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International students are not only agents for the internationalisation of a campus environment but also a crucial source of income for universities and a country's economy. Thus, their recruitment and retention are vital and prioritised by university leadership and policymakers. However, scant attention has been given to investigating international student withdrawal, even more so on visa-related matters. This paper focuses on the lived experiences of five former students from Syria who withdrew from education pursuits in Malaysia due to visa-related issues. This phenomenological study found the absence of clear knowledge of immigration procedures among institution staff and unsympathetic treatment towards international students were the primary reasons behind withdrawals. These findings suggest negative student experiences affect not only current students but also potential students. Whilst the findings add to existing knowledge and future studies, the study marks the first in-depth investigation concerning the impact of visa-related issues on international student withdrawal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction to the journal is presented in which the editor discusses, articles published within the issue including one related to international education, one related to dual degree programmes and one in context with social integration for international students and international staff.

Although common barriers to studying abroad are well documented, this paper proposes a more-overarching barrier is that prevalent evaluation strategies provide little evidence of how study abroad contributes to discipline-specific learning outcomes. Such direct evidence is likely to encourage more employers to view studying abroad as adding value to a graduate resume and hence motivate more students to participate. Studying abroad is often represented in the literature as delivering a transformative impact for all students, regardless of their specific academic programme. While this may be true, it frames the benefits of studying abroad as being generic and supplementary to any discipline-specific curriculum. This paper provides a specific example derived from an Australian national data set and reviews other methodologies that can deliver outcomes data for specific disciplines and for different study programmes, enabling more effective programme evaluation and more effective promotion of the benefits of studying abroad for different students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2019, the Australian Government introduced a new post-study work rights policy as a lever to attract international students to study and work in regional Australia. The aim of this paper is to explore the potential implications of the new policy and consider factors which may impact it from realising the intended benefits. An analysis of historical international student enrolment and post-study work rights data for three regions in Australia was conducted to make assumptions about potential growth in those three regions brought by the new policy. This illustrated that while regions are regularly homogenised in policy discourse, there are a variety of complex place-based factors that may impact the success of the policy such as local employment industries, institutional growth profile and community engagement. It recommends that tertiary education leaders undertake comprehensive place-based planning to support the intended outcomes of the policy change to be realised and sustainable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grade point average (GPA) has been around for more than two centuries. However, it has created a lot of confusion, frustration, and anxiety to GPA-producers and users alike, especially when used across-nation for different purposes. This paper looks into the reasons for such a state of affairs from the perspective of educational measurement. It goes on to suggest replacing the current multiple-regression approach with a multiple cut-off approach which promises to simplify the job and yet do it better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International alumni affairs is a relatively new addition to the landscape of higher education, particularly outside the elite sphere of the Ivy League and Oxbridge. These privileged institutions have seen comparatively high numbers of international students enrol for many years and have gradually developed a formalised alumni presence in any number of countries worldwide. This paper analyses the current public or community service operations of international alumni clubs representing American colleges and universities. An exploratory document analysis will produce an initial typology of service-oriented activity, and in select institutional cases will also evaluate to what extent the priorities of independent alumni clubs align with the institutional priorities of the home institution. Attention is paid to the sustainability of these service-oriented efforts, relevance to the local environment, and direct support of university faculty, staff and students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction to the journal is presented in which the editor discusses several topics including student gambling, international students' diet and a guide to Japanese higher education.

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various article published in the issue on the topics including on international students, international branch campuses, and auditing as governance control.

It has become commonplace for scholars and education managers to talk of the globalisation of higher education. How to provide housing for the growing numbers of international students, however, remains contentious. This paper presents the situation in Australia by analysing the results of two large surveys and official reports published by student associations, housing authorities, the University of Sydney, and the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. It shows that the authorities have not succeeded in providing an answer to the international student housing question. In turn, accommodation remains a difficult issue for most international students and threatens to undermine the quality of higher education. Understood only as an accommodation problem, it may be argued that the situation could be improved if more affordable student housing was provided. However, this paper argues that until the problem is framed in socio-economic terms and analysed from a broad perspective, a solution will remain elusive. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

An important way to improve access for groups that are under-represented in tertiary education is to facilitate the movement of students from vocational education and training to higher education institutions. However, there is substantial evidence of rigidities and obstacles to such a closer integration between these two sectors. This paper discusses the problems experienced by students currently articulating from vocational education and training to higher education institutions, identifies impediments to collaborative pathways and suggests measures for overcoming such obstacles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various articles within the issue on topics including international students, university funding and data and quality. quality.

