Understanding Chinese international students in the U.S. in Times of the COVID-19 crisis: from a Chinese discourse studies perspective

Using the Chinese Discourse Studies (CNDS) as a theoretical framework, this study seeks to challenge the cultural essentialism and uncritical roots of existing literature, with an aim to expose long-standing patterns of Western totalizing discourse in the field of international education research. This exploratory article explores how Chinese international students as cultural agents respond to the global pandemic and pandemic-related stereotypes. Through a critical analysis of 21 Chinese students' narratives, this article identifies three culturally specific characteristics that pervade Chinese normative dialogues: (1) Chinese dialectics, (2) Chinese harmony, and (3) Chinese self-criticism. They are often employed to emphasize Chinese optimistic attitudes in times of crisis, avoidance of confrontation for harmonious communication, and moral character of self-introspection to conform to the social norm. This article offers new empirical evidence for the reconstruction of the Chinese paradigm of discourse studies and reveals the inappropriateness of Western scholarship for understanding non-Western linguistic and communicative events and practices. In sum, this article demonstrates that Chinese discourse studies can be a potential decolonial option to depart from deep-seated scholarship in Western intellectual supremacy and a visionary framework to advance multicultural discourses about international education against the backdrop of geopolitical tensions and anti-Asian racism.

Considering the complexities of virtual student mobility as an approach to inclusive internationalisation in the post-pandemic period

The COVID-19 pandemic increased virtual student mobility as an elective choice and an emergency solution. Whether brought on by the pandemic or encouraged as a solution for more sustainable international education programming, virtual student mobility is a complex method for making internationalisation more inclusive. This qualitative research examines 16 Erasmus students' experiences with emergency virtual student mobility during the COVID-19 pandemic, alongside a reflective assessment of two scholar-practitioners. Findings revealed three themes: teaching and learning challenges, the burden of environmental code-switching, and deficient intercultural socialisation as a result of missed experiences. Overall, results and findings show that some virtual student mobility programs were perceived as a concrete challenge, disappointment, and inadequate learning experience for Erasmus students. The results also challenge the purported inclusiveness of virtual student mobility programs. The paper concludes with the need to reconsider virtual student mobility as inclusive internationalisation, and offers concrete implications for policy, practice, and research.

Australian International Border Closures: Impact on International Student Well-Being

This chapter is an exploration of some of the issues that interface international students studying in Australian institutions. From the advent of COVID-19, the corresponding author raised concerns and responded to the critical issues that overwhelmed the international student community that entered a week before the Australian international border closures. The chapter also utilises the debate that ensued amongst the academic commentators around the impacts of border closure restrictions and the response of the Australian universities, the federal and the state governments, and the larger Australian society. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in major issues not only for academic institutions but also for international students who needed to adapt to border closures, loss of jobs and income to pay bills, lockdown rules and for many an overnight shift to distance education, something for which they need not have to come into Australia. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2022.

Global representations of international students in a time of crisis: A qualitative analysis of Twitter data during COVID-19

International students have been historically valued by universities for their contributions to their host countries. Yet, representations of international students in the general public have become increasingly mixed, an issue likely exacerbated by COVID-19, which has shown increased hostility towards international students. Given the increased reports of discrimination during this period, there is ongoing need to understand how international students have been represented in this specific time of crisis. Our study analysed public representations of international students through Twitter data and qualitative analysis of 6,501 posts made during the immediate COVID-19 crisis (January-April 2020). Our findings confirm competing public representations of international students that changed over time: initially through stereotyping and depictions as assumed disease carriers, shifting to empathy and support after university campus closures. We also outline themes of racism and discrimination, which are of importance for the global higher education sector as we move into a post-COVID world.

AsianCrit lens on Chinese international student multi-dimensional transitions and experiences in the US

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine Chinese international students' narrative stories, experiences and racial dynamics while studying in the United States to argue that Chinese international students navigate multi-dimensional transitions and experiences in different stages. This study uses an AsianCrit lens to address the gap in existing research focusing on Chinese international students' narratives and experiences.Design/methodology/approachNarrative inquiry with a social constructivist paradigm was used to provide an in-depth exploration of Chinese international students' navigation and negotiation in multi-dimensional experiences. Three phases of semi-structured interviews and journal entries were utilized to examine participants' experiences and struggles while studying in the United States. Descriptive coding, deductive coding and restorying were used to analyze and feather narrators' voices and stories for interpretation.FindingsThe findings in this qualitative study demonstrate that Chinese international students have unique backgrounds, and their backgrounds shape their multi-dimensional transitions and experiences in the present and the future. The findings address students' nuanced experiences in academic transitions and non-academic transitions with an AsianCrit lens.Practical implicationsThe study calls for higher education institutions to promote intercultural and international training for faculty and staff to better understand and support the unique needs of international students.Originality/valueUsing Multiple and Multi-dimensional Transitions theory with an AsianCrit lens helps make sense of the intersection of international student status, geopolitical tensions, racial dynamics and international student experiences.

