African international student mobility and e-learning experiences - 9th February

Higher education internationalisation is broad and has different dimensions with varied implications for universities. This presentation focuses on the teaching and learning experiences of African international students at two South African universities between 2020 and 2022, during the COVID-19 pandemic-induced lockdown.

Data for the study was collected through semi-structured interviews. Informed by the capability approach, the presentation discusses how structural constraints shaped higher education access and learning for international students.

By problematising the practice of internationalisation, this presentation adds a humanising aspect. It frames internationalisation as a reciprocal relationship where international students bring resources and experiences, improving university rankings and perceptions of institutional inclusivity while also getting an experience that enables them to flourish and live a life that they have reason to value.

Dr Faith Mkwananzi

A researcher at the Centre for Development Support at the University of the Free State, South Africa. Her research is primarily in higher education and international development with interests in educational inclusion, education in emergencies, girls' education, migration, and youth development in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Dr Patience Nyamunda

A lecturer at the University of Glasgow, School of Education. Her research focuses on how universities foster human development and create just, inclusive, and sustainable societies. She has worked with girls in emergencies, students from low-income backgrounds, and migrants in different education contexts.

For more information, please contact Dr. Shalini Bhorkar, Research Fellow at shalini.bhorkar@stmarys.ac.uk

Centre for Research into the Education of Marginalised Children and Young Adults (CREMCYA).