One aspect of the internationalisation of higher education in Australia has been a large growth in the number of international students enrolled in universities. While this has brought a number of benefits to the institutions, the students themselves report varying levels of satisfaction with their experience. One area which can contribute to satisfaction levels is provision of student support services. This paper describes a study which found that international students and support service providers, while sharing perspectives in some respects, had differing views about student service delivery. The paper argues that providers of services for international students need to be more aligned to students' expectations of service provision, and more centred on students' actual needs, if they are to increase students' levels of satisfaction with their international experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students who travel abroad for study bring with them a wealth of cultural resources and expectations that influence their ability to adapt and acculturate into their new environment. While the ability to fit into their new context is a largely personal endeavour, for students from Confucian heritage societies, the cultural expectations of family can have a significant impact on these students. Building on research into the influence of culture and parents on the decision to study abroad, this paper highlights the need for and benefits of developing internationalisation policy and management procedures that reflect and support an understanding of the embedded cultural needs and expectations of Chinese students and their families. This paper offers theoretical insight into the situations of the people involved, practical suggestions for higher education administrators wanting to develop a more effective internationalisation policy and meaningful intercultural strategies and support for international students. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Studies documenting the harm associated with excessive drinking amongst university students are numerous. Fewer studies have explored the experience of non-drinkers in the university setting. In 2008, 826 students aged 18–29 years responded to an online survey aiming to investigate alcohol use and alcohol related harm at an Australian university. In addition, focus groups were conducted with drinkers and non-drinkers exploring their experience of alcohol exposure at university. This paper reports on the reasons students choose not to drink alcohol and on alcohol related harm witnessed or experienced by non-drinkers and drinkers. The results indicated that most non-drinkers reported health concerns as the main reason for not drinking and reported witnessing a range of alcohol related harm including disturbances to sleep, property damage, verbal abuse, driving after drinking and intimidation of international students. The paper discusses the duty of care implications for university administrators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we argue that living in university accommodation is a possible means of improving the security of international students. Our argument is supported by a qualitative case study of a single Hall of Residence on Monash University's Clayton campus. Data were collected primarily from interviews with three groups of participants - six international students currently living in that Hall of Residence, three international students who used to live in the Halls of Residence, and three College Heads. The primary finding of this study was that international students living in university accommodation felt very physically secure and experienced a reduced threat level to their social security. It is intended that our findings will assist universities and government in improving the security of international students studying in Australia, thus contributing to a more sustainable Australian education export industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been much concern in the higher education sector recently about the well-being and the safety of slightly more than 200,000 international students studying in higher education in Australia. In recognition of the economic and socio-cultural value of the international student cohort, as well as the significant challenge and risk of studying away from family and friends in a foreign community, CQUniversity has focused for the last two years on improving social integration for over 5000 international students. These students are studying at CQUniversity metropolitan campuses in Brisbane, Gold Coast, Melbourne and Sydney, which are popular destinations for international students. Initiatives to enhance social integration for these students were achieved in partnership with the local community, staff and other students. This paper reports the results of a survey of 446 CQUniversity international students who have had access to these enhanced opportunities for integration as well as a focus-group discussion with staff and students. Results determine the success of these initiatives from the perspective of students as well as key staff and identify further initiatives considered beneficial to supporting continuing social integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A consequence of the dramatic rise in international student mobility is the trend for international students to remain in the country in which they study after graduation. Countries such as Australia, the UK and Canada stand to benefit from international student migration, as they are able to fill skill shortages with locally trained foreign students who also expand the demand for goods and services and add to gross national production. The effects on the sending country, however, are potentially less favourable and the emigration of highly educated people can have a detrimental effect, depleting an already scarce resource. However, more recently it has been suggested that an increasing proportion of migratory movement is temporary and that sending countries may benefit from circular or temporary migration via financial remittances, technology transfer, entrepreneurial partnering, and the development of personal networks and diplomatic ties. This paper will consider the impacts of international student migration on sending countries and discuss the policy responses that various sending countries have employed in attempt to regulate student migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the higher education sector's role in a knowledge‐based economy though research training, that is, doctoral education. It also examines how a Faculty of Education supports its doctoral candidates in their endeavours to become ‘knowledge producers’. Two themes are explored: one is Australia's limited investment in education by international standards; and the other is the research training needs and circumstances of doctoral candidates who are located in professional and workplace contexts. The paper discusses the role of online support and a Doctoral Studies in Education (DSE) online seminar program to support primarily off‐campus, part‐time mid‐career professionals. These are typical of many of Australia's doctoral candidates. E‐learning is examined as part of a comprehensive support and research training strategy for doctoral candidates studying at a distance. We discuss the sorts of opportunities and experiences our candidates receive and the extent to which they are readied to work effectively in a knowledge‐based economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the relationships between Australian universities and their offshore partners as they deliver Australian academic programmes in the South‐East Asian region. Australian universities have signed over 1000 agreements with offshore universities, industry associations, and private providers, and it is estimated that around 36% of international students studying Australian programmes are doing so in countries other than their own. Following the relationship marketing literature, a study of the early interaction phase of the relationship life cycle is presented. Utilising convergent interviews and case studies, the paper identifies a number of factors in the early interaction phase critical to the prevention of relationship deterioration and termination. These include communication, trust, and a shared vision. In addition, several factors arising in the early interaction stage causing potential relationship deterioration or termination in the later stages of the relationship are identified. These include (1) low levels of internal commitment within the Australian university; (2) a failure to identify the key roles and responsibilities of the partner; (3) failure to establish win/win relationships; and (4) the departure of key personnel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the main satisfiers and dissatisfiers for international students in Australia's higher educational sector. Using a critical incident technique, this study is conducted with international students of higher education in Australia. Four categories of satisfiers and dissatisfiers emerge from the data which are related to individual performance, quality of the educational service, socialization, and living conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics including socioeconomic status, student-centred learning, and international students.