Online Learning in a "Fancy Prison”: The Impact of COVID-19 on the International Student Academic Experience While Living in a Quarantine Hotel

The rapid development of the COVID-19 pandemic during the spring 2020 academic semester resulted in many international undergraduate students evacuating the United States to return to their home countries. Some faced government-mandated quarantine in a designated quarantine hotel upon their entry into the country which overlapped with the end of the spring semester or start of summer term. Interviewers conducted qualitative interviews on Zoom with international students enrolled at American universities regarding their experiences with online learning while in isolation. This extreme environment had negative implications for their psychological well-being as well as their ability to self-motivate. Researchers formulated best practices based on the data to assist instructors and institutions in making better decisions regarding the academic experience of students who may be forced into quarantine in an unfamiliar environment in the future.

Digital cultural knowledge and curriculum: the experiences of international students as they moved from on-campus to on-line education during the pandemic

This paper explores how COVID-19 affected the experiences of international students enrolled to UK on-campus universities and how they made sense, navigated and lived out the on-line university as the possible educational alternative put in place during COVID-19. We argue that ‘emergency teaching' was normalised as digital education, leading students into a digital trap that constrained to a large extent their educational experience to access of expert knowledge. This curriculum issue is reflective of a lack of digital imagination which is compounded by a scarcity of digital cultural knowledge resulting in misrecognition of digital education as a field in its own right. We conclude that digital education would benefit from being understood as having its own logic of practice and localised within the cultural norms of its field of application: a digital field. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Learning, Media & Technology is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Health-Related Well-Being of Non-local/International Students During and Beyond COVID-19

This chapter extends the literature on the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on the international higher education sector by examining some individual and environmental factors associated with the health-related well-being of non-local students globally from a social ecological perspective. Specifically, it explores the implications of non-local students' perception of education quality, sources of education funding, geographical location, and social relationships for their health-related well-being during the pandemic. The chapter argues that to sustain the lessons drawn from dealing with the pandemic, higher education institutions should prioritize non-local students' academic success in times of crises. Correspondingly, more resources must be committed to providing relevant material and human capital to support the delivery of quality education now and during future crises. This is because the adverse effects of poor-quality education may not only manifest in non-local students' academic performance but in their health-related well-being as well. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

Investigating sense of belonging in Chinese international students

This study investigated Chinese international students' sense of belonging by exploring the cultural and cognitive validity of a commonly used sense of belonging instrument, namely the Hoffman et al.'s (2002) Sense of Belonging Scale. Cognitive interviewing procedures supplemented with open-ended questions were administered to 20 sophomore- and junior-level Chinese international students attending U.S. undergraduate institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The cognitive interview results indicated that participants understood most of the items, although some phrases were identified to be problematic given different meanings in Chinese. The qualitative aspects of the research showed that Chinese students were more likely to define belonging as connection to a social group or community. Participants also reported feeling lower levels of belonging because of the pandemic and limited institutional support. Ultimately, these findings could help to inform campus climate policies and practices related to supporting international students. Implications for developing culturally valid instruments of belonging are also discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Unwitting Agents: Representations of Chinese International Students in US-China Geopolitics.

As part of a larger study, this paper presents findings from my exploration of discourses about China-US geopolitics through popular discussions on Chinese international students (CIS) who are attending American universities during the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic. The study seeks to advance scholarship for international students attending American colleges, with particular implications for Chinese students, as agents of geopolitical relations. In doing so, it investigates (a) how these students are represented in American media and (b) the criticality of international geopolitics in the mobility of international students. The findings reveal that American popular media sources assume a tone when writing about CIS that may stem from a deeper anti-Chinese sentiment that exists in the US. They also suggest that American institutions of higher education, and American companies that employ CIS after graduation, treat these students as imported subjects/objects that support America's intellectual and economic advancement. In doing so, the media perpetuates narratives of geopolitical tensions between the United States and China, while representing CIS as unwitting agents of those tensions. The study seeks to advance scholarship on international students attending US colleges, particularly those from China, during an era of rising populism and right-wing movements in the US coupled with rapidly deteriorating US-China relations. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12140-023-09409-5.

