About 5.3 million international students attended universities outside their country of citizenship in 2017. They had a significant positive economic impact on the host countries, with financial contributions exceeding the fees they pay to universities. For instance, in the US, international students contributed to the US surplus in service trade and supported about 400,000 jobs during 2017. In the UK, they supported GBP 1 billion in tax revenues in 2014/2015. But their contributions go beyond monetary terms. International students can contribute to diplomatic connections. Academically, universities have adjusted to the influx of international students with various initiatives to meet diverse foreign student needs. Yet challenges remain particularly arduous bureaucratic and academic tasks and language difficulties. Another challenge is how to infuse international content into program curricula because many faculty members have little or no background on related topics and have time constraints in adding anything to already jam-packed courses. For students, study abroad brings challenges like those experienced by expatriate managers, i.e., cultural adaptation. Given the massive growth in student mobility and the significant contribution of international students to host countries’ economies, much thought has been given to improving intercultural competence for international students. One such solution is the Process Model of Intercultural Competence (see Figure 2.3.)

Questions

1. Assume someone from another country asks to understand the most important cultural things about your country, how would you respond?

2. If you are planning to visit another country as a student or tourist, what preparations can you make that will help you to understand that culture better?

3. If you have visited other countries, did the experience make you think more about yourself or your home country?

4. Can you think of an occasion when a student from another culture has made a contribution to student life that you valued?

5. Have you made any friends with students from other countries? Is so, describe how it happened. If not, why do you think you haven’t?

6. Assume on post-graduation that you are launching a new global start-up and are seeking new partners. How might you start building your global business networks now?