International students’ transitions to UK Higher Education – revisiting the concept and practice of academic hospitality

Abstract

With the increasing mobility of international students to the UK, the appropriate facilitation of their transition remains a critical issue in terms of higher education practice and research. Much existing research and practice is characterised by assimilationist approaches to transition where international students are seen to 'adapt to' and 'fit in' seemingly uniform host environments. This study however draws on the concept of 'academic hospitality' (Bennett, 2000;Phipps & Barnett, 2007) to develop a more nuanced stance which emphasises reciprocity between academic 'hosts' and 'guests'. The findings presented here emerge from semi-structured interviews with a diverse group of international students who spent their first year abroad at a well-established UK university. Elaborating on different experiences and forms of academic hospitality (i.e. material, virtual, epistemological, linguistic and touristic), the paper contributes to a refined theorisation of international student transition. It also offers valuable insights for academic practitioners and policy makers who seek sensible approaches to internationalisation.

Toward a Framework for (Re)Thinking the Ethics and Politics of International Student Mobility

“…Ploner (2018), following Bennett’s (2000) seminal work on “academic hospitality” and Phipps and Barnett’s (2007) development of this work (both works cited in Ploner, 2018), describes academic hospitality as involving “openness and reciprocity towards others by way of sharing and receiving , and by developing meaningful conversations with knowledges that are perceived as ‘other’ or opposite to one’s own beliefs, ethics and values” (p. 4; emphases original). Applying this concept to a group of international postgraduate students undergoing transition to U.K. higher education, Ploner (2018) examined various concrete forms in which academic hospitality took shape for these students, including material, virtual, epistemological, linguistic, and touristic hospitalities. While the overwhelmingly positive transitioning experiences reported in the study was somewhat surprising, it nevertheless provides useful empirical pointers for future explorations of what “hospitality” might mean in relation to ISM.…”

“…Increasingly, research on international students' intercultural experiences seems to demonstrate greater awareness of the ethical and political nature of intercultural interactions. For example, the two-way or reciprocal nature of "adaption" (e.g., Ata et al, 2018;Tran, 2011) is becoming recognized; sometimes, more neutral terms such as "transition" (Ploner, 2018) are used instead of "adaptation. "…”

Understanding the trajectory of the academic progress of international students in the UK

“…The findings of this research establish that UK universities and other HEIs must understand that the process of transitional adjustment is an important element of the support that they must offer to international students (Brown and Holloway, 2008;Ploner, 2018)…”

International student migration and the postcolonial heritage of European higher education: perspectives from Portugal and the UK

“…Indeed, Rita's remark about the 'immediacy' of her decision to study in Portugal due to existing family networks can be seen as such a 'normal' act. Whilst practical issues such as shared language, support with accommodation and transition come into play, one has also to account for the affective anchors afforded by family networks that help students to 'settle in' emotionally, to receive love, care, and hospitality, or to overcome feelings of isolation and insecurity often associated with international student migration (Ploner 2018). Observers and marketers of international HE, who reduce student's choice of study destination to the prestige and excellence of receiving institutions, still largely ignore the significance of established transnational social and kin networks, which go beyond the economic argument but emphasise the emotional and affective dimensions underpinning these decisions.…”