In recent times, many key host nations have made it easier for foreign graduates to migrate after graduation. These students are often considered ideal migrants, possessing local qualifications along with a degree of acculturation, language skills and, in many cases, relevant local work experience. For the student, the opportunity to obtain international work experience adds to the appeal of the overseas study experience and enhances the graduate skills necessary to compete in the global labour market. This paper examines recent changes to migration policy in Australia affecting the post-study work entitlements of international students studying at Australian universities and explores the underlying rationale and consequences of the recent changes in policy direction. An examination of migration policies in the United States, United Kingdom, New Zealand and Canada indicates that recent changes to skilled migration policy in Australia, along with bleak economic conditions in a number of key host countries, has opened up opportunities for Australia to re-position itself favourably. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

It has been widely acknowledged that an important indicator of a successful sojourn for international students is social integration into the host community. Despite seemingly regular opportunities to integrate, many international students report that their interactions with local residents remain superficial. The Community Connections programme at The University of Newcastle in Australia has aimed to address this issue over the past 13 years by engaging a broad range of volunteers from the host community to welcome, befriend, and support international students. In 2009, the opportunity arose to conduct a small pilot project within Community Connections, the aim of which was to focus specifically on facilitating relationships between international and domestic students. Thirty domestic students and a similar number of international students volunteered to participate in this pilot project. This paper describes the steps involved to develop this project, outlines the evaluation process, and discusses the impact of participation in the programme on student experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case study assesses how an Australian University used an online tool (WeChat) to support commencing online Chinese articulation students transition in their studies in response to COVID-19 border restrictions. It investigates how effectively the engagement initiatives met the students' needs and identify areas of improvement. The usage of an online tool allows staff and students to build a relationship and provided students with key information to manage their expectations. This case study demonstrates an opportunity for further research on the effect of online tools to help international students transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A key attractor for many international students when choosing to study abroad is the prospect of gaining employment in the host country after graduating. From a university's perspective this becomes an important attraction issue for both maintaining and increasing the number of international students as well as improving graduate employability. A survey was utilised to explore employment intentions and outcomes of international graduate alumni from two Australian universities (n = 511 and n = 648). A comparative analysis between the universities has been undertaken in relation to this and rates of unemployment amongst graduates. The study has coined the term Two-step migration intender for international students/graduates and contributes to a gap in the research in relation to international graduate mobility, career intentions and employment outcomes. The findings have strategic implications for the promotion of Australian higher education to overseas markets and can also inform higher education policy and practice in terms of strategies for promoting international graduate employability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the last couple of years, Turkey has been experiencing difficult times resulting from the recent domestic coup attempt, refugee crisis and terrorist attacks from neighbouring countries, and the following political conflicts around these issues with the United States and Europe. This article investigates challenges and strategies of higher education institutions (HEIs) in Turkey with recent uncertainty in the free movement of students and academics in internationalisation process. Applying a qualitative critical case study, the research was carried out in four HEIs leading in internationalisation. The findings indicated that political instabilities both at the national and international levels brought several challenges for HEIs related with their internationalisation efforts in terms of security, image, and ethnic tension. Additionally, it is found that HEIs adapted to the new realities and developed several strategies to overcome these challenges such as marketisation and networking. Implications are made regarding neo-liberal influence and segmentation around class and religion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the promotion of national identity through higher education and graduate employment . It mentions the economic development of China and the government policy related to higher education in China. The author argues that the policy of the government to promote national identity has failed as a result of policy coordination, policy interpretations and implementation. The government that has rolled out policies to attract foreign students is also offered.

