Belonging, being, and interculturality: A narrative exploration of the experiences endured by students labelled international in a British university

This research probes into the experiences of students labelled international within a British university in the north of England. Narratives shared by several international-fee-paying postgraduate researchers reveal several intricate trajectories that transcend the essentialist representation of the ‘international other’ as a deficient, pre-cultured cash cow. The study explores a plethora of generative mechanisms that are arguably implemented in a systematic manner to impose a sense of alienation and difference, and to justify the financial exploitation of students labelled international. Students’ narratives serve to uncover some of the restrictive policies and deficit-laden encounters that impact their very sense of being. This involves reflections on border-crossing experiences, police registration, struggles to fit within certain predefined ethnic labels, and even problematic encounters with supervisors, staff, and other individuals. The research debunks the false homogeneity attributed to the international label and argues that cohorts of students labelled international are not homogeneous, but rather actively and purposefully homogenised. In spite of the current unprecedented interest in research about international students, students’ intercultural experiences, and the internationalisation of higher education, this study manages to explore a seldom tackled facet of the experiences endured by students labelled international. There are three main contributions that this research aspires to disseminate. First, it outlines the generative mechanisms sustaining the current trajectories of students labelled international. Second, it poses relevant questions vis-à-vis the analytical affordances of the current theoretical and methodological frameworks underpinning research about international students, especially within the field of Intercultural Studies. Third, it suggests an alternative conceptualisation of culture as a form of belonging which could serve to inform policies and practices involving international students.