New book aims to help international students’ transition to their new country
Published On Mon 18 Apr 2016 by Grant Hill
A new book, co-edited by a University of Dundee academic, explores the educational and life challenges that international students face and sets out practical ways to help them prosper in their new surroundings.
‘Multi-dimensional Transitions of International Students to Higher Education’, will be officially launched at the University’s Dalhousie Building, Old Hawkhill, on Tuesday, 26th April. Edited and written by Professor Divya Jindal-Snape, of the Centre for Transformative Change: Educational and Life Transitions (TCELT) at Dundee, and The Open University’s Dr Bart Rienties, the book seeks to provide support to the tens of thousands of students around the world who move to another country for study each year.
International students experience multiple educational and life transitions – they are moving to a new country with a new educational system and to a new level of study. Within these transitions, they experience differences in the social and organisational cultures, languages, and interpersonal expectations, realities and relationships.
‘Multi-dimensional Transitions’ provides up-to-date literature, research and theoretical constructs that underpin international students’ transitions to Higher Education. It will help professionals, students, academics, researchers and policy makers understand the opportunities, issues, and interventions that are vital to support an individual through these transitions.
Professor Jindal-Snape said, “The primary purpose of this book was to bring together research into this subject from around the world to help broaden our understanding of the transitional challenges that international students face and to provide a framework to support them in their new environments.
“The transitions they face are not just academic but also social, cultural, emotional and interpersonal. With contributions from researchers from Australia, New Zealand, China, Holland, Spain, UK, Ireland and the US we have looked at different theories to conceptualise the issues and pulled together a new model of intervention that can help students, their peers and tutors.”
Dr Rienties added, “Previously, most research into this area focused on the individual but we have deliberately broadened our remit. Approaching the subject from educational, psychological and sociological perspectives, we look at the host nationals and the community, and the impact that the international student’s transitions have on them in an attempt to better understand the cross-cultural challenges.
“Transitions are multiple and multi-dimensional. An international student’s transition also leads to, and interacts with, transitions of professionals, home students, and their families.”
Dundee’s Vice-Principal (International) Wendy Alexander will talk about the importance of helping international students in their transitions at the book launch, while some of the contributing authors will be presenting research and theory based on their chapters. Policy makers will also be present at the launch.
International students currently studying at the University will also attend the event and share their experiences.
More information about ‘Multi-dimensional Transitions of International Students to Higher Education’ can be found at http://www.dundee.ac.uk/tcelt/news/2015/articles/multi-dimensional-transitions-of-international-students-to-higher-education.php.
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