International Encounters

This book examines the diversity of international student experiences in the top four destination countries in the English-speaking world (United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada). Bringing together scholars from the fields of education, sociology, communications, linguistics, international relations, and geography, this edited collection explores the challenges and opportunities of “international encounters” on college and university campuses. Additionally, the contributors rethink many of the key concepts in the field of international student studies such as “international student,” “host community,” and “cultural adjustment” while also critically examining the role that race, gender, and national identity play in shaping international student experiences. Through a series of case studies, the contributions to this book highlight the diverse experiences of international students from different world regions, including East Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean. The broader aim of the book is to enrich our understanding of cross-cultural interactions within the context of higher education institutions in order to enhance the international student experience.

International Encounters is a wonderful, timely book. It taps into a crucial socio-cultural moment, where researchers, institutions, and policy-makers have finally come to recognize the weighty significance of international student mobility. Its ultimate aim is laudable and necessary—to foster meaningful cross-cultural engagement. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in how international student mobility is shaping academic institutions and societies, and how we might better serve the students themselves to make the most of their experiences of overseas study., This is an excellent and timely contribution that extends our knowledge of the diverse experiences of international students who are pursuing higher education within the top destination countries in the Anglophone world. Highly recommended to both scholars and practitioners in the fields of international education and international student affairs., This book presents a diversity of voices that are critical to hear as we continue to engage in international educational exchange. The chapters are consistently high quality, and the collection rightly sheds light on the challenges of international student inclusion and helps us better understand the import of the task at hand., This comprehensive volume provides a rich account of the international student experience from a multidisciplinary perspective. International Encounters reimagines the international student experience with fresh new language, perspectives, and metaphors that represent promising directions for the future of international student research and practice.

CindyAnn Rose-Redwood is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada.Reuben Rose-Redwood is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography and Chair of the Committee for Urban Studies at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada.