International Student Services Research Articles

The Impact of Medical Education Quality on Career Adaptability for International Students in China: The Mediating Role of Proactive Career Planning Behavior

Background: The quality of medical education plays a significant role in shaping the career outcomes of international students. As they navigate the challenges of their studies and career paths in a foreign country, understanding the elements that influence their career adaptability is essential. Objective: This study aims to examine the impact of medical education quality on career adaptability among international students in China and to emphasize the mediating role of proactive career planning behavior. It also investigates challenges related to cultural adjustment. Methodology: A quantitative technique is employed in a cross-sectional survey of international medical students in China. Information was collected from 575 valid responses through structured questionnaires. The research utilizes regression analysis and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to assess the relationships between medical education quality, career adaptability, proactive career planning behavior, and cultural adjustment challenges. Result: The evaluation revealed that medical education quality positively influences career adaptability (p < 0.001, β = 0.45). Proactive career planning behavior was found to positively influence career adaptability (p < 0.001, β = 0.38). Medical education quality positively influences proactive career planning behavior (p < 0.001, β = 0.50), and proactive career planning behavior mediated the connection between medical education quality and career adaptability (p = 0.013, β = 0.20). Cultural adjustment challenges moderated the relationship between medical education quality and career adaptability, with a significant interaction effect (p = 0.032, β = -0.15). Conclusion: The research emphasizes the significance of high-quality medical education in promoting career adaptability among international students, highlighting proactive career planning and examining cultural adjustment challenges for optimal career outcomes. These insights can inform educational practices and support services for international medical students, aiming to enhance their career readiness and adaptability in a global context.

International student support service components that add value from the student’s perspective: the case of Indian higher education

International student support service components that add value from the student’s perspective: the case of Indian higher education

Cultural shocks: understanding the impact on international students' academic journey at Yogyakarta, Indonesia

This study explores the experiences of international students who face cultural shock when starting higher education in Indonesia. Cultural shock manifests itself in a variety of ways, including changes in food, societal norms, behaviour, language, and religion, which cause students to experience stress, anxiety, and depression. The study investigates the coping mechanisms of the students, which include maintaining communication with locals, friends and family, engaging with Indonesian peers and immersing themselves in local culture. Despite initial difficulties, students gradually adjust to their new academic environment, aided by language proficiency, supportive university communities, and cultural assimilation within the curriculum. The findings emphasise the importance of predeparture education in terms of study programmes and their global implications, as well as fostering receptivity to diverse cultures and understanding cultural differences in order to facilitate effective adaptation and academic success abroad. Limitations include the subjective nature of experiences and the need for further investigation of specific cultural adaptation strategies. The recommendations include providing comprehensive support services for international students and incorporating cultural education into academic curricula.

To Learn but Not Live Together? The Early History of the University of British Columbia’s International House

Abstract The University of British Columbia (UBC) opened Canada’s first International House (I-House) in 1959 after a decade of activism from students and faculty. Students had demanded an I-House to help them find housing, and to ensure that “brotherhood may prevail,” as the I-House motto promised. The I-House campaign received support from community groups that raised the funds to build the UBC I-House. UBC’s administration wanted I-House as a social center that could coordinate fledgling international student services and resisted the residential I-House model. Ultimately, UBC’s administrators won out and the residential component was never built. This paper examines the conflict about building a residence to house international and domestic students together, chronicling the competing visions of international student policy and services that were circulating at one of Canada’s largest universities in the early days of the Cold War.

The theory of international student development

ABSTRACT Current student development theories are mostly grounded in the experiences of domestic students in North America. The increasing portion of the international students in the post-secondary student population has created a glaring gap for a unique theory of international student development. A unique theory for international student development, with a focus on their intercultural learning experiences, will serve as a necessary theoretical foundation for international student programmes and services that are offered in most hosting universities of international students as an overlay on top of general student services. Through a critical review of existing literature, this paper endeavours to develop a coherent theory of international student development that endorses a critical and post-structural approach to the key issues of intercultural identity, intercultural competence and intercultural adaptation for international students.

