Class of 2017 Abstract / Objectives: To explore and describe the attitudes of pharmacy preceptors regarding the instruction of international student pharmacists. Methods: Two focus groups were held, involving a total a ten pharmacy preceptors associated with the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy, the majority of whom had prior experience working with international pharmacy scholars. Results: Preceptors reported a number of both benefits and challenges associated with instructing international scholars. They benefited from the students’ contribution to the pharmacy team, and from the exposure to different cultures. The challenges they encountered primarily involved the language barrier, cultural differences, and differences in knowledge and training compared to local students. Conclusions: Preceptors reported overall positive experiences in working with international pharmacy scholars, and also faced a number of challenges.

A considerable number of students undertaking pre-registration nurse education in the UK are international students from Zimbabwe. The aim of this study is to listen to their narratives in order both to understand their experiences and to make suggestions for improving their educational management. The context from which the Zimbabwean students have migrated is discussed, outlining the current Zimbabwean educational and health care systems; prevailing social mores, religion and kinship ties; and the more recent sharp economic downturn in the Zimbabwean economy and the effects of the prevalence of HI VIA IDS in Southern Africa. Nine pre-registration nursing students from Zimbabwe attending one UK university, and one further respondent who had qualified as a nurse and was practising in the same locality were recruited to take part in life-history interviews. The interviews covered experiences in Zimbabwe leading to migration to the UK; accounts of arriving in the UK and challenges experienced in starting the course, working in health care settings as placements, and becoming reconciled to life in the UK. Factors prompting migration to the UK are reported to include the emphasis on education as a means of social mobility; the economic crisis, and the disruption of family ties by the HIV epidemic. Educational courses for nursing are the means to prevent their aspirations for professional occupation floundering on current economic and political instability in Zimbabwe, rather than a positive career choice. The reliance of the NHS on internationally-recruited students to cover shortfalls in labour in the UK contributes to this process. Experiences upon arrival in the UK include problems with visas, immigration officials and banking facilities. Zimbabwean students find it challenging to adapt to self-directed learning styles, to combine studying in a context without their familiar domestic help, and under financial pressure to remit monies home. They also report experiences of racism both in the college and in placement settings. Despite these challenges the next step seems more likely to be to work in nursing in the UK and to bring family to join them when financially possible. These life-histories have implications for the educational management of Zimbabwean nursing students at the level of the University, the University International Office, the School of Nursing and Midwifery, the individual nurse tutor, and the local NHS placement settings. They also have implications for the future prospects of Zimbabwe after the Mugabe regime.

Chinese society has greatly emphasized filial piety and other related societal norms. This thesis explores how Mainland Chinese international students, especially those who are from one-child households, maintain their familial responsibilities while studying in Canada away from home. The research is framed by the family migration strategy literature and empirically adopts a qualitative approach. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews with Mainland Chinese international students are undertaken. The findings show that as with many other types of migration, student migration, in this case, is a familial decision. To a certain extent, obtaining a foreign degree is the foundation for fulfilling familial responsibilities in the future. In addition, a new concept, delay remittances, is introduced as a way of conceptualizing the concrete meaning of familial responsibility for Mainland Chinese international students. The findings also show that the most significant tension for Mainland Chinese international is related to the uncertainty of how and where they will be able to fulfill their familial obligations to their parents.

Historically, various minority groups have faced multiple forms of prejudice and discrimination. The sources of such attitudes are mainly ignorance about these groups. One such group is Muslims living in western countries. The fear and dread of Muslims and Islam has deep historical roots; however, these attitudes escalated after the September 11 tragedy. After September 11, Muslims became the headlines of news and Americans were exposed to distorted images of Muslims in the media. This misrepresentation of Muslims in the media led to yet another form of xenophobia, which resulted in ‘othering’ Muslims. In schools and universities, the story was not different. In the following study, I discuss the ‘othering’ of 6 international hijabi Muslim women studying at a Midwestern University in light of the Islamophobic tendencies developed after September 11. I create narratives of these experiences to understand how hijabi Muslim women make sense of their experiences in relation to the larger sociopolitical discourse. These narratives contribute to the larger effort of creating an equitable educational experience for students from all backgrounds.

