International Student Experiences and Graduate Employability Perspectives and Issues Xin Zhao, Michael Kung, Krishna Bista, Yingyi Ma

International Student Experiences and Graduate Employability: Perspectives and Issues

In this book, we explore the socio-political environment that impacts international students’ employability and discuss student experiences of employability development during and after their studies. The book also aims to provide a holistic understanding of international student employability on a global scale, incorporating various higher education contexts, including the US, UK, Netherlands, Vietnam, and Japan. This book includes both conceptualizations of international students who participate in “internationalization abroad” through physically crossing the border and those who participate in “internationalization at home’’. The COVID-19 pandemic has potentially transformed international education as many international students were forced to stay in their home countries and resort to online education. The book looks into the bigger questions: How do the institutions of higher education expand programs and resources for international students and their employability? Is the internationalization at home model going to be increasingly popular in the post-pandemic world? Will employers be receptive to international graduates globally? Editors Xin Zhao (Skye) is a university teacher in the Information School at the University of Sheffield (UK) and a senior fellow of HEA. E-mail: [email protected] Michael Kung is the Director of Global Education and the Program Director for the Sustainable Design Master’s program in the College of Design, Construction, and Planning at the University of Florida (USA). E-mail: [email protected] Krishna Bista is Vice President of the STAR Scholars Network and a Professor of Higher Education in the Department of Advanced Studies, Leadership and Policy at Morgan State University, Maryland (USA). E-mail: [email protected] Yingyi Ma is a Professor of Sociology, Provost Faculty Fellow, and the Director of Asian/Asian American Studies at Syracuse University, New York (USA). E-mail: [email protected]

Global Perspectives on International Student Experiences in Higher Education examines a wide range of international student experiences empirically from multiple perspectives that includes socio-cultural identities, contextual influences on their learning experiences, their wellbeing experiences, and their post-study experiences. This collection sheds light on the over five million students who cross geographical, cultural, and educational borders for higher education outside of their home countries. This book consists of nineteen chapters spread across four sections. Throughout the book, contributors question the existing assumptions and values of international student programs and services, reexamine and explore new perspectives to present the emerging challenges and critical evaluations of student experiences and their identities. Offering a rich understanding of these students and their global college experiences in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and Americas, this book offers research-based strategies to effectively recruit, engage, support, and retain international students as they participate in higher educational settings around the world. This book provides resource material to benefit educators, policymakers, and staff who work closely with international students in higher education.

This volume documents the experiences of international students and recent international initiatives at US community colleges to better understand how to support and nurture students’ potential. Offering a range of case studies, empirical and conceptual chapters, the collection showcases the unique curricula and diverse opportunities for career development that colleges can offer international students. International Students at US Community Colleges addresses issues of student access, enrolment barriers, college choice, and challenges relating to integration in academic and professional networks. Ultimately, the book unpacks institutional factors which inhibit or promote the success of international students at US community colleges to inform faculty, student affairs, administration, and institutional policy. With international students’ declining enrollment, this book considers the measures being taken by community college officials to bring continued access and equity to international students. Offering insights from a range of international scholars as well as on-the-ground case studies, this text will benefit researchers, academics, and educators with an interest in multicultural education, international and comparative education, and higher education management. Those specifically interested in educational policy and the sociology of education will also benefit from this book.

Global Perspectives on International Student Experiences in Higher Education examines a wide range of international student experiences empirically from multiple perspectives that includes socio-cultural identities, contextual influences on their learning experiences, their wellbeing experiences, and their post-study experiences. This collection sheds light on the over five million students who cross geographical, cultural, and educational borders for higher education outside of their home countries. This book consists of nineteen chapters spread across four sections. Throughout the book, contributors question the existing assumptions and values of international student programs and services, reexamine and explore new perspectives to present the emerging challenges and critical evaluations of student experiences and their identities. Offering a rich understanding of these students and their global college experiences in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and Americas, this book offers research-based strategies to effectively recruit, engage, support, and retain international students as they participate in higher educational settings around the world. This book provides resource material to benefit educators, policymakers, and staff who work closely with international students in higher education.

This book explores how international undergraduate and graduate students navigate their higher educational institutional (HEI) experiences and employability prospects in both Global North and Global South universities. The chapter authors examine how students from the Global South use their agency to apply their HEI experiences to meet their needs, gain skills, and envision alternative pathways to adapt to economic, environmental, and political changes. Through diverse student voices, the book sheds light on the challenges faced by these international students in the job market. It highlights the importance of promoting diversity and equity in higher education. The book emphasizes the need to consider the cultural circumstances of global south students to enhance their employability. The book contributes to a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced by Global South international students in the job market. It offers effective strategies for educators, policymakers, and employers to support these students.

International Student Mobility and Employability An Employer Perspective on the Impact of Study Abroad Experiences Yuzhen Zhu, Xin Zhao

This edited volume brings together the perspectives of a diverse group of international scholars to explore the intersections of study abroad and social mobility. In doing so, it challenges universalist assumptions and power imbalances implicit in study abroad across the Global North and South, and explores the implications of COVID-19 for equity within study abroad programs, policy, and practice going forward. Offering empirical, theoretical, and conceptual contributions, Critical Perspectives on Equity and Social Mobility in Study Abroad foregrounds critical reflection on the stratification of access to study abroad and examines the varied outcomes of international study in relation to graduates’ entry into domestic and international labor markets. Focusing on the experiences and outcomes of students from varied backgrounds, chapters identify a number of power imbalances relating to student race, ethnicity, religion, local and international policies and politics, and put forward valuable recommendations to ensure greater equity within the field. Against the backdrop of growing criticism over the power imbalances in international exchange, this text will benefit researchers, academics, and educators with an interest in higher education, international and comparative education, and multicultural education. Those interested in educational policy and the sociology of education more broadly will also benefit from this book.

As one of the fastest growing trends in higher education, study abroad programs are having a critical impact on the educational landscape. While international study programs generate more revenue and promote campus diversity, there are several challenges that must be considered when integrating non-native students into native universities. Global Perspectives and Local Challenges Surrounding International Student Mobility explores comparative research regarding the implementation of effective strategies needed when working with native and non-native individuals in educational settings. Offering perspectives from international student experiences, as well as views on current mobility trends, immigration policies, and challenges with cultural expectations, this publication will be a critical source for educators, policymakers, and university staff who interact with international students.