International Students in Higher Education: Internationalization and the Need for Cultural Change in UK Universities (Routledge Research in International and Comparative Education)

This book addresses the gulf between the idealized vision of internationalization in higher education and the realities experienced by international students studying in western countries. At the heart of the book is a case of study of the experience of 18 international students, from Middle and Far Eastern countries, studying at a middle- to high-ranking British university. The lives and experiences of these students are explored as they attempt to negotiate a path through their university studies in what they see as a sometimes threatening and often bewildering experience. An important feature of this study is that is takes place against the background post-9/11 Islamaphobia. This context is seen to have a profound impact on the lives of the students, who are seen battling with racism as well as an alien pedagogy in an institution which appears to take little heed of their cultural and personal needs. The book concludes with an examination of the implications of the experiences of these and other international students for the future development of more culturally sensitive and responsive universities, in the complex and challenging post 9/11 world.