Intercultural Communication Strategy of International Student Services Staff at Higher Education in Indonesia

Abstract

Higher education institutions strive to maintain their competitive advantage over other universities by the existence of international students. International students have a positive impact on the academic performance of tertiary institutions. However, they risk experiencing various problems without integration between students, lecturers, administrative staff and the education system. College staff need to have cross-cultural awareness & cross-cultural understanding for the development of their professional services. This study aims to recognize and scrutinize the strategy of intercultural communication carried out by staffs for International Student Services in providing services to international students at a tertiary institution. Intercultural communication strategies are are utilized to overcome language and cultural barriers. This communication strategy is essential for administrative staff at the forefront of academic and non-academic services when interacting with international students. The results of this study identified five key components of an intercultural communication development strategy to improve international student services: attitude, knowledge, emotional connection, communication skills, and critical cultural awareness. The strategy should involve friendly behaviour, patience, clear explanations, emotional closeness, persuasive communication, and cultural sensitivity. The improvement of intercultural communicative competence must focus on the following three domains: affective, cognitive, and skills.