Re-Thinking the Needs of International Students: Critical Perspectives on the Internationalisation of UK Higher Education Institutions

The aims of this seminar series were: To challenge cultural stereotypes of the international student. To explore the intercultural experiences of international students in UK Higher Education. To develop new theoretical understandings of factors impacting on international students experiences. To contribute to the development of UK Higher Education provision to meet the needs and challenges faced by international students. To contribute to the internationalisation of UK Higher Education Institutions. The series, convened by researchers at the Universities of Birmingham, Nottingham and Bath, provided a forum for concerned groups to share perspectives. These included: international students and their representatives, both as advocates and as researchers; academics conducting research in this area; academics involved in planning educational provision for international students; teaching and learning leaders in universities; international officers at universities; and government and other official bodies promoting the internationalisation of UK higher education. Four seminars were held between September 2008 and September 2009, covering the conceptual and research basis for internationalisation, evidence on the student experience, promising practices in universities, and an international comparative exploration of government policy as context, enabling factor and constraint'.