A Home Away from Home: International Students in Australian and South African Higher Education

Due to enhanced mobility, students more than ever before have the option to study abroad. Higher proportions of students are drawn from countries outside the home bases of universities; and tertiary institutions have become increasingly dependent for their financial viability on the revenues derived from these students. As a result, an activity that has historically been evaluated in terms of its contribution to the public good is now more likely to be assessed through the application of business and marketing principles. The character of the higher education experiences in many countries, including South Africa and Australia, have also been dramatically changed by the increasing diversity and cosmopolitanism associated with the flow of students from a range of countries. In this book, a timely and distinctive collection of papers enhances understanding of the complex issues associated with international education in globalizing times. The book's contributions come from a conference at Monash University's Johannesburg campus in November 2010. The focus of the conference was international students in South Africa and Australia. A distinctive feature of the conference was the theme of racism in its many forms that has attracted much media attention, particularly in Australia. Drawing on a range of social theories, the book analyzes key issues that have demanded attention in this area, thereby helping to move the field forward. It provides detailed accounts of international education, questioning the adequacy of many current higher education policies, including the Australian government's related current immigration policy. It also challenges the current emphasis on international education as a commodity rather than as a public good and proposes alternate ways of framing the debates and formulating policies.