International and Comparative Education Commons^™

International Students And Spiritual Capital: Meditation As A Tool To Support Student Well-Being, Anna Grigoreva, Anna Lytkina

Journal of Contemplative and Holistic Education

In a new academic environment, international students often face more than just academic challenges, as they also navigate cultural adjustment, identity shifts, digital overload and emotional stress. These multidimensional challenges are further intensified by performance pressures and rapidly evolving educational technologies. This article explores the role of meditation as a contemplative practice that may support international students’ adaptation within the American higher education system. The article focuses on how international students draw upon inner strength, purpose, and resilience to navigate and sustain themselves through periods of transition and difficulty. Using autoethnography as a primary methodological approach, the authors analyze their …

Old Wine New Bottles: Racial Microaggressions Experiences Of Black African International Students In England, Solomon A. Zewolde

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

Despite increasing attention to inequality in higher education, the everyday experiences of Black students and how they navigate racialized environments remain underexplored. This study examined Black African international undergraduates’ experiences of racial microaggression and their coping strategies in the context of higher education in England. Drawing on Critical Race Theory, a qualitative approach was used to analyze the accounts of 16 undergraduates studying in 11 English universities.  Findings indicate that students experienced racialized challenges along two interrelated dimensions: identity-based marginalization (including assumptions of poor/inferior previous education in Africa and pathologizing discourse) and social exclusion (including devaluation of classroom contributions, invisibility, …

The Prevalence And Landscape Of Accent Reduction Programs At Us Institutions Of Higher Education, Sandra Greene, Katie Hopkins, Melissa Whatley, Christina W Yao

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

Many institutions offering accent reduction programs claim they help international staff and students modify their accent, thereby helping them be more successful within the context of higher education. Despite accent reduction programs being labeled as predatorial, deficit-laden, and pathologizing of accents, programs continue to proliferate on college campuses while perpetuating English language dominance, linguistic racism, and the hierarchization of Englishes. Yet, there is limited research on the scope of these programs within higher education. This descriptive study, informed by QuantCrit, adds to the existing literature by highlighting the landscape and characteristics of the approximately 9% of institutions of higher education …

“It’S Very Racialized And Very Politicized”: International Educators Recount The Campus And Local Climate For International Students, Amanda R. Corso, Gaurav Harshe, Chrystal George Mwangi, Christina W Yao

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

International educators have served as the primary support system for international students and are responsible for supporting international students through navigating racist encounters often without feeling adequately prepared (George Mwangi et al., 2025; Yao et al., 2019). With a diverse learning environment model as our framework, our study explored how international educators in the United States make sense of their racialized local and campus contexts, specifically in their work with international students. Using a three-dimensional approach to narrative inquiry, we interviewed 31 participants from New York, Massachusetts, California, and Michigan who worked in international student and scholar offices. Our findings …

Not Quite Foreign, Never Fully Belonging: Racialization Of Southbound Policy Students In Taiwan, Garima Jha

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

This paper critically examines how race and racialization shape the socio-cultural adjustment experiences of international students from New Southbound policy (NSP) countries in Taiwan. Drawing from a qualitative part conducted for my master’s thesis, which explored the coping strategies and adjustment processes of seven students from Southeast and South Asia through semi-structured interview, I reframe the data to center race as an analytical lens using the conceptual framework proposed by Glasgow (2009) which explains that racialization as the process through which social meanings are attached to perceived cultural or bodily differences, creating and maintaining hierarchies among groups. and Brondolo et …

The Experience Of South Asian International Students In Online Classes, Ashima Sitaula

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a widespread shift to online education, compelling higher education institutions to reassess their delivery methods. South Asian international students, a significant global demographic, were particularly affected. This qualitative study examines how South Asian international graduate students experience online learning at U.S. universities and the strategies they use to succeed. Guided by the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework, the research addresses two questions: (1) What are the experiences faced by South Asian international students in online classes? and (2) What tools and strategies do they use to enhance their online learning experience? Participants were ten graduate students …

Culture Shock Among International Students In U.S. Higher Education, Pablo A. Gutierrez Cervantes

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

International students continue to represent a vital and growing population within U.S. higher education; however, many encounter significant cultural, academic, and emotional challenges during their transition to American institutions. This qualitative thematic analysis study explored the lived experiences of international students navigating culture shock in U.S. higher education and examined how these experiences influenced their academic adjustment, social integration, and psychological well-being. Grounded in Kim’s Integrative Theory of Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Schlossberg’s Transition Theory, this study sought to understand how students made meaning of their cultural transition and what personal and institutional factors facilitated or hindered their adaptation.