Discussion on Cultural Integration and Educational Services for International Students from the Perspective of Situational Communication

From the perspective of situational communication, this paper aims to explore how to promote cultural integration and provide better educational services for international students in China. This paper first analyzes the basic assumptions and key factors of situational communication based on international students in China. Secondly, the relationship between situational communication and cultural integration and educational services for international students in China is discussed in depth. Additionally, the role of situational communication in educational services for international students in China, such as promoting cross-cultural communication, solving language barriers, and enhancing mutual understanding, is proposed. Lastly, from the perspective of situational communication, an optimization path of educational services and cultural integration for international students in China is proposed, including the provision of diversified educational resources, the enhancement of cross-cultural communication, and the establishment of an effective communication mechanism. This study expands the perspective of educational services for international students in China, provides a new theoretical framework and practical path, and offers a reference for promoting cultural integration and improving educational services for international students in China.

Structural Components of Inclusive Counseling Services for International University Students

This study aimed to investigate the structural components of higher education counseling services for international students through an inclusive approach. Data were collected via in-depth interviews with 32 participants including faculty, staff, and students and analyzed thematically. The themes that emerged included the necessity of aligning counseling services with the mission of education; the value of universal support and guidance; the benefits of collaboration among counseling units and other service providers; the need for counseling services to be designed for both providers and students; economic constraints and staffing shortages; impact of social, historical, and cultural factors on international students’ counseling needs; and the importance of international counselors in providing culturally responsive care. This study highlights the importance of inclusive counseling services for international students in higher education and provides valuable insights for developing and improving such services.

한중 부동산 앱(App) 필터 기능의 UI/UX 비교 연구

Due to language and environmental constraints, Chinese foreign students in Korea use real estate apps as their main means of renting apartments. Real estate apps are the main point of contact in the design of real estate services for international students, and not only can the needs and expectations of the international student community be clarified through the screening function of UI/UX, but also the design features presented by the apps can be reflected in the user experience. Therefore, using literature analysis, case study, and other research methods, we took 다방 and직방 in Korea and shell and Anjuke real estate apps in China as the scope of the study to identify the relationship between service design and UI/UX, as well as the specific differences in the screening functions of real estate apps in the two countries, and further summarize how they affect the user experience in the service design. The study mainly concludes the following: first, there are obvious differences in the layout and form of the screening functions of the two countries' apps, which is the root cause of the inconvenience for international students; second, the two countries have their own strengths in content classification levels and information optimization; and third, the two countries should learn from each other in the form of personalized recommendations, but both countries are very weak in the area of intelligent suggestions, which needs to be further strengthened.

The Inspiration of the International Student Management Service Mechanism of the University of Alberta to Universities in China - Taking China University of Geosciences (Beijing) as an example

As the window of China's education opens to the outside world and the boost of "double first-class" construction, how to strengthen the construction of management and service mechanism of education for students studying in China is an important issue facing the management workers of education for students studying in China. China University of Geosciences (Beijing) has made certain achievements by adopting the convergent management mode for education for students studying in China, but there are still some problems in the standardized process, departmental coordination, staff quality and information network level. The University of Alberta in Canada provides services for international students, and the time dimension covers four stages before arrival, when coming to the university, during study and after graduation, and the service team is specialized and student-oriented, and the successful experience achieved has great significance for the international study management services of Chinese universities, and Chinese universities can improve the service concept, improve the service quality, strengthen the team construction, form the service cooperation, enhance the Chinese universities, and can promote the connotative development of education for students studying in China by improving service concept, improving service quality, strengthening team building, forming service cooperation, improving service level, and doing a good job of alumni. Keywords: University of Alberta, International Students, International Student Services, China University of Geosciences (Beijing).

An Education in Exploitation

Canada’s international education system is highly unregulated, with many recruitment agencies and homestay services taking agency in providing these services to students, leaving them vulnerable and open to exploitation. Furthermore, many school boards often do not take responsibility in arranging these services for international students, resulting in a lack of accountability that can further contribute to a cycle of deceit and students navigating this process with limited knowledge or oversight. Utilizing international student security (ISS), this article draws on interviews with six Canadian secondary school teachers from and two Chinese international secondary school students all located in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) to reveal the profitability of international students, and the exploitative nature of international student services providers like recruitment agencies and homestay companies. Ultimately, the article identifies responsible key stakeholders and beneficial institutional and policy improvements to better regulate international education and protect these vulnerable international youth.

