultural boundaries.

International Student Mobility presents an autoethnographic study, which follows a group of non-English speaking international students from Taiwan during a period of study in Australia. The study examines the ways in which the students’ sense of identity shifts over time, and why this happens. Hsieh engages Pierre Bourdieu’s notions of capital, habitus and field to develop an understanding of complexity of identity movements and asks to what extent the students see themselves as culturally and linguistically ‘international’, both during their time abroad and upon their return home. Perfect for researchers and advanced students interested in international higher education, International Student Mobility is also an insightful read for those investigating the experiences of Chinese-speaking international students.

This book illuminates international voices of those who feel empowered to do things differently in higher education, providing inspiration to those who are seeking guidance, reassurance, or a beacon of hope. Doing things differently comes with an awareness and curiosity to explore what can be. Increasingly, more and more professionals in higher education are choosing themselves, happiness, families, relationships, kindness, and compassion over arbitrary notions of institutional prestige, continuous pressure to overwork, and competitiveness with others. The chapters in this book do more than highlight flaws in the system, they call for proactive engagement in interrupting and reimagining what is broken. The authors share their own experiences as a way of encouraging readers to take small steps towards self-care, to notice their surroundings, and to embrace change as an empowering tool. The focus is on becoming the change we aspire to see, with a collective readiness to instigate positive transformations. Sharing ambitious ideas to encourage change, this book is a valuable resource for those seeking to enhance their self-care and wellbeing in the higher education context, and for those seeking to engage with others in support of these efforts.

Parallel Societies of International Students in Australia explores the social and cultural spaces that international students occupy in destination countries. It specifically examines the connections they make and the significance of this parallel society in helping them become resilient, empowered and self-sufficient. It further explores the way in which international students become disconnected from the family and friends they left behind at home, as well as from local communities. Drawing on a decade worth of research into the social, cultural, real and digital spaces occupied by international students in Australia, the book also reflects on the biggest challenge humanity has faced in a hundred years; the COVID-19 global pandemic. It considers the impact that the decisions made by the Australian government and international education stakeholders in response to this evolving crisis have had on international students. ​ This book will be of interest to academics and stakeholders involved in international education and working with international students.

Journal of International Students: Vol 10 No S2 (2020): Special Issue: Reflection and Reflective Thinking The Journal of International Students (JIS), an academic, interdisciplinary, and peer-reviewed publication (Print ISSN 2162-3104 & Online ISSN 2166-3750), publishes scholarly peer-reviewed articles on international students in tertiary education, secondary education, and other educational settings that make significant contributions to research, policy, and practice in the internationalization of higher education. This special issue shares 7 papers related to international students and reflection by drawing on Rodgers’ four functions of reflection. We hope that the special issue is of value to the journal’s readership, particularly in regard to assisting both academic and support staff in universities with their work on reflection with international students.

Applying a critical and holistic framework, International Students in Higher Education: Language, Identity, and Experience from a Holistic Perspective explores the lived experiences of four multilingual international students at a Canadian University. Vander Tavares investigates how the students experience life in the host community, construct their multiple identities, and develop their proficiency in the English language. Additionally, Tavares examines the ways in which the institutional context impacts the students’ experiences by foregrounding the voices of domestic students, faculty and support staff, and their experiences and perspectives on international students, multiculturalism, and multilingualism. Drawing from theories of cultural and social psychology, post-structuralism, multilingualism, and a sociocognitive approach to second language acquisition, this project presents rich ethnographic portraits of the students’ experiences. This contextualised and humanised portrayal of the students’ individual journeys challenges the prevailing discourse of deficit that has traditionally been used to characterise the multilingual international student experience. Overall, this book demonstrates that an ethical understanding of multilingual international students’ experiences requires critical attention to the sociocultural and sociolinguistic contexts of their academic communities and a holistic approach that considers the multiple domains of lived experience that the students navigate.

We invite you to explore the 11(1) issue of the Journal of International Students, featuring authors and research focused on Brazil, Canada, China, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, Turkey, and the United States. The cover art, designed by graduate student Tyler Miller-Gordon, shows hands collated and interconnected in an unwinding fashion, displaying a spectrum of skin color, a mix of light and shadow, and the word hope in 100+ languages to reflect solidarity with global social movements addressing systemic racism and socioeconomic inequalities.

Global Perspectives on International Student Experiences in Higher Education examines a wide range of international student experiences empirically from multiple perspectives that includes socio-cultural identities, contextual influences on their learning experiences, their wellbeing experiences, and their post-study experiences. This collection sheds light on the over five million students who cross geographical, cultural, and educational borders for higher education outside of their home countries. This book consists of nineteen chapters spread across four sections. Throughout the book, contributors question the existing assumptions and values of international student programs and services, reexamine and explore new perspectives to present the emerging challenges and critical evaluations of student experiences and their identities. Offering a rich understanding of these students and their global college experiences in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and Americas, this book offers research-based strategies to effectively recruit, engage, support, and retain international students as they participate in higher educational settings around the world. This book provides resource material to benefit educators, policymakers, and staff who work closely with international students in higher education.