Nine international …

Experiences Of Culturally Engaging Advising Among South Korean Doctoral Students: A Collaborative Autoethnography, Sarang Kim, Hanna Kim, Seyoung Hong, Eun Jung Paik

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

Empirical research on culturally engaging advising (CEA) for international graduate students, particularly in relation to their cultural backgrounds and identities, remains limited. This study addresses this gap by employing collaborative autoethnography and drawing on CEA and intersectionality frameworks to examine the experiences of four South Korean women doctoral students in the social sciences. Findings highlight challenges these students face due to their intersectional identities as Asian, Korean women and non-native English speakers. Findings also demonstrate ways in which CEA can be tailored to suit their needs. This study contributes to comparative and international higher education by offering insights on supporting …

Administering Surveys To International Undergraduates—Recommendations For Best Practices, Ricardo Paniagua, Barry Fass-Holmes

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

Researchers and educators historically have administered surveys to collect data, track perceptions, and/or solicit opinions from undergraduates, including internationals, attending American institutions. To promote survey responses’ generalizability, the present report advocates the following recommendations for best practices in survey administration. 1) Use stratified random sampling methodology to identify which specific subset of students from the campus’ source population to invite to the survey. 2) Strive for, design, and implement an administration process that achieves a high response rate (preferably above 90%). 3) Choose an incentive that is truly salient for survey invitees to recruit and reward them for their time. …

A Model Of International Student Retention, Dylan Rust

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

This paper presents a model of international student retention influences that affect these students’ decisions to remain at a university in the United States. The levels of the model, in order of importance, are intentions/background characteristics and finances, academic integration, cultural identity, and social integration. Intentions/background characteristics and finances are related to and influence each other in terms of their impact on retention. While multiple retention theories focus on the socialization of college students, this model posits that financial and academic factors have greater influence. The paper also discusses the influence that being a non-immigrant visa status international student has …

Globalizing The Engineering Job Market: Optimizing Engineering Career Expos To Serve International Students, Hailey A. Hesseltine

Journal of Global Education and Research

As the United States hosts approximately one million international students annually, it becomes imperative that on-campus resources are tailored to meet the needs of this diverse student population. One on-campus resource that is crucial to student success is career services, especially considering the aspirations of many international students to secure employment post-graduation. To address this, this study aimed to understand the satisfaction levels of international engineering students with an engineering career expo in Hawaiʻi. Utilizing a combination of surveys and interviews using a neo-racism framework, international students shared their experiences from the career expo through discussion and assessment. Information given …

A Critical Examination Of International Education Mobility Regimes: Comparative Insights From Vietnamese Students In Canada, France, And The United Kingdom, Anne-Cécile Delaissea, Tamsin Barberb, Suzanne Huota

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

Amidst the neoliberal commodification of international education, countries have taken various approaches to governing international students’ mobilities. This paper examines Vietnamese students’ navigation of different ‘regimes of mobility’ in Canada, France and the United Kingdom (UK). Drawing on Manderscheid’s (2020) “critique of mobility” we highlight how these regimes vary not only in openness, but also in the power dynamics they perpetuate. Based on two qualitative interpretive studies, including 25 interviews with Vietnamese students in Vancouver, Paris, and the UK (London, Northampton and Aberdeen), our thematic analysis addresses how mobility regimes affect students’ choice of destination, legal status, and post-graduation plans. …

Mobility, Migration, And Cultural Political Economy: Personal Narratives Of Immigration Policy, Max Crumley-Effinger

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

This study embraces the opportunity to explore students’ immigration experiences from a cultural political economy (CPE) perspective, beginning with a review of literature relevant to understanding students’ perspectives of host nation international student mobility and migration (ISM) policy, followed by an outline of the CPE theoretical framework. The study’s methodology is presented, outlining how findings were obtained through a qualitative content analysis of interviews with 40 international students studying in Australia, Canada, and the United States. Findings are then presented through the words of study participants, highlighting how international students connect their ISM policy experiences with the local CPE contexts …

Priming Students From Confucian-Heritage Culture For Success: Lessons From Music Pedagogy, Amanda Li

2026 Scholarly Teaching Conference: Concurrent Session Papers

Rising to more than 1.1 million in 2024, the number of international students in the United States continues to be a significant portion of the student population in higher education. Although no definitive number is readily available, anecdotal and my personal teaching experiences suggest that a sizable number of international students studying music in the United States are Chinese-native speakers from Confucian Heritage Cultures (CHC).

