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This paper investigates and compares Chinese master’s students in Denmark and Sweden, focusing on their motivation for choosing to study in Denmark and Sweden, their daily life and study acculturation experience, as well as their intentions of staying or returning after graduating.The paper provides information on the current student migration situation, and presents relevant motivational migration and acculturation theories. A semi-structured interview method is then used to gather qualitative data from six Chinese master’s students studying in Denmark and Sweden. In the analysis, the paper applies the theories on the interview data.This paper’s findings suggest that the main reasons for the Chinese master’s students to study abroad is to improve their competencies and experience foreign culture. When choosing the study destination, decisive factors include the quality of the program, the academic reputation of the universities, the use of English in teaching and cultural aspirations.The effects of cultural differences, study situation and finance are factors that affect their psychological well-being during the process of acculturation. Their psychological well-being generally follows a “U” curve with an initial high level followed by a lower level which eventually increases to a higher level once again. The students encounter challenges in their study related to the Danish and Swedish academia’s direct teacher-student and student-student communication, as well as the English language.Regarding the students’ intentions after graduating, some plan to return to China because of family, friends and personal relationship reasons, while others intend to stay mainly for career reasons, but with the intention of ultimately returning to China.

Det konfliktdrabbade Turkiet är hemlandet för denna studies fyra respondenter. Syftet var att undersöka dessa internationella studentmigranters syn och uppfattning angående tre teman; migration, återvändande och våld, vilket gjordes med den instabila politiska situationen i landet i åtanke. Analysen gjordes genom en kvalitativ innehållsanalys av det producerade materialet där materialet klassificerades i koder och underkoder, för att kunna jämföra respondenternas uppfattningar utifrån den teoretiska grunden.Studien genererade en mängd resultat från vilka slutsatser kunde dras. Begreppet migration kopplades ihop med flyktingar, vilket visade på en vilja att hellre definiera sig som cirkulär migrant då detta innebär fler och bättre möjligheter i mottagarlandet, samt efter avklarade studier. Att hellre identifiera sig som en världsmedborgare än att tillhöra den nationella identiteten visades av flertalet vara viktigt. Begrepp som brain drain, brain circulation och push-pullfaktorer togs upp för att förstå processen från ett statligt perspektiv.Då våld diskuterades nämndes främst det direkta våldet, men alla respondenterna reflekterade över både strukturella och kulturella våldshandlingar så som diskriminering på olika grunder. / The conflict-threatened Turkey is the home country for this study's four respondents. The purpose was to investigate the views of international student migrants on three themes; migration, return migration and violence, which was decided upon and discussed with the unstable political situation in the country in mind. The analysis was done by a qualitative content analysis of the produced material, where the material was classified into codes and sub-codes, in order to be able to compare the respondents' perceptions based on the theoretical framework. The study generated several results from which conclusions could be drawn. The concept of migration was coupled with refugees, which indicated a willingness to better define themselves as circular migrants, as this means more and better opportunities in the recipient country, as well as after completed studies.Preferably identifying themselves as a world citizens rather than belonging to a national identity was shown by most of them. Concepts such as brain drain, brain circulation and push-pull factors were raised to understand the process from a state perspective.When violence was discussed, the direct violence was mainly mentioned, but all respondents reflected on both structural and cultural acts of violence such as discrimination on different grounds

Syftet med uppsatsen är att undersöka internationella studenters motivationsfaktorer för att studera utomlands och deras val av Malmö högskola, Sverige. Uppsatsen undersöker kulturella skillnader som de internationella studenterna upplever när de studerar i Sverige och om de upplever att deras kulturella identitet förstärks eller försvagas. Uppsatsen baseras på en induktiv, kvalitativ metod. För att få en djupare förståelse av de internationella studenternas situation och erfarenheter utfördes både individuella intervjuer och gruppintervjuer. I teoriavsnittet definieras begreppen kultur, kulturell identitet och interkulturell kommunikation samt begreppen asserted respektive assigned identitet och thick respektive thin identitet. Studiens resultat visade hur olika motivationsfaktorer påverkade de internationella studenternas val att studera utomlands, att kulturella skillnader blev tydliga genom vardagliga möten i det svenska samhället och på högskolan, och att studenternas kulturella identiteter visade sig vara mer markerade under studenternas vistelse i Sverige. Jag menar att en ny omgivning påverkar de internationella studenterna, och att deras kultur och kulturella identiteter blir mer påtagliga. / The research study aims at exploring the relationship between international students’ motivational factors to study abroad and the choice of Malmö University, Sweden, considering each student’s main “push” and “pull” factors. The research study seeks to examine the international students’ experiences of cultural differences while studying in Sweden. Furthermore, the study investigates whether the international students cultural identity are being reinforced or weakened. Not much previous research on international students´ motivations, cultural differences and cultural identity has been done; however, some related researches provided me with knowledge and acted as guidelines for the research study. The research study is based on an inductive, qualitative research method, and the data was collected through semi-structured and focus group interviews. In respect of the implications to define culture and cultural identity the data will be explored through a theoretical framework of intercultural communication and the theory of asserted and assigned identity and thick and thin identity, respectively. The findings of the research study showed different motivational factors affecting the international students’ reason to choose study outside their origin country. The cultural differences experienced were explained as being caused by everyday encounters in the Swedish society and educational system. The students studied experienced that their cultural belonging became more evident as they were living in Sweden. I believe that an unfamiliar social surrounding, along with the circumstance of being international students in a society that is different from the one at home, make culture and cultural identity more important and evident to the people living there.

In recent years, university-based Intensive English Programs (IEPs) have expanded to serve the growing population of international students who wish to earn their degrees at U.S. universities. Many of these IEPs have shifted their focus to assist these academically bound international students by functioning as a bridge to enrollment in American undergraduate or graduate degree programs. Accordingly, it has become increasingly important to investigate and better understand how such programs are serving this student population. This dissertation explores how one university-based IEP is preparing its academically bound international students for their subsequent academic studies. In order to gain greater insight into students’ experiences throughout the college-going process, current and former students were interviewed about the ways in which this IEP facilitated their admittance to, enrollment in, and academic readiness for success in university degree programs. Additionally, interviews with instructors and administrators, observations of IEP courses and advising sessions, and student test score and academic record data were all analyzed to gain a more holistic understanding of the processes these students undergo in the pursuit of their academic goals. This study draws upon Lave and Wenger’s (1991) theory of situated learning as a theoretical framework to examine the academic socialization that international students studying at a university-based IEP experience throughout the college-going process. The findings from this study revealed that in addition to English language instruction, university-based IEPs with academically bound student populations must also provide their students with the college choice support and academic readiness skills necessary to achieve their goals. By conducting an in-depth analysis of one university-based IEP, this dissertation offers concrete implications that IEP administrators and instructors can enact in order to better support their students throughout the university applications and admissions processes, while providing these students with the linguistic and academic skills necessary for ultimate success in their undergraduate or graduate degree program. / CITE/Language Arts