‘When you welcome students without borders, you need a mentality without borders’ internationalisation of higher education: evidence from Portugal

Abstract

Compared to other major players in the global market of international education, internationalisation of higher education has only recently become a relevant topic in Portugal. In line with the worldwide increase of international students, Portuguese universities are also experiencing a growing inflow of students willing to obtain a foreign tertiary degree. Anchored in international students' perceptions, this paper aims to understand how Portuguese universities deal with the increased diversity of their student bodies. The data result from an in-depth qualitative approach guided by the methodological assumptions of narrative inquiry and are analysed in the light of theories of multiculturalism. The findings give an account of numerous weaknesses in the way Portuguese universities tackle diversity, suggesting that institutional structures may reinforce assimilationist and deficit views of international students. Finally, considering that universities from other 'catch-up' countries may be confronted with similar issues, some empirically based recommendations are offered.

The Effects of Educational Service Quality and Socio-Cultural Adaptation Difficulties on International Students’ Higher Education Satisfaction

“…Language deficiency negatively affects academic achievement and social interaction, thus makes adaptation more difficult (Bastien et al, 2018). Students may experience a cultural shock in the new educational environment come, and even hostile attitudes toward international students may develop in that society due to misperceptions (Nada & Araújo, 2019).…”

“…The number of university-level international students increases worldwide (Nada & Araújo, 2019). The total number of international students in the world has reached 5.6 million (UNESCO, 2018).…”

Strategies and Techniques for the Internationalization of Non-Dominant Firms: A Qualitative Study

“…Monopolizing practice is hardly effective in today's generation. Firms such as Starbucks did not grow by using monopolistic approaches, but they dominate today's market both internationally and locally [27]. Non-dominant firms tend to shift out the demand curves.…”

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“…129-143. DOI: https://10.22355/exaequo.2021.44.09 superior portuguesas ainda não estão preparadas para lidar com a diversidade multicultural de estudantes internacionais (Nada e Araújo 2019). No nosso caso, quisemos salientar o que muitas estudantes brasileiras sentiram devido ao efeito ampliado das desigualdades nas interações sociais em contexto académico, sobretudo quando sobrepostas as condições étnico-raciais, de género e de nacionalidade.…”