This phenomenological study explores how familial, social, and cultural factors influence the academic choices, experiences, and career decision-making of Chinese and Indian STEM doctoral students in the U.S. Through semi-structured interviews with three Chinese and three Indian international students, thematic analysis identified five themes and…

How do language and culture pose adjustment challenges that hinder the academic success of postgraduate international students? This article answers this question based on a thematic analysis of 55 semi-structured qualitative interviews conducted with postgraduate international students and academic and professional staff members at a Malaysian…

Higher education is a crucial pathway for socio-economic mobility, particularly for minorities. The events of October 7th in Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza (referred to as "Swords of Iron" in Israeli terminology and "Al-Aqsa Flood" in the Palestinian narrative) exacerbated tensions between the Arab minority and the…

Using a biopsychosocial framework, our study examines the biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors associated with depression among a cross-sectional sample of undergraduate international students (N = 712) attending 28 U.S. colleges and universities. Consistent with hypotheses, regression analysis reveals that self-esteem, life…

The purpose of the study was to develop tailored messages for improving mental health and adjustment of Asian international students (AISs) in the United States. The PEN-3 cultural model was used to contextualize the role of culture in mental health needs of AISs. Applying a mixed method approach, the study developed messages through a multistep…

This phenomenological research explored how Asian female international students (AFISs) understand the role of gender in their program experiences and how they cope with the challenges derived from their multiple marginalities-- gender, foreign nationality, and race/ethnicity. Based on in-depth interviews with 21 Asian female international…

The author investigates what challenges four international students (Vietnamese, Filipino, Brazilian, and Chinese) faced and how they coped with these dilemmas in a Japanese language program during the first semester in 2014. Multiple apparatuses (e.g., field notes, face-to-face oral interviews, focal group conversations, and semi-structured…

Non-Native English Speaking (NNES) international students attending colleges and universities in the United States often encounter difficulties in adjusting to their new cultural environment. In addition, they often struggle with academic language while learning the content and conceptual structures of various graduate level disciplines. This…