Exploring the impact of international student mobility on cross-cultural learning adaptation

Recent developments in globalisation of higher education encourage increased student mobility. This talk examines the extent to which international student mobility exerts an impact on cross-cultural learning adaptation of the students in new learning environments. Informed by an innovative, cross-faculty study involving international academics from business and design, the learning experiences of students from China studying business in the UK and students from the UK studying design in China are explored. Using Kolb’s theory of experiential learning to frame the study, and corresponding to the key features of the learning in cross-cultural conceptualisation proposed by Cortazzi and Jin, seven themes of adaptation of students’ learning styles are identified including students’ perceptions and response to good teaching, good learning, peers and assessment. Each plays an important role in facilitating effective engagement with learning in the new learning environment. Guidelines for systematic, pre-mobility, intercultural skills development are suggested to ensure maximum benefits from study abroad. This paper informs the design of student mobility programmes with aspects of intercultural empathy in the context of internationalised higher education.