The changing map of international student mobility

Abstract

This article presents fifteen essays following a prompt on the changing map of international student mobility through three disruptions, namely Brexit, America First and COVID-19. These essays written by postgraduate students at Beijing Normal University were collected during the Spring semester of 2020 and edited by Stephanie Hollings and Zhang Man under the supervision of Professor Michael Peters. The fifteen texts, written in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, highlight the many factors and faces of the changing map of international student mobility from fifteen different perspectives. The world map is a key aspect of these essays as it is not only important as a geographical concept but as a discourse of knowledge, power, identity and ideas that will be reflected in each student’s interpretation of international student mobility. Each student draws on their own diverse background and lived experiences, some as Chinese students and some as international students in China, to give light to these disruptions through the eyes of ‘globally mobile’ students, making an important contribution to global discussions on international student mobility. These students, reflecting on being in the midst of a pandemic spreading across the world map, imagine the future post-COVID-19 and how that will interplay with the other two major student mobility disruptions of recent years (Brexit and America First) to impact international student mobility, international education, the ever-changing map of international student mobility and the discourse that comes from that changing map.

International Chinese Postgraduate Students’ Adaptation Strategies for Oral English Communication Practices in Malaysian Higher Education Institutions

“…As has been reported by previous research, Malaysia, as an emerging international education hub, now attracts an increasing number of Chinese students to pursue degrees in its higher education institutions [1,2]. With the current globalization and internationalization, transnational education cooperation among countries has increasingly grown with the mass uency of international students [3].…”

“…Meanwhile, international students can broaden their horizons and improve their degrees. So, both parties could bene t mutually [2]. As the largest group of international students [4] international Chinese EFL students' overseas studies should be emphasized to improve the quality of international education services [5].…”

Student mobility in Ireland and Northern Ireland

“…The European Commission has played an important role in supporting student mobility (especially short-term mobility through funded programmes) and in enhancing the recognition of qualifications, though the responsibility for admissions rests with specific higher education institutions in different administrative systems (West and Barham, 2009). Other macro-level factors include the withdrawal of the UK from the EU (Brexit) and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on international travel (Peters et al, 2021). Brexit can be seen as a counter development to internationalisation efforts in HE (Riedl and Staubmann, 2021), and has implications for students aiming to study in the UK, but also for UK students studying abroad.…”

Adaptasi Mahasiswa Asal Indonesia di Amerika Serikat

“…Akses pendidikan yang berkualitas hingga jenjang pendidikan tinggi terus menjadi fokus negara di berbagai dunia (Peters et al, 2021). Dalam hal ini, negara-negara di dunia telah melakukan massifikasi pendidikan tinggi untuk meningkatkan kapasitas dan kapabilitas masyarakatnya terhadap ilmu pengetahuan (Peters et al, 2021). Kapasitas pengetahuan yang meningkat akan mendorong berbagai pengembangan aspek yang bermanfaat dalam kehidupan sosial.…”