HI6008: International Student Challenges and Opportunities in Sydney

This report provides a comprehensive overview of the opportunities and challenges faced by international students in Sydney, focusing on their experiences at the University of Sydney. The report begins with an introduction to the topic, followed by clearly defined project objectives and scope. A detailed literature review explores challenges such as socio-cultural adjustments, educational expectations, financial hardships, and safety concerns, while also highlighting opportunities like social connections, community support, and information provision. The research methodology employs a quantitative approach, utilizing surveys to gather data and insights from international students, alongside a discussion of research limitations and a time schedule for the research plan. The report concludes with recommendations for improving the international student experience, emphasizing the importance of resources like community directories, interpreter services, and buddy schemes. Overall, the report aims to offer valuable information and actionable insights for improving the experience of international students in Sydney.

Running head: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES OF INTERNATIONAL
STUDENTS IN UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY
Opportunities and Challenges of International Students in University of Sydney
Name of the student
Name of the University
Author note

1
OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN
UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY
Table of Contents
1. Introduction.........................................................................................................................3
2. Project Objective.................................................................................................................3
3. Project Scope......................................................................................................................3
4. Literature Review...............................................................................................................4
5. Research Questions.............................................................................................................6
6. Research Methodology.......................................................................................................6
7. Research Limitations..........................................................................................................7
8. Time Schedule of the Research Plan..................................................................................8
9. Conclusion and Recommendations.....................................................................................8
10. References.....................................................................................................................10

2
OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN
UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY
1. Introduction
Sydney is a study destination that is popular and the students across the world go to
Sydney so that they can get top quality of education. There are a large number of
international students who enrol in the courses of Sydney and they are responsible for adding
to international student body within Sydney. In the year 2017, there were around 799,371
international students who had enrolled in the education programs within Sydney (Marginson
2015). University of Sydney is the name of a public research university within Sydney that
was founded in the year 1850 (Sydney.edu.au 2019). The international students studying in
the University of Sydney gets a lot of opportunities that helps them in thriving in Sydney.
International students also have to face a lot of challenges that hampers their educational life.
2. Project Objective
 To find out the opportunities that the international students gets in Sydney
 To know regarding the challenges which is faced by international students in Sydney
 To understand the significance of social institutions that helps in safeguarding
international students within Sydney
 To recommend information provision in rendering help to the international students in
Sydney
3. Project Scope
The scope of the project will around the opportunity that are faced by international
students in the event of studying within the reputed University of Sydney. The project shall
throw light on the barriers that are faced by international students while studying in
University of Sydney. The projects throws light on the socio-cultural adjustments that have to
be made by the international students within the University of Sydney. The project talks

3
OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN
UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY
about the financial hardships that are faced by the international students in the University of
Sydney.
4. Literature Review
Challenges of international students
The international students have to face challenges pertaining to socio-cultural
adjustments along with educational expectation that makes their life difficult. The
international students coming to Sydney bring the cultural paradigm that aids in the economic
development of the country. The international students have to face hindrance in the areas of
acculturation, communication along with learning problems within Sydney (Vasilopoulos
2016). The style of the learning is different within Sydney and students coming from
countries like Africa, Asia along with European nation experiences the cultural shift in the
country. The educational system of Sydney is different from the other educational systems.
The international students have to face challenges when they have to work within the specific
groups for the completion of their assignments.
Safety is an arena that bothers the international students who come from the
international boundaries to the country of Sydney. According to Shah and Barker (2017),
there are extreme cases pertaining to assaults along with robberies of the international
students and this disturbs the international students studying in that of University of Sydney.
There are many international students who do not have idea regarding the unsafe areas within
Sydney and they have grave concern in relation to their safety. It has been argued by Akanwa
(2015), that the international students coming to Sydney have to face a great deal of financial
difficulties. The financial difficulties faced by the students becomes more complex as the
international students are not provided opportunities in relation to travelling concessions
(Lamb et al., 2015).

4
OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN
UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY
Opportunities
According to Wall, Tran and Soejatminah (2017) that social connnections have an
effect on the academic work as there exist many students who feel isolated while ding their
studies in Sydney. This affects the individuals who do not stay separate from their families.
The Multiculural Volunteer Programs in Sydney that brings in volunteers coming from
different cultural backgrounds that helps in contributing to that of local communities (Xiong
2017). The orientation programs in the Universities helps the students in accommodating to
the culture of Sydney. According to Beech (2018), there occurs faculty-specific orientation
that acts to the convenience of the international students in Sydney. Safe City carries out
work with that of international student colleges that helps in providing safety advice to
international students of Sydney. It has been stated by Gribble and Tran (2016), that material
is provided by the police to international students that helps in providing them with the
necessary advice that can protect the property of the international students. Student Safety
Sheets are translated in various languages that facilitates the learning of the international
students in Sydney. The workshops are also provided that helps the international students in
assimilating in Sydney (Tran and Pham 2016).
Information Provision
Sydney has been instrumental in producing various kinds of multilingual information
that helps the students who come from diverse cultural background. The community directory
which is written in ten languages offers valuable support to the international students living
within Sydney. According to Gomes (2015), Sydney also produces the Telephone Interpreter
Service Information Card that renders great service to the international students of Sydney.
The information being spread to various community services along with organisations greatly
works to the benefit of the international students of Sydney. The induction programs of the

5
OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN
UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY
universities helps in the assimilation of the international students within the University of
Sydney. The staffs of the university are trained so that they can facilitate the accommodation
of the international students in the classroom. It has been argued by Tran (2016) that the
buddy schemes are integrated in the University that helps the international students in Sydney
in mingling with the other students. The university takes important steps to educate the home
students regarding benefit pertaining to multicultural environment by providing the students
with the accommodation offers (Pham and Tran 2015). The university also runs events that
assists the integration of the international students in that of the University of Sydney.
Literature Problems and Gaps
The literature problem that caused the researcher to carry out this research as the
previous studies have focussed on the increasing number of international students in Sydney.
Research was carried out regarding Sydney being the top destination for the students however
there was no research in relation to the challenges and the opportunities that international
students face within Sydney.
5. Research Questions
Primary Questions
 What are the opportunities and the challenges that the international students face in
Sydney?
Secondary Questions
 What are the benefits that the international students in the University of Sydney gets
from the social institutions of Sydney?
 What is the role played by the information provision for the international students of
Sydney?

