Navigating no-man's land: facilitating the transition of international students to PhD study: a case of a Scottish university

International Doctoral students face challenges posed by sociocultural differences, as they seek to establish identities as scholars within an academic environment that values and expects behaviours that may be unfamiliar to them. As a backdrop to assessing the content and structure of one institution’s efforts to apply innovative and inclusive teaching practices on its Doctoral Induction Programme, this chapter not only critiques Western universities as global providers of doctoral education, but also scrutinizes how the term ‘international’ has been exploited by Western academia. The chapter also explores matters relating to the role of the English language in international doctoral education. The results of this case study suggest that international scholars appreciate opportunities to take ownership of their own PhD journeys as they develop their awareness of existing hegemonies within the international academy.