Much of the literature on Chinese international students is non-discipline specific, treating them as a homogenous whole. These students’ challenges and coping strategies are commonly categorized into language- and culture-related issues, which are inevitably intertwined. …

The Role Of International Student Office Directors In Facilitating The Transitional Adjustment Of International Students In U.S Higher Education, Agnes Afi Yigah

Masters Theses

This qualitative study explored how International Student Office Directors facilitate the transitional adjustment of international students in U.S. higher education institutions. Guided by Schlossberg’s Transition Theory (1981) and Schlossberg’s Mattering and Marginality Theory (1989), this study examined the challenges international students face, the support strategies implemented by International Student Office Directors, and the institutional factors influencing student adjustment and well-being. International students experience challenges related to housing and logistical adjustment, financial and immigration-related stressors, academic system adjustment and self-advocacy, and social integration and emotional adjustment. Proactive and holistic support approaches, including pre-arrival communication, orientation programs, academic support, emotional support, and …

Internationalization Of Indian Higher Education: Mapping The Origins And Academic Choices Of International Students, Sanjeev Kumar Jha

Journal of Global Education and Research

This study explores the geographical origins, academic preferences, and key factors influencing the enrollment of international students in Indian higher education institutions. Drawing on primary data from interviews with 25 international students and secondary data from All India Survey on Higher Education reports, it provides an in-depth analysis of student mobility trends and factors shaping their choices. The results indicate that the international student enrollment is significantly below the Indian government’s target of 500,000 by 2024. Students come from Nepal, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bhutan, and Nigeria, with Karnataka and Punjab emerging as the most preferred states within India. Engineering, particularly …

Assessing The International Students’ Engagement Associated With The Student Government Organizations: “Bridging” The Gap In Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary, Laura Alzmeter, Rejubi Peter Enim, Zoltán Rónay

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

The growing interest of students in participating in higher education has contributed to several declarations claiming the importance of engagement in university life and university governance. Following this pattern, with more international students on higher education mobility, previous researchers have primarily relied on studying those patterns correlated together. At Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE), the International Strategy Office has conducted quantitative research examining the significant problems that the international students identify at the host institution, focusing on the ways of improvements, and finding out how could international students bridge the gap in a representative body that includes them in the decision-making. …

An Investigation Of International Students’ Satisfaction With Their University Experience Using An Expectation Confirmation Theory Lens, Mehraz Sarker, Jonathan Worae, Jason D. Edgerton

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

This study examines how various challenges and support systems influence international students’ satisfaction, as reflected in their intention to recommend their university. Using the Expectation Confirmation Theory (ECT), it examines whether students’ initial expectations moderate the relationships between challenges and satisfaction, and between institutional support and satisfaction. Analysis of survey data (N = 712) indicates that the majority of international students report satisfaction with their university experience. Ordinal logistic regression analyses reveal that perceived institutional support and higher initial expectations are associated with increased likelihood of recommending the university. Conversely, academic and discrimination challenges are associated with decreased likelihood of …

Cultivating A Sense Of Community: International Students Navigating Community Engaged Learning Opportunities In Line With Their Social Goals, Katherine Lyon, Nicole Malette

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

International students often envision their time studying abroad with particular academic, professional, social, linguistic, and identity-related goals in mind (Fong, 2011; Jones, 2013; Montgomery & McDowell, 2009; Page, 2019; Page & Chahboun, 2019). Post-secondary institutions can provide resources and opportunities to help this heterogeneous group of students bring their vision into fruition. One such opportunity is community engaged learning (CEL), which has been shown to help students expand their social and academic abilities as they make contributions to an organization (Arnold, 2019; Greenberg, London & McKay, 2020; Mayer et al., 2019). Through in-depth interviews with 25 new international students who …

Do Micro-Level Support Areas Impact International Students’ Perceived Academic Success?, Taiwo O. Soetan

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

This study examined the micro-level support areas for international students at a higher education institution (polytechnic) in Canada to determine their perceived academic success using the Bronfenbrenner theory of human development at the micro-level. A quantitative study was conducted to measure the impact of micro-level support areas on international student’s perceived academic success. A target sample of 399 international students was recruited to participate in a hard copy, one on one survey in the 2019 winter semester. The results of this study show that international students’ support areas at the micro-level were strongly related to their perceived academic success. The …

