This systematic review explores the experiences of first-generation international graduate students in the United States. Drawing on the theoretical foundations of Pierre Bourdieu's theory of capital, Tara Yosso's concept of community cultural wealth, and Kimberlé Crenshaw's intersectionality theory, our analysis of 41 peer-reviewed articles revealed four major themes capturing their experiences: (1) sense of belonging, (2) navigating the academic system, (3) mental health and emotional wellbeing, and (4) institutional and structural support. We further analyze the findings using Crenshaw's three dimensions of intersectionality—structural, political, and representational. We interpret these findings as reflections of the layered and intersecting challenges faced by first-generation international graduate students in U.S. higher education while also highlighting the valuable assets and agency that this unique student population brings. Our study offers recommendations for changes in institutional policies, program design, and future research to promote equity and belonging for first-generation international graduate students.

Transnational Education has experienced rapid global expansion over the past three decades, yet there are many underresearched aspects. This study presents the first bibliometric analysis that that covers not only higher education but also other levels of education, including K-12. Drawing on 1,627 Scopus-indexed publications from 1972 to 2023, the findings show significant growth in TNE research, particularly since the 2010s. The UK, Australia, and the US are leading contributors, while Asian countries such as China, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Vietnam are emerging as key players. Thematic patterns vary by sector: internationalisation and institutional concerns dominate in HE, while socio-cultural and language acquisition issues feature prominently in K–12. The study highlights the significance of situating research on international schools in the broader TNE landscape, and identifies research gaps with implications for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers.

International Student Mobility (ISM) is the most popular activity in the internationalization of higher education, and it has grown over the years in terms of numbers and study destinations. This study examines intra-African student mobility using evidence from East Africa and theoretical orientations of critical internationalization, which holds that internationalization thrives on and propagates inequalities between individuals and social systems. The study investigated the extent to which intra-African ISM reproduces social inequalities using data collected through mixed methods and analyzed using SPSS and thematic analysis. The study shows that international students in Uganda are mainly from the East African region and are from the wealthiest families. The findings further indicate that these students and their households seek to reproduce their social status by participating in ISM. However, expanding mobility opportunities in favor of students from lower social classes would make internationalization more equitable and inclusive.

The purpose of this paper is to examine how the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has progressed as an international education hub and assess the development of its innovation capability in alignment with its aim to transition into a knowledge-based economy. Specific developmental indicators derived from secondary data sources are used to assess the UAE's progress in terms of attracting international students and institutions, developing and retaining a skilled workforce, and building capacity to support research and innovation. The paper finds that the UAE has made modest progress in terms of developing its innovation capability, and that it currently lags behind other education hubs in international co-inventions, multi-stakeholder partnerships, and university-industry collaborations. Findings of this study indicate a need for the UAE to takes a more strategic approach to building international partnerships that are informed by its developmental needs, prioritizing both innovation capabilities and regional relevance.

This study examines how intercultural competence, shaped through international student mobility, evolves after return and contributes to returnees’ professional and institutional engagement. Drawing on 96 interviews with individuals from 43 countries who studied in the United Kingdom and the United States, the analysis focuses on five dimensions of intercultural competence—communication, adaptability, flexibility, empathy, and resilience. These competencies were not fixed outcomes of mobility but capacities that developed further as returnees navigated institutional hierarchies, policy environments, and workplace norms. The findings show that intercultural competence is not a static skillset, but a situated process shaped by structural conditions in home-country contexts. Participants applied these evolving competencies across sectors, including education, health, governance, and civil society, informing inclusive leadership, advocacy, and institutional reform. The study contributes to debates on international education by offering a situated account of post-mobility intercultural development and its significance for professional practices and institutional change.

Although claiming to promote South-South internationalization, regional education hubs in the Global South should be viewed as localizing established Global North practices in higher education. By deploying epistemic justice and cognitive empire conceptual tools, this paper argues that establishing institutions to transform a country into a region's educational hub does not translate to recognizing and representing local and regional knowledge systems and languages. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 18 international students representing the international student body from 33 countries at Nazarbayev University. The findings show that international students are attracted by Western higher education, which universities at the center of South-South internationalization promote. Regional educational hubs seek to replicate and align with Western institutions, promoting globally competitive Western epistemology and serving as agents of the cognitive empire. In the process, this undermines Global South concerns about epistemic justice.

Work-life balance in higher education has received coverage due to unmanageable workloads and unsustainable working practices in various countries. We highlight some of the evident and less evident impacts of the neoliberal university on the experiences of academic researchers. We gathered qualitative data at an institution of higher education in the UK by undertaking 55 qualitative interviews and soliciting two forms of written feedback. Analysis of these data suggested that academic researchers who stated they were international migrants may be particularly likely to encounter barriers to work-life balance. We conducted a narrative analysis focusing specifically on these accounts. Loneliness away from close family and friends, a lack of support networks, and a perceived need to impress new employers were all detrimental to work-life balance. We make recommendations for onboarding processes and mentorship opportunities for employees from overseas and enhanced support for international migrant academics who may struggle with work-life balance.

As intercultural perspectives assume a greater emphasis in higher education internationalization, “interculturalization” is gaining prominence. This study builds on a critical incident study where cultural identity experiences related to race, ethnicity, and national origin as well as experiences of ability, education, sexuality, socioeconomic status/class, gender and spiritualty/religion were documented in the globally diverse classroom. This exploratory study examines intercultural processes in the international classroom by asking university instructional faculty to discuss the importance of intercultural learning outcomes as a graduate attribute, describe cultural diversity of the student population at the research site, and validate the critical incident analysis from previous research, thereby investigating local internationalization of the curriculum in a domestic context. The findings indicate that students’ cultural identity experiences provide for opportunities of interculturality. However, domestic students may not see their own internationally connected families as global, which suggests that there is a particular role for international students.

Pursuing transnational higher education (TNHE) has been a trend worldwide. A growing number of Chinese universities offer TNHE through transnational programmes (TPs) and dependent institutions (DIs), which far outnumber international branch campuses (IBCs). While previous studies have explored the reasons for choosing IBCs, few have focused on TPs or DIs. We integrated the push−pull model and the theory of planned behaviour to examine 43 Chinese students’ motivations for enrolling in TPs and DIs in a qualitative study. The findings reveal a unique combination of lower admission requirements and adequate financial ability as key drivers that distinguish these students from those enrolling in IBCs. We highlight 13 essential factors, including influences from social environments, English proficiency, and adaptability, which have not been extensively discussed before. The goal is to continue promoting mobility in TPs and DIs, whereas local universities may need to reflect on their curriculum design to remain attractive.