Missing intercultural engagements in the university experiences of Chinese international students in the UK

Abstract

2018) 'Missing intercultural engagements in the university experiences of Chinese international students in the UK.', Compare : a journal of comparative and international education., 49 (4). pp. 654-671.The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that:• a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in DRO • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders.Please consult the full DRO policy for further details. AbstractThis paper looks at structural conditions or institutional arrangements that facilitate or hinder interactions for international students. Drawing on the contact and diversity theory, analyses compare Chinese students' intercultural experience in business and non-business schools in one UK university, and explore how these students interpret the meaning of quality intercultural contact based on their responses to the social environment around them. Findings indicate that the overwhelming number of Chinese students, particularly in business schools, combined with obstacles these students face in establishing intercultural contact around the university potentially motivates them to explore engagement with a wider host society (e.g. Christian churches). The denial of intercultural contact due to a lack of diverse environment may lead to inequality in opportunities for crosscultural learning and personal growth. High quality intercultural contact is not only beneficial to international students; it also enhances the intercultural competency of native students in the global market place.

Emerging empowerment of international students: how international student literature has shifted to include the students’ voices

“…Heppner merely states that the rate of international studies is rising and expresses a hope that this will lead to increased internationalisation. Jindal-Snape and Rientes (2016):1) make a similar claim, citing no fewer than five sources, which are Zhou et al (2008); Peacock and Harrison (2009); Zhou et al (2010); Burdett and Crossman (2012); and Rientes and Nolan (2014). Here too, following these citations does not lead to any verification, but to unsupported assertions.…”

“…A central and frequently cited study in this model is that of Bochner et al (1977), where the authors note that, for companionship and friendship, international students greatly favour their co-national peers. This preference, and the resulting lack of contact with host nationals, has been reaffirmed by many (Ward and Kennedy 1993;Sam 2000;Pritchard and Skinner 2002;Montgomery 2010;Wu et al 2015;Yu and Moskal 2018). Most commonly, international students will establish networks of co-nationals wherever possible and otherwise seem to favour international students from other countries rather than host nationals.…”

A conceptual enquiry into communities of practice as praxis in international doctoral education

“…With respect to religious participation, the literature has indicated two examples of international students' active engagement in religious communities (see Ding & Devine, 2017;Gardner et al, 2014;Hsu et al, 2009;Yu & Moskal, 2019). The first group represents the religious international students who are actively engaged in local religious communities.…”

“…Research indicates, for example, that some Chinese students have been actively engaged in church activities, and even converted to Christianity during their PhD study abroad (Ding & Devine, 2017). Accordingly, experience of internal challenges common among the international student cohort, for example, suffering from negative mood due to loneliness or cultural adaptation, as well as external circumstances, including intercultural engagements in the university -matched with the openness of Christian groups -are contributory factors for their participation (Ding & Devine, 2017;Yu & Moskal, 2019).…”

Why do christian churches, and not universities, facilitate intercultural engagement for Chinese international students?

“…Chinese international students hold different expectations of the international experience and arrive in the UK with individual goals ranging from cultural engagement to language improvement, and some of the students become disappointed with the experience, particularly those with high expectations. (Yu and Moskal, 2018). Churches can play the role of social support for both believers and non-believers, including immigrants and refugees, as well as international students.…”