This study was designed to explore how Black African international students develop an understanding of their racial identity within the U.S. context. Although there has been considerable previous theoretical and empirical work examining the process of racial identity development (e.g. Cross, 1971; Sellers et al.1998), which has provided foundation for how we continue to understand how U.S. racial minorities develop their racial identities. However, there is a paucity of research on the racial identity development process of non-U.S. born Black people (Hocoy, 1999; Asante, 2012). Even less is known about the role that intersectionality of other identities plays in the racial identity development of non-U.S. Black groups. Thus, this study was intended to provide information about the racial identity development process within the U.S. context of Black African international students at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Grounded Theory method was implemented in this study to analyze qualitative data from nine individual interviews. Findings highlight the complexity of navigating racial identity in a different cultural context. The final analysis revealed seven axial coding categories that comprised of 22 open-coding categories and subcategories. A Grounded Theory model emerged from the analysis, racial identity development as a flowing river, which depicts how participants developed their racial identity within the U.S. cultural context. These Black African international students’ racial identity development process was characterized by individual understanding of race, race-related incidents and events, constructivist nature of race, and impact of other group identities. At the center of the theoretical structure was the understanding of racial identity development as a journey, rather than a step-by-step process. Participants typically begun the process with the understanding of race within their home country context, and then gradually navigated how to adjust to the U.S. context of what it means to be Black. The process was like traveling down a flowing river, littered with rocks and ripples, and African identity served as a safe vessel in which to navigate the river’s flow. The study’s conclusions have implications for mental health providers in college counseling centers, international student office personnel, and researchers. Prior to providing services to Black African international students, stakeholders are encouraged to be mindful of the personal and cultural needs of individual students, as well as where they might be in their racial identity development journey.

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African international students continue to remain one of the least represented and studied groups of international students. In addition to the acculturative stress typically experienced by international students, African students inherit the marginalization of their racial/ethnic group in the United States. As such, scholars acknowledge the need for continued research into the experiences of African international students. Utilizing the Integrative Theory of Communication and Cross- Cultural Adaptation and elements of postcolonialism, this thesis explored the experiences of 10 African students in the United States. A qualitative analysis revealed that host receptivity, perceived cultural differences, expectations, and language/accents influenced intercultural communication. The challenges experienced in intercultural interactions allowed for the emergence of an intercultural identity such that the participants existed in a third space as intercultural Africans. This thesis adds to existing research on cross-cultural adaptation and negotiated identity, while also providing practical implications for schools. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (MA)--Florida Atlantic University, 2021. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / Internationalisation is an important worldwide phenomenon, and amongst others, presents as a major trend in higher education and continues to be on the agenda of higher education providers worldwide. It is significant for the sustainability of higher education at a national level, and subsequently, the contribution that higher education makes to the development of a nation, its people and its ability to compete in the global market. Internationalisation within universities continues to develop apace as institutions move from equating international strategies with international student recruitment to developing mature internationalisation agendas that incorporate recruitment, research collaborations and capacity-building.

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Background A chatbot is a type of modern computing program that uses textual or vocal interfaces to replicate human communication or "chitchat.” is widely used in many large-scale applications. The thought behind this technological advancement was to provide users with quick and instantaneous responses to questions that they would ask when conversing through email or by phone, which has been shown to boost productivity among users and lessen the time being spent on tasks. Purpose The main aim of this thesis is to investigate opinions and behaviors, in terms of perceived benefits and drawbacks, of international students on whether or not implementing a chatbot onto a university’s website can be mutually beneficial for both the university to lessen the number of incoming questions and the prospective students in their decision-making process to select their future school. Method To do this, a mockup chatbot was created with Voiceflow software. The Voiceflow software is a cutting-edge creative tool for teams focused on conversational design and product development. It has been aligned with the TAM model described in the research framework. The participants were placed in the role of prospective students searching the JU website for general and specialized information on the university's study programs, financial arrangements, apprenticeships, exchange overseas, and the enrollment procedure. Participants in the mockup are invited to imagine themselves as potential students interested in applying for a higher education degree at Jönköping University in one of five scenarios. Conclusion The findings of this research provide insights into the benefits and the drawbacks of implementing a chatbot within higher educational institutions that are actively recruiting international students with their English-taught programs, exchange programs, courses, traineeships, etc. The main conclusion of this research is that higher educational institutions such as colleges and universities should opt to implement a chatbot within their website in order to facilitate frequently asked questions that otherwise would take time, for example waiting for a representative to answer the phone and/or waiting for an email reply. When students reside in another time zone, students greatly benefit from a chatbot as it is available 24/7, in addition, having all the necessary information for international students under one roof, students are able to quickly navigate through various information that is relevant to them in a few clicks with the use of a chatbot. On the other hand, findings show that although chatbots are indeed very helpful to international students, there are some drawbacks that should be considered. Major drawbacks introduced by this research include the lack of human assistance in cases where the chatbot is unable to answer complex and/or personal questions or cases where students prefer human contact. Additionally, chatbots require round-the-clock maintenance to keep them up to date with displaying the correct information.