6
OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN
UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY
6. Research Methodology
Qualitative research design is carried out in the cases when a relationship is found in
between the collected data and that of the observation. It is generally established based on the
mathematical calculations. The theory pertaining to naturally existing phenomenon can be
either proved or it can be disproved by making use of the mathematical calculations.
Quantitative research design helps the researcher in having statistical conclusions that
helps him in collecting the actionable insights. The numbers help in providing better
perspective that can help an individual in making business decisions that are important (Bell,
Bryman and Harley 2018).
The quantitative research method has been used for this study as it has helped in
providing vital data about the opportunities along with the challenges faced by the
international students within Sydney. A survey refers to a research method that is used for the
collection of data from the respondents for gaining information pertaining to varying topic
that are of interest. Survey was carried out in the region of Camperdown that helped in
revealing vital information about the opportunities that the international students face in that
of the University of Sydney. It helped in bringing out the opinion of the international students
regarding the problems that they face in the University.
7. Research Limitations
The research was carried out by taking recourse to the survey method and the bias
existing among the participants can act as a limitation in relation to the research. The
researchers do not have any extensive experience in relation to primary data collection that
can make the results of the data collection flawed.

7
OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN
UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY
8. Time Schedule of the Research Plan
Stages of the
research
Week
1
Week
2
Week
3
Week
4
Week
5
Week
6
Week
7
Week
8
Topic Selection
Data collection
from the
secondary
sources
Literature
Review
Plan of Research
Methodology
Selecting the
Research
Technique
Interpretation of
the data
Findings and the
recommendations
Final Research
project
9. Conclusion and Recommendations

8
OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN
UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY
Sydney is the name of a study destination that provides the students with high quality
of the education. There are many international students in Sydney and they play a crucial role
in adding to that of international student body. Project scope will deal with the opportunities
and the challenges that would be faced by the international students when they are studying
in University of Sydney (Bennett and Ferns 2017). The international students have to make
adjustments in the Sydneyn culture that makes life difficult for the Sydneyn students.
International students coming to study in Sydney bring cultural paradigm that aids in
economic development of the country.
Recommendations
 Community Directory being written down in ten different languages can be useful for
the international students of the University of Sydney
 Telephone Interpreter Service Information Card can be valuable for the international
students
 The integration of the buddy scheme can help the international students of the
University of Sydney

9
OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN
UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY
10. References
Akanwa, E.E., 2015. International students in western developed countries: History,
challenges, and prospects. Journal of International Students, 5(3), pp.271-284.
Beech, S.E., 2018. Adapting to change in the higher education system: international student
mobility as a migration industry. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 44(4), pp.610-625.
Bell, E., Bryman, A. and Harley, B., 2018. Business research methods. Oxford university
press.
Bennett, D. and Ferns, S., 2017. Functional and cognitive aspects of employability:
Implications for international students. In Professional Learning in the Work Place for
International Students (pp. 203-222). Springer, Cham.
Gomes, C., 2015. Footloose transients: International students in Sydney and their aspirations
for transnational mobility after graduation. Crossings: Journal of Migration & Culture, 6(1),
pp.41-57.
Gribble, C. and Tran, L., 2016. International trends in learning abroad. Melbourne, Vic.:
Universities Sydney and IEAA.
Lamb, S., Jackson, J., Walstab, A. and Huo, S., 2015. Educational opportunity in Sydney
2015: Who succeeds and who misses out.
Marginson, S., 2015. Is Sydney overdependent on international students?. International
Higher Education, (54).
Pham, L. and Tran, L., 2015. Understanding the symbolic capital of intercultural interactions:
A case study of international students in Sydney. International Studies in Sociology of
Education, 25(3), pp.204-224.

10
OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN
UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY
Shah, D. and Barker, M., 2017. Cracking the cultural code: Indian IT expatriates’
intercultural communication challenges in Sydney. International Journal of Cross Cultural
Management, 17(2), pp.215-236.
Sydney.edu.au (2019). Campus life. [online] The University of Sydney. Available at:
https://sydney.edu.au/campus-life.html [Accessed 29 Jan. 2019].
Tran, L.T. and Pham, L., 2016. International students in transnational mobility: Intercultural
connectedness with domestic and international peers, institutions and the wider
community. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 46(4),
pp.560-581.
Tran, L.T., 2016. Mobility as ‘becoming’: A Bourdieuian analysis of the factors shaping
international student mobility. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 37(8), pp.1268-
1289.
Vasilopoulos, G., 2016. A Critical Review of International Students' Adjustment Research
from a Deleuzian Perspective. Journal of International Students, 6(1), pp.283-307.
Wall, T., Tran, L.T. and Soejatminah, S., 2017. Inequalities and agencies in workplace
learning experiences: international student perspectives. Vocations and Learning, 10(2),
pp.141-156.
Xiong, W., 2017. The decision to study abroad: evidence from international students based in
Ireland.