Incorporating a Web-Based System to Implement Services and Recommendation System for International Students in Northeastern University (NEU)

China has become a major study destination for many international students who come to study in many higher institutions at different levels. NEU is one of these higher institutions and as a result seeks to make life comfortable for the international students who come to study there. It is in this vein that this system has been designed with the objective of enabling any new foreign student arriving NEU to acquaint themselves with the new environment and integrate it in less than no time thereby overcoming the fear of the new environment which grips every new comer. Key technologies, tools such as Spring MVC/Security, JSF Prime Faces, etc. were carefully chosen for the development of the project. The system development followed the system development life cycle, specifically using the agile methodology. Testing proved that the proposed system is a very responsive and could run well on most browsers.

Intercultural Communication Strategy for the Development of International Student Service Systems

The number of international students is an indicator of tertiary performance assessment, so each tertiary institution tries to attract prospective students from abroad with various program offers and services provided. This research was conducted using a qualitative descriptive approach with in-depth interviews with international student services staff with the aim of knowing and analyzing their communication strategies as well as the intercultural communication competencies that international student services staff need to possess. The study results were analyzed referring to the Theory of Communication Accommodation and Theory of Intercultural Communication, which then mapped out the findings based on Byram's Intercultural Communication Competence model (attitudes, knowledge, connecting skills, discovery and interaction skills, and critical cultural awareness). Knowing the intercultural communication strategies needed to serve international students is expected to improve the quality of services provided.

Becoming a global library at the local: internationalization activities and practices of Philippine academic libraries

PurposeThis study aims to examine the perceived role of libraries and contributions to the internationalization of higher education and identify the available library services for international students and faculty.Design/methodology/approachThis descriptive research used a survey method to study the different activities and practices of the internationalization of academic libraries.FindingsThe results of this study reveal that academic libraries support the teaching, learning and research needs of international students and faculty members, provide library instruction for international students to acquire information literacy skills and promote the rationale and goals of the institution's internationalization activities. Many respondents are engaged in staff development with internationalization dimensions and international library benchmarking and research paper presentation at international conferences with institutional support.Practical implicationsThe results of this study could benefit the profession and library managers by deepening the managers' understanding of the role of libraries in the internationalization of Philippine higher education.Originality/valueThis study will be of interest and value to library and school administrators interested in developing or expanding internationalization activities that positively respond to the redefinition of the role of libraries and librarians in globalization.

Coping with a post-war world: Protestant student internationalism and humanitarian work in Central and Eastern Europe during the 1920s

ABSTRACT This article explores the political and social contexts in which Protestant student internationalism gave rise to a particular vision of students’ basic needs and responsibilities that was closely entwined with the violent disruption of the continental empires in the context of the First World War. To this end, it focuses on European Student Relief (ESR), a branch of the World Student Christian Federation. ESR was founded in 1920 to provide humanitarian assistance to students in Central and Eastern Europe. From 1922 onwards, it gradually transformed into International Student Service, an interconfessional movement with global ambitions. The article focuses on this transformation process during which the denominational aspect of pre-war Protestant student internationalism gave way to an earthly vision of educational mobility that sought to counterbalance the political upheavals of the early post-war years – the violent emergence of the ethnically defined nation state and the continuance of colonial hierarchies and differences. The article makes the case for a global social history of higher education that conceptualises student activism from the perspective of Central and Eastern Europe, that discusses the entanglement of political transformations and social issues in terms of distress, ethnicity and ‘race’, and that connects humanitarianism with educational mobility.

Living Labs as An Engaging Approach to Developing Process Thinking Competency – Case Study and Instructional StrategyLiving Labs as An Engaging Approach to Developing Process Thinking Competency – Case Study and Instructional StrategyLiving Labs as An Engaging Approach to Developing Process Thinking Competency – Case Study and Instructional StrategyLiving Labs as An Engaging Approach to Developing Process Thinking Competency –

The study addresses the imperative for exceptional flexibility and innovation in the modern business environment, emphasizing the need for process thinking competency among employees. While BPM has gained prominence, the literature lacks emphasis on process thinking skills in higher education. The paper proposes a methodology utilizing Living Labs as extracurricular activities to immerse students in mapping, analysing, and improving processes. The Living Lab, defined as a user-centric innovation environment, engages students in real-world challenges, fostering experiential learning, interdisciplinary collaboration, and user-centric design. The case study, conducted in a Polish university, demonstrates the potential of Living Labs in developing process thinking. The methodology involves four stakeholder groups: students, academics, professional staff, and external actors. The pilot phase, focused on improving international student support services, unfolds through iterative stages, leading to the co-creation of a resistant university business model. The findings highlight enhanced experiential learning, interdisciplinary collaboration, authentic learning environments, stakeholder engagement, innovation, creativity, and transferable skills development. The paper recommends incorporating Living Labs in BPM education, offering a novel approach to address the void in the literature regarding process thinking skills development in higher education.

