Chris Nyland, Helen Forbes-Mewett, Simon Marginson, Gaby Ramia, Erlenawati Sawir, Sharon Smith
Abstract: The growth of the international education market has generated a community of student-workers that is vulnerable, growing and under-researched. Drawing on interviews with 200 international students, we show that a very high proportion of these students are employed and that this workforce is segmented and that while all student workforces are segmented, many international students must accept forms of work and levels of payment unacceptable to locals. Little has been done to ensure the rights of these workers are protected and we suggest this situation requires resolution.
Keywords: international students, workforce, employment
Abstract: This paper examines the academic performance in a longitudinal study or group of 25 students who were admitted to an Australian University in 2004. The cohort all studied secondary education and made application to the University through Tertiary Admission Centre. Quantitative data examining the performance for this group has been collected at the conclusion of each semester or total of 7 semesters, living a data et panning for the proposed three years bachelor degree programs that most students were enrolled in. The quantitative data which focuses on the outcomes, results and grade point averages(GPA ’s) or this group between 2004 and July 2007 is presented.
Keywords: academic performance, international students, transition, high school, tertiary
Abstract: Being a mentor to International Students in the Faculty of Business and Computing at a polytechnic in New Zealand, the author has experienced the trials and tribulations of International Students first hand. They begin fresh faced with many expectations, but very soon find that things are not as easy as expected. Some graduates have indicated that they have found it nearly impossible to find jobs and that they are not really well equipped to find good jobs. The main reason mentioned was poor English, even after several years spent in an English-speaking environment. The main regrets were choosing not to live with English-speaking families or flatmates and not having made more of an effort to socialise with local students during their years of study.
The proposed research intends to find out the variety of social and academic choices that are made by International Students in business and computing, together with their supporting reasons. The proposed research also intends to find out if these students would make the same choices given a second chance and what could have helped them make better choices. In-depth interviews will be conducted with current and graduate International Students with final numbers yet to be determined. This paper will focus on choices made by students, the reasons for these choices and what could have helped them make better choices.
Keywords: International Students, choices made, reasons for choices, second chances
Abstract: Designed and implemented as a joint project between International student services and the Research Students Centre and overseen by the Dean of Graduate Studies, RIS offers a series of intensive classes, presentations and workshops to new international research students at QUT. The core purpose of this program is to help international research students become familiar with the linguistic and academic expectations as well as the cultural conventions required to undertake research at QUT.
This program has been running since 2005 and over 200 students have successfully participated. In 2007 we faced a considerable challenge in that numbers for the course tripled and we were asked to increasingly liaise with and involve academic staff and students ’ supervisors in the course. This presentation will provide background information about how we met these challenges and the key factors in its success.
Keywords: Interntational student services, international research students, academic expectations
Abstract: Asian students need to be considered within New Zealand’s broader engagement with Asia. The New Zealand government has invested significant funding into recruiting international students; professional development for those working with international students; and research into the experiences of international students in New Zealand. Only limited research has investigated the experiences and implications of international students returning to their countries of origin and it has been within frames of either development studies (McGrath, 1998) or sociology (Butcher, 2003), with focus on challenges international students’ face in their re-entry experiences. This paper seeks to consider Asian students within international relations more broadly. In particular, this paper asks how Asian students who have studied in New Zealand could be nurtured as friends and allies of New Zealand longer term.
Keywords: international students, asian students, recruitment, New Zealand, re-entry experiences.
