Abstract: This study sets out to capture the essence of the socio-cultural and academic lived experiences of international students in a private higher education institution as the phenomenon of adjustment has neither been studied extensively nor qualitatively in the South East Asian setting. The narrations of 12 international students from four countries; Nigeria, Korea, India and Indonesia were gathered through prolonged conversational interviews. The interviews were then transcribed verbatim and meaning units identified using the selective and highlighting approach. The formulated meaning units were then arranged into clusters which resulted in five themes. The paper concludes with the discussion of specific implications and recommendations to improve the campus climate for diversity.
Key words: international education, socio-cultural adjustments, academic adjustments, phenomenology, essence.
Abstract: The IES MAP (Model Assessment Practice) for Study Abroad was created in response to the growing need for more effective program development and assessment in international education. The IES MAP focuses on four key areas: the student learning environment; student learning and the development of intercultural competence; resources for academic and student support; and program administration and development. Whilst the development of students’ intellectual abilities is the foremost concern of an academic program, the development of intercultural understanding is also significant, and desired. Many American students perceive Australia as being almost an extension of the United States. Of course they see Australia as ‘different’, but those differences are often anticipated as more ‘cute’, ‘token’ differences, rather than disparities that will actually have a significant impact on their time in Australia. This paper explores the development of intercultural competence in American students studying in Australia using qualitative examples.
Choi, Serene Hyun-Jin, Nieminen, Timo A., Bartylla, C., Bertrand, D., Gong, Y. X., Huber, E., Krüger, K., and Therkildsen, K.
Abstract: We explore the experiences, both positive and negative, of six visiting research students in physics in an Australian university. We consider their motivations for coming to Australia, their take-home impressions of their visits, and what institutions can do to maximise the success of such visits for both the students and the institutions.
Keywords: Visiting students, interns, research experience
Abstract: In late 2006 AEI embarked on a benchmarking nation-wide survey of international students studying in Australia across all sectors. The international student survey sought information about international students ’e xperiences in Australia with respect to: their choices to study in Australia; their level of satisfaction with their education; pastoral and support services; social integration; and life in general. It also examined the future plans and aspirations of international students.
The paper will describe the top nine findings of the survey, highlighting the key issues contrasted across the sectors. This will include the factors most significantly influencing the decision to study in Australia, satisfaction with pre-aarrival information; satisfaction with the course studied; social integration; employment in Australia while studying; and satisfaction with the Australian life and study experience in general.
Keywords: international students, pastoral care, education, support services, social integration
Abstract: In his ministerial statement on internationalisation of education in October 2003, Dr Brendan Nelson stated ‘Internationalisation is a two way process…yet less than 1% of Australian students travel abroad for study’. Many Australian Vice-Chancellors have already mandated student mobility targets of 10% or more, but thus far there has been little communication and sharing of strategies of how to reach these targets. This paper will consider the promotion of outbound programs in relation to some of the main stakeholders. It will review some of the standard promotion and recruitment methods and evaluate other methods and strategies that are integral to the running of a successful outbound mobility program.
Key words: Study abroad, student mobility, exchange programs, student recruitment.