Highlighting Lgbtq+ International Students Activism Via Participatory Theatre, Fatemeh Gharibi

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

This research explores the political activism of LGBTQ+ international students (LGBTQ+ IS) in the Greater Toronto Area in Canada. Building on critical scholarship in research with international students and drawing from queer, feminist, and decolonial frameworks, the study aims to create a space for collective voices and respond to the current political climate of crackdowns on free speech and rising anti-immigrant and anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments. The study employs participatory theatre to understand LGBTQ+ IS’s activist practices in relation to their intersecting identities. The production may contribute to raising public awareness about the challenges faced by these students and their leadership in …

​​Alumni Voices: Uk Graduates, Global Influence​, Alexander Towne, Sladana Krstic

Higher education research

The Alumni UK network offers a unique opportunity to understand the perceptions, behaviours and influence of international alumni of a UK education. This report interrogates the second round of the British Council’s Alumni Voices longitudinal study data conducted online between November 2024 and January 2025. In total there were 3,094 participants in the survey from 123 countries. 892 of these were the same respondents from Round 1 (this same survey being administered in 2023–2024). This report focuses on two key areas that highlight the benefits of international alumni to the UK: advocacy for the UK and UK education; and alumni …

Between Two Worlds: A Case Study Of Third Culture Identity And Reentry For Unl International Students, John S. Tessalee

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Third Culture Kids (TCKs) and international students share many commonalities, such as their globalized nature, adaptability, and the adoption of cultural components from their host country versus their home country. However, they contain enough differences to be considered separate groups. Traditionally, people need to be immersed in a culture different from their parents’ culture between the ages of 0 and 18 to be considered a TCK, whereas international students are typically between 18 and 24 years old by the time they attend universities overseas. The cultural absorption of TCKs in their formative years is usually greater than that of international …

Caught In Citizenship Limbo: Lessons From The 2025 International Student Visa Crisis In The U.S, Jinke He

Critical Internationalization Studies Review

No abstract provided.

The Global Classroom: A Phenomenological Study Of International Student Experiences In A Reimagined Intercultural Communication Course, Crystal Bock Thiessen

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This dissertation examines the experiences of multilingual international student participants who took part in a semester-long intercultural communication course that was purposefully designed and implemented with half enrollment each of domestic and international students at a Midwestern American university. Despite university efforts towards internationalization, they often fall short of the meaningful engagement needed truly promote intercultural and mutual understanding. International and domestic students share classroom and other spaces on campus, yet they remain overwhelmingly disconnected from one another. Using phenomenology and Baker’s (2011) model of Intercultural Awareness, this study analyzed the international students’ experience in this course to learn more …

The Emotional Geographies Of Vietnamese Students In Australia, Anh N.Q. Phan, Ha H. Nguyen, Thuy T. Nguyen, Tho X. Pham

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Practice Implications For Supporting International Students’ Racial Learning In The Us, Mianmian Fei

Critical Internationalization Studies Review

No abstract provided.

Reimagining Career Services' Role In International Students' Higher-Education-To-U.S.-Work Transition, Evan W. Faidley

New York Journal of Student Affairs

International students’ job search experience encompasses cultural and learning experiences from home and host country living. The higher education-to-work transition of international students to meet their career goal in working in the United States requires attention of both international students and higher education administrators. This literature review explores the intersection of the international student experience, their career development, and the advising/support received by career services professionals. A clearer understanding of international students through a six-dimension binary cultural lens (Hofstede, 2011) affords professionals the knowledge and work with students’ existing understanding of home and host cultural norms and job seeking.

International Higher Education: A Discussion On The College Experience For International Students Who Identify As Lgbt+ And Development Of An Interview Tool, Jacob W. Werst, Brandon B. Million

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Understanding And Helping International Students Cope When Catastrophes Strike In Their Home Countries: A Qualitative Study, Zubeyde Akpakir, Radha J. Horton-Parker

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

This study explores the experiences of international students in the United States who come from countries that have been, or are being, affected by catastrophic events. The aim of the study is to understand the challenges such students face and to formulate supportive strategies that address these challenges. Utilizing the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), the study delves into the lived experiences of five international PhD students from Turkey, Ukraine, and Iran—nations that have recently experienced significant disasters or unrest. The study highlights the need for the development of effective personalized support from academic institutions, faculty, and peers. Through offering critical …