Internationalising Australian universities: the intercultural contact issue

Abstract

An important assumption underlying the recent movement towards internationalising education in Australian universities is that the recruitment of international students will facilitate contact with Australian students which, in turn, will enhance intercultural awareness, understanding, and acceptance. The present study surveyed samples of international (n = 357) and Australian students (n = 359) concerning their perceptions of the other's friendliness, the extent of their current contact (in coursework, accommodation, and leisure activities), and their preferred level of contact. The results indicated that there were some notable differences, as well as similarities, in the perceptions and preferences of the two students groups. Moreover, the findings indicated that the differences were frequently interactively associated with the degree programs in which the students were enrolled, that the differences between Australian and international students appeared to be greater than between international students from different countries of citizenship, and that the facilitation of intercultural understanding and acceptance would not be easy given that Australian students were less interested in intercultural contact than were international students.

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