Academic and Sociocultural Adjustment Experiences of International Students Studying in Kazakhstan

Abstract

Internationalization of higher education has gained momentum over the last three decades and is now an integral part of strategies and policies at both national and institutional levels. However, research on internationalization in general, and on international students’ adjustment experiences in particular, has received scant attention in Kazakhstan. This study is an attempt to address this gap. Using case study design, the research was undertaken at one private Kazakhstani university hosting a relatively large and diverse body of international students. Fourteen overseas students and four university administrators were interviewed to identify the students’ adjustment experiences and factors affecting them, as well as to reveal how the university contributes to the students’ integration into the host community. The findings suggest that proficiency in local languages was the most important factor that affected the overseas students’ adjustment experiences. Those who spoke the Russian language upon arrival in Kazakhstan adjusted better. Meanwhile, their peers, who were not proficient in local languages, started feeling more adjusted after acquiring either of them. Gender and country of origin were the second most influential factors. Whereas female students experienced issues connected with accommodation to local food, their male peers reported being exposed to bullying. Due to similar cultural and linguistic backgrounds, overseas students from post-Soviet countries adjusted faster than their peers from other countries. Language barrier and cultural differences were major factors that inhibited overseas students’ adjustment. In contrast, faculty support, engagement in friendship networks on campus, as well as cultural proximity, prior cross-cultural encounters, and openness to cultural diversity contributed to the students’ smoother adjustment. The research may be of benefit to current and potential international students, as well as to university administrators. In addition, this study may contribute to the expansion of local and global knowledge pools on academic and sociocultural adjustment of international students.