Securing work placements: strategies among international engineering students

As part of their international higher education experience, international students in some degree programs are required to secure and complete work placements. This is challenging to many, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this, there is limited research on how international students navigate challenges to secure placements in their host country, which informed the current study. Data was gathered through 39 semi-structured interviews with 13 international engineering students and eight interviews with eight WIL staff. The study contributes to the literature by formulating the Perceiving-Planning-Performing Model (3-P Model), untangling students' cognitive, attitudinal, and behavioral engagement in securing placements. The Model informs stakeholder strategies in nurturing international students' agency to secure placements and post-graduation work in their host country and globally.

'I'm in a Dilemma of Coming Back, not Coming Back, What to Do, I'm a Bit Stuck': Exploring the Wellbeing and Mental-health of Latin American Students in Sydney During COVID-19

There is a lack of data exploring how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the wellbeing and mental health on Latin American students in Australia, whose experiences, besides anecdotal evidence from different mass media outlets and social media platforms, remain underrepresented in the significant and rigorous scholarly work that has emerged in 2020 and in 2021. The aim of this study was to explore the impact of COVID-19 on the wellbeing and mental health of this sector of the student migrant population through 12 qualitative semi-structured interviews, which were analysed using theoretically informed frameworks to explore the meanings that Latin American students ascribe to their experiences in regard to wellbeing and mental health in the context of the COVID-19. Our findings show that students created their own coping mechanisms and social and familial support networks, as a way of compensating for the lack of access to mental health services. The main factors discouraging students to access counselling and/or psychological support are the consultation costs and provision of these services in English, rather than Spanish or Portuguese.

Development and empirical study of international student satisfaction model of online course learning interaction in chinese universities.

COVID-19 has disrupted education internationalisation around the world, making online learning a necessary means of learning. This study proposes an International Student Satisfaction Index Model (ISSM) on the interaction of online international courses in Chinese universities, aiming to investigate the potential factors that affect international students' online learning interaction. Based on the large-scale online course practice in Chinese universities during the pandemic, this study adopted a stratified random sampling method to select 320 international students participating in online courses as a research sample. The model proposed in this study includes four antecedent variables, one target variable, and one outcome variable. This study is quantitative, using SPSS26.0 and AMOS 21.0 to analyse the collected empirical data, and the results verify the nine research hypotheses proposed and the applicability of the online course international students' satisfaction index model (ISSM) proposed. The research results provide strong theoretical and practical support for international students' satisfaction with online course learning interaction, which is conducive to the reform of online courses and improving international students' retention rate in the online course.

Migration aspirations and polymorphic identifications of the homeland: (im)mobility trajectories amongst Chinese international students amidst COVID-19

Drawing on longitudinal research with 33 Chinese international students in 10 European countries, this article examines their polymorphic identifications towards homeland and asks how these changing perceptions constitute the underlying logic of their particular migration aspirations during the COVID-19. Specifically, the article explores how homeland identifications function as a driving force to facilitate ‘voluntary immobility' in the study destination while being used as a tackling strategy to adapt to their ‘involuntary immobility' overseas. It also examines how these identifications articulate with the students' mixing and shifting migration aspirations formulated during the pandemic. In doing so, the article demonstrates that polymorphic perceptions closely relate to the generation, exercise and reproduction of their migration aspirations that are temporally distributed.

Establishing Academic Identities Through Professional Socialisation During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Doctoral Student, Institutional Member, or Early Career Researcher?

While higher education institutions promptly responded to the transition to online or blended practices as a result of COVID-19, there is limited current understanding of how first-year PhD students committed themselves to various online networking experiences during their initial stage of professional development. By drawing on Kolb's experiential learning cycle, this chapter elicits two first-year international PhD students' professional trajectories of forming our professional identities in academia during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite engaging with different professional socialisation activities, we both underwent three transformative stages which we classify as acquiring knowledge, establishing networks, and gaining validation. Our findings indicate that our dynamic and consecutive professional identity formation transitioned through three stages: a doctoral student, an institutional member, and an early career researcher. This chapter reveals how this linear three-stage process respectively unfolds for different international doctoral students. In this regard, relevant implications are proposed for current and prospective international doctoral students and their institutions to refer to in better facilitating international doctoral students' professional identity development during and beyond COVID-19 pandemic. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2022.