Unidirectional or inclusive international education? An analysis of discourses from U.S. international student services office websites.

Unidirectional or inclusive international education? An analysis of discourses from U.S. international student services office websites.

Cost Sharing and Funding of International Student Career Services: Public-Private Partnerships in the German Context

In some countries, employers are viewed as beneficiaries of international student mobility and thus as a funding source for supporting international student programming. In this study, higher education institutions in Germany were surveyed about career services for international students. From the responding institutions (n=141, 33.6%), one key result revealed that over 10% of career services for international students at German universities are funded in whole or in part by local employers, regional development agencies, or employer associations. This cost-sharing model exhibits that employers are increasingly active in providing support and that there is a tendency to fund services instead of scholarships.

Analisis Tata Kelola Penyelenggaraan Kelas Internasional terhadap Kepuasan Mahasiswa di Universitas Brawijaya

The purpose of the study was to determine the level of satisfaction of international class students, the governance of the implementation of international classes at Brawijaya University. Method This research is quantitative using a survey approach with an associative approach. This study uses a population of all students in the International class of Universitas Brawijaya, which is 477 people from the class of 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. The sample was taken using the slovin formula, the sampling technique used stratified random sampling so that a sample of 218 was obtained. person. The instrument in the study was valid and reliable. The data analysis method used multiple linear regression analysis. The results of the study prove that transparency (X1), accountability (X2), responsibility (X3), independence (X4), fairness (X5), quality assurance and relevance (X6), effectiveness and efficiency (X7), non-profit (X8) significant effect on student satisfaction (Y). Research can be a reference for the management of Universitas Brawijaya in improving the quality of education services for international class students.

Problems and countermeasures associated with intercultural adaptation in international education according to the communication action theory model.

Due to the development of the Chinese economy, the consolidation of national power worldwide, and the increasing frequency of economic and cultural exchanges with foreign countries, the number of people from various countries who travel to China to engage in exchanges has increased significantly. Given the development of economic globalization, the acceleration of the process of educational internationalization represents a general trend in higher education development and a common requirement for universities. In addition to education, international students also experience cross-cultural adaptation, that is, behavioral adaptation or changes that occur in people in response to changes in their home country, whether in the form of external or internal cultural adaptation. For international students, the problem of cross-cultural adaptation not only hinders their learning progress but also affects their psychology and living conditions. This article explains the construction of Habermas’s theory of communication action. According to this theory, the purpose of communication is to coordinate the common actions of actors, and this coordination is achieved through mutual communication, which is mediated by language. The article also discusses the cross-cultural adaptation experienced by international students in Chinese universities and highlights the importance of developing educational services for international students in the context of international education. Studies have shown that female students exhibit slightly worse psychological adaptation than male students and female students have a slightly higher rate of depression rate than male students. An interpersonal study of 120 international students traveling to China found that most of these students (60%) were able to adapt in terms of their interpersonal relationships. To solve the problems associated with cross-cultural adaptation of international students in China, some countermeasures have been proposed, mainly including active participation in interpersonal communication, an enhanced understanding of the new culture, and the amplification of cultural identity.

Mask wearing and self-harming thoughts among international students in the United States during COVID-19: The moderating role of discrimination

Objective: This study examined associations among discrimination, mask-wearing behavior, and self-harming thoughts among international students in the United States during COVID-19. Participants: Undergraduate and graduate international students enrolled in universities during the 2020 summer semester participated in the online survey (N = 103). Methods: Perceived discrimination, mask-wearing behavior, and self-harming thoughts during COVID-19 were assessed by self-reports. Multivariable logistic regressions examined the association among discrimination, mask-wearing behavior, and self-harming thoughts and explored the potential moderation effect of discrimination on the association between mask-wearing and self-harming thoughts. Results: 18.6% of participants reported self-harming thoughts. Increased discrimination was significantly associated with increased odds of self-harming thoughts. Discrimination significantly moderated the association between mask wearing and self-harming thoughts. Conclusions: The findings highlight the importance of increased availability of culturally appropriate mental health services for international students and the need for increased advocacy to decrease discrimination against international students in the current societal context.