The aim of this study was firstly to describe the experiences of international students living and studying in a UK university, to understand and explain their responses to those experiences and to make recommendations to stakeholders in the light of the findings. The research found that international students’ two biggest concerns are their English language skills and their detachment from domestic students. International students were surprised at the size of the challenges they faced and worked hard to bridge the gap between their academic and sociocultural skills and those needed in the UK. International students provided emotional, practical and academic support to each other, but the academic support they offered to each other was not always reliable. International students engaged in a process of identity change during which they gained the skills they needed to be academically successful. Recommendations in regard to the academic and pastoral support of international students are made. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Of all the levels of education, doctoral education is the most internationalised. By selecting one key indicator (the proportion of international students among a country’s doctorate recipients), the article presents an analysis of PhD students’ international mobility. After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s, many barriers to the international mobility of PhD students were removed, leading to an even larger flow of students. From 2000 to 2012, the international mobility of PhD students reached a new peak, with a significant increase in the percentage going to Japan, France, Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom and Australia. Nowadays, China has become the largest source of international doctoral students. In that process, a number of excellent students go abroad to study for foreign doctoral degrees. On one hand, the loss of excellent students is harmful to China’s PhD training system, but on the other hand, it is a great opportunity for China to change brain drain into brain gain by making full use of the knowledge diaspora scattered around the world. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Attracting international students is increasingly important for higher education institutions. In order to contribute to the understanding of how international students choose a university, we conducted a qualitative study in a public university in the north of Portugal. Results show that students seek an international experience mainly for personal, academic and professional development reasons, relying on personal contacts as information sources and support groups. Academic reputation and quality are the most important attraction factors. We develop a theoretical model of the studying abroad decision process, including the main motivations to leave the country of origin, the information sources and the decision factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malaysia is becoming an increasingly active player in international education and ranks as the 11th largest exporter of education in the world. Malaysia’s recognisable advantages in the international education market include its strategic location between the East and the West, cultural diversity, and a relatively stable socio-economic environment. In addition to these natural advantages, it is important for the Malaysian Government and its higher education institutions to develop a holistic strategy to create a conducive learning environment and to build a regional higher education hub. By taking a demand-side approach, this study highlights factors attracting foreign students to study in Malaysia. Rich information about the country and learning institution and referral by family and friends appear to be the most important sources of influence for foreign students to choose Malaysia. Other considerations include cost and quality of educational programmes, while geographical and cultural proximity are less important than expected. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Current published information on the Australian student mobility offshore is reviewed as part of a long-term project aiming to determine the current propensity of Australian higher education students to study overseas and the return on investment that they can expect to achieve. It was found that limited data are available on the current extent of Australian student mobility offshore and that rationales to encourage offshore study tend to focus on broader aspects of personal development, rather than on the curriculum-specific learning outcomes. In an attempt to identify stronger incentives for investment in offshore mobility, this review considers mobility in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, the so-called science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. Since a graduate career in science and innovation frequently involves international collaboration, the return on investment in an international study experience should be readily measurable from the curriculum-specific learning outcomes and subsequent graduate employment outcomes of internationally mobile STEM students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The past two decades have seen the development of many global university alliances. Some alliances have taken a bilateral form, others are multilateral. In a period of increasing competition among universities, such alliances represent a curious form of cooperation. They have become more common just as global competition for academic talent has been increasing, rankings of universities have become more sophisticated, and universities have sought to attract high fee-paying international students. When does cooperation make sense? What opportunities and risks do alliances present to their members? These questions are considered with reference to three global alliances: The Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU), Universitas 21 (U21), and the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN). We conclude that multilateral, global university alliances represent valuable resources for ambitious, change-oriented university leaders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At a time when the number of internationally mobile students worldwide has been growing steadily, the US share of this market has been declining. Since, as it is often claimed, international students are the best ambassadors for their host countries, an effective recruitment strategy is to enhance their learning experience, with the expectation that others will hear about it. In a post 9/11 environment, we focus on the importance of non-discriminatory environments to bring about successful learning outcomes, which we construe as academic performance and perceived quality of educational experience. We hypothesise that student engagement acts as a mediator in this relationship. We also investigate the moderating effect of perceived English proficiency in the relationship between discrimination and engagement. We find that (1) perceived discrimination has a strong, negative impact on educational experience, (2) the mediation primarily occurs through active and collaborative learning and (3) perceived English proficiency dampens the negative effects of discrimination on engagement. Our findings have important implications for university administrators involved in recruitment efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]