The COVID-19 pandemic and internationalisation of higher education : international students’ knowledge, experiences, and wellbeing

Internationalization of education is facing unprecedented challenges when the world is presently confronted with the COVID-19 pandemic. Well before the current global health crisis, growing concerns have been raised about the value and benefits that international education brings to different social groups. Critics against internationalization of education claim the phenomenon favours only the elites in society and disadvantages groups with low socioeconomic status. In view of the COVIC-19 pandemic, this argument is even more critical.

Leading scholars in the field of international higher education believe a broad-based crisis for higher education globally is emerging, and one major consequence is intensive inequality and incertitude in the post-pandemic period. To prepare well for the unpredictable future that lies ahead, there is the need to understand the gaps in current support systems for students involved and the implications for internationalizing higher education. This paper sets out against the unprecedented global health crisis to critically examine how international students assess their well-being under the impact of COVID-19 pandemic. The paper will reflect upon the implications for university management and governance when dealing with international students.