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This study examines the experiences of international students at the University of Toledo, where international students comprise approximately 10 per cent of the student population. It highlights problems international students experience such as adapting to a new culture, English language problems, financial problems and lack of understanding from the broader University community. Recommendations for improvement include initiatives to raise the profile of international students, improved financial assistance and scholarships, and creating opportunities for international students to improve their spoken English skills.

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A growing number of Chinese-born international students are seeking permanent residency and paid employment in New Zealand after graduation. As yet, little is known about their post-study transitions to permanent residency and paid employment. This article reports on research investigating the transition experiences of 10 Chinese-born international students. The theoretical framing is provided by accounts of Chinese cultural values, experiences of Chinese-born skilled migrants and aspects of adult career development. Data were collected using a thematic interview guide focusing on occupational choice, organisational entry and early career experiences. The participants used a variety of techniques described in traditional career development models to find employment and to develop their early career. The students attributed their success in gaining employment to obtaining permanent residency before seeking work, language proficiency, networks developed during their study years, and having a recognised New Zealand qualification.

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This final report of the Baird review of the legislation that governs international education in Australia makes a series of recommendations for reform. These include: (1) more support for international students and improved information; (2) stronger consumer protection mechanisms to ensure students are protected from unscrupulous operators; (3) improved regulation of Australia’s international education sector; and (4) improved support for those who study and live in Australia including having somewhere to go when problems arise. Show less

In recent years there has been a significant growth in the number of international students. In several developed countries the inflow of foreign tertiary students has become a significant source of income for higher education (HE) providers and the economy as a whole. This net inflow of foreign students has been indirectly and, more recently, directly encouraged by government policies in these countries. However, this ‘trade’ in HE is unbalanced, with low-income countries being significant net ‘importers’ of HE. Here we review the theoretical and empirical literature to reassess the impact of this growth of international students on the extent and pattern of global income inequality. We conclude that the benefits from the growth of trade in HE accrue predominantly to developed countries, with the costs being disproportionately borne by the poorest countries. Analysis is presented explaining why national and pan-national policies are unlikely to rectify this imbalance.

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Asia-born New Zealand-educated business students and graduates involved in [the authors'] ongoing longitudinal study identified community engagement as a key factor facilitating successful study to work transitions in New Zealand and elsewhere. Graduates noted the strategic value of social engagement for developing contacts that may know of work opportunities and/or provide positive recommendations to prospective employers. They also highlighted the value of work-related community engagement (for example, volunteer, temporary and part-time work opportunities) for providing experience, social connection, and employment-related links. Some graduates in the study had as yet been unable to gain employment. These emphasised the protective function of community engagement in facilitating a sense of wellbeing; and providing a chance to 'prove oneself', learn new skills, and gain experience. Conversely, other graduates identified a lack of community engagement as limiting their work prospects and resulting in a sense of isolation or despair.

In this paper [the authors] use 'community engagement' as a framework for outlining results from phase two of the study (conducted during 2009-2010). After reviewing some academic literature on community engagement and higher education, [the authors] describe the study to date, and discuss how community engagement (or a lack of community engagement) emerged in graduates' accounts of their study to work pathways. To conclude, [the authors] outline graduates' suggestions as to how immigration policy, higher education institutions, and business schools might more effectively foster students' community engagement both pre and post-graduation, thereby facilitating their successful study to work transitions.

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The mandatory inclusion of generic skills and attributes in policy documents of Australian universities has attracted considerable debate and controversy. One aspect neglected in the discussion is whether generic skills and attributes defined by Western society are relevant for all students, including international students returning to their home country after graduation. Using an interpretive research framework of narrative inquiry and iterative content analysis supported by participant observation, the findings from this study suggest that the Australian university experience is a minor contributor to the development of generic skills and attributes among international students and that the relevance of these generic skills and attributes to the professional careers of international students is dependent on the social and political context, culture, opportunity and individual status within the community.

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2009 was a bad year for Australia’s international vocational education and training (VET) industry. Racism affecting international students on the streets and in the national media discouraged students from applying to study in Australia and made international education the centre of political controversy. In such an environment it has been easy to lose sight of the teaching and learning processes that are at the heart of VET for international students. This paper reports on part of a research project, funded by Service Skills Australia, that examined VET practitioners in the service industries. As part of that project the author carried out case studies in two registered training organisations (RTOs) that delivered training to substantial numbers of hospitality students and interviewed senior managers from four other RTOs. Staff and students alike reported on the benefits of having international students enrolled in their courses, and reported instances of good practice in pedagogy that have implications well beyond the international student cohort.

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The increase in numbers of international students who have English as a second language (ESL) and are studying in English-medium universities has renewed the emphasis of English language development in higher education, particularly concerning academic writing. Much of the discussion has concentrated on developing best practices in providing support via Language and Academic Support (LAS) programs. However, the main challenge in recent years has focused on integrating disciplinary and language learning. What has been largely missing from the discussion are the views of lecturers and students regarding the strategies they use to develop academic writing in the discipline. This paper addresses this issue. The analysis reveals that academic writing within the disciplines is largely an individual endeavor for both lecturers and their students. Lecturers focus on explaining what skills students are required to demonstrate in their assignments, but students are more concerned with understanding how they can develop these skills. The implications are discussed concerning the development of a whole institutional approach for integrating language and disciplinary teaching.

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A significant body of work has emerged over the last 10 years investigating the experiences of international university students. These studies have covered various challenges faced by some groups of international students relating to culture, language and integration and have been prompted by the increase in international students studying in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. A smaller strand of research has also begun to focus on the experiences, perspectives and reactions of academic staff who have seen the composition of their cohorts change substantially over recent years in terms of numbers of international participants. This article reviews relevant literature in this field, reporting on a questionnaire study based at two UK post-92 universities. Respondents associated a range of traits with international students and suggested that the increasing number of international students enhanced the environment, but also required a higher level of support. This study also found that staff resorted to informal methods when developing means of adapting their practices to the increasing number of international students, preferring discussion with colleagues and students themselves to formal development programmes or advice from specialist departments such as student support. The article concludes that in order to encourage diversity in a meaningful way, universities need to recognise the challenge of increased numbers of international students and support staff accordingly.

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Recent studies found that more students were increasingly engaged with part-time work. However, research remained ambivalent about the part-time work experiences of doctoral students in Australia. Although it was evident that paid work could provide monetary support for doctoral students' education and living expenses, it remained uncertain why they were motivated to work when most of them were being funded by scholarship programs. Further, as doctoral students often belonged to different age groups as compared to their undergraduate counterparts, current research on students' paid work may have limited applicability. Thus this paper aimed to conceptualise how doctoral students construct their work experiences in Australia. In the process, it would also identify whether there were any significant differences in work experiences between international and domestic doctoral students. This study would utilise a series of semi-structured interviews with 20 domestic and 20 international doctoral students in Victoria, Australia.

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