Empowerment in the Crisis: Narratives of COVID-19 Generation Researchers

The COVID-19 pandemic influenced higher degree by research (HDR) students' academic experiences profoundly as it forced HDR students to adjust their intensive and demanding research work and studies according to unforeseeable challenges. This was particularly challenging for international HDR students as they had rather limited resources in their host countries to cope with uncertainties, and the university emergency responses gave them limited attention and support. This resulted in many international HDR students feeling disempowered. However, recent research on international HDR students' experience in their host countries during the pandemic remains sparse. From an insiders' account, this autoethnography study aims to bridge this gap, investigating two Australia-based Chinese HDR students' struggles in their research studies and their academic identity self-formation. This study presents that the international HDR students managed to empower themselves by holding on to their support systems and exercising their agency in the middle of uncertainty. The findings presented in the study add to the understanding of the importance of providing a more inclusive and supportive environment for international HDR students' development. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2022.

Multilevel governance, community and emergency management during the pandemic: migrants in Japan

PurposeBuilding on perspectives from the study of multilevel governance, migrants' inclusion and emergency management, this article asks how differences across national regulations for foreign residents, work eligibility and access to national emergency supports intersected with local approaches in responding to migrants.Design/methodology/approachThis article examines national policy adjustments and parallel subnational governance early in the pandemic for three groups of foreign residents: international students, technical interns and co-ethnics with long-term visas, primarily Brazilians and Peruvians. It uses Japanese-language documents to trace national policy responses. To grasp subnational governance, the article analyzes coverage in six Japanese regional newspapers from northern, central and western Japan, for the period of April 1 to October 1, 2020.FindingsNational policies obstructed or enabled migrants' treatment as members of the local community but did not dictate this membership, which varied according to migrant group. Migrants' relationship to the community affected available supports.Originality/valueThe article brings together perspectives on multilevel governance, emergency management and migrants' inclusion. It exposes how different migrant groups' ties to the local community affected access to supports.

Improving accessibility and inclusiveness of university websites for international students: A mixed-methods usability assessment

Using a unique triangulation of a mixed-methods approach combining qualitative and observational techniques, this research investigated international student perceptions of the usability, interactivity and inclusiveness of a university website. The research was guided by the activity theory. Qualitative data were analysed to understand international student perceptions of usability and interactivity in relation to their intentions to use the university website. Additionally, findings established the significance of making university websites more inclusive as international students continue to face increasing uncertainties owing to the COVID-19 pandemic and racial inequalities in the USA and worldwide. Observational methods provided methodological and data triangulation. This research offers guidance for future research on higher education digital learning tools based on integrated theoretical mixed methods and also provides managerial implications for academic institutions in the design of student-centred and inclusive websites. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Racism and Stress-Related Growth Among Asian Internationals: Ethnic Identity, Resilience, and Coping During COVID-19.

Experiences of anti-Asian discrimination following COVID-19 has deleterious effects on the mental health of Asian internationals residing in the United States. In this study, hierarchical regression models and Hayes' PROCESS models were used to examine the main effect and moderating effect of ethnic identity, coping strategy, and resilience on stress-related growth among Asian international students and workers (N = 237) in the United States who experienced racism during the pandemic. The findings indicated coping strategies and resilience were significantly associated with stress-related growth. Ethnic identity and coping strategies additionally moderated the link between the experience of racism and stress-related growth.

The Challenges of Psychological Adjustment for International Students: A Critical Analysis of Coping Mechanisms and Support Services

This paper critically analyzes the challenges of psychological adjustment faced by international students and explores coping mechanisms and support services that can help them overcome these challenges. The essay first introduces the background information on international students and highlights the importance of psychological adjustment for their well-being and academic success. The challenges of psychological adjustment, including cultural, academic, social adjustment, and language barrier, are discussed in detail. The essay then explores coping mechanisms, including problem-focused coping, emotion-focused coping, seeking social support, and cultural adjustment programs, and the support services, including counseling services and international student services, that can help international students adjust to their new environment. Finally, the essay evaluates the effectiveness of these coping mechanisms and support services, emphasizing the importance of cultural competence in providing effective support services. This essay has practical implications for higher education institutions in providing tailored support to international students and highlights the need for future research to explore the effectiveness of coping mechanisms and support services for different groups of international students and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their psychological adjustment. © 2023 NSP Natural Sciences Publishing Cor.