Paper short abstract:

There is little research on international students within India higher education. This study proposes to take a critical conceptual and methodological consideration while researching with international students to study their motivations and experiences of studying in Indian higher educational institutions. It aims to add to the scant research literature for informed policymaking in the future.

Paper long abstract:

Though India has historically been home to exemplary centres of learning, such as Takshashila (Taxila) in the 5th century BC and Nalanda in the first to fourth centuries AD, it is now better known for sending students to the developed world rather than receiving international students. According to the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE, 2020), India attracts approximately 49,000 international students annually, accounting for less than 1% of global International Student Mobility (ISM). Internationalization of Higher Education as a strategic policy to attract international students is a relatively new phenomenon in India.

The NEP 2020 and the guidelines on ‘Internationalization of Higher Education’ by UGC envision ‘internationalization at home’ to enhance the number of international students in India and restore its role as a Vishwa Guru. The contemporary discourse on internationalisation is primarily situated in a Western context, and the increased mobility of international students for revenue generation has been the main agenda globally. The majority of theoretical and empirical research on internationalisation is conducted through a Western-centric lens.

In contrast to the Western discourse on internationalisation, this study intends to conceptualise internationalisation through contextual lenses, in particular decolonialization, regionalization, and South-South cooperation. It intends to answer: how internationalisation is conceptualised in India? What are the broad objectives of internationalisation in India? Do Indian institutions have the same goals of internationalisation as those pursued by the West? What are the major non-westernised approaches to internationalisation and how are they different from India’s approach to internationalisation? Are these objectives and approaches in line with the motivations and experiences of international students in India?

Unlike looking at international students solely through the lens of human capital, this study proposes to also study international student motivations and experiences through the lens of human capability drawing on Sen's (1960) argument when he stated: "I would like to comment on the connection as well as contrast between two distinct but related areas of investigation in understanding the processes of economic and social development: the accumulation of “human capital” and the expansion of “human capability.” The former concentrates on the agency of human beings - through skill and knowledge as well as effort - in augmenting production possibilities. The latter focuses on the ability of human beings to lead lives they have reason to value and to enhance the substantive choices they have. The two perspectives cannot but be related since both are concerned with the role of human beings, and in particular with the actual abilities that they achieve and acquire" (p.159).

Drawing on this conceptual framework and a critical methodological concern while researching with international students (Mittelmeier, Lomer, & Unkule 2023), we propose to conduct a mixed method study with a community-based participatory approach (Tandon, Hall, Lepore & Singh, 2016). Hence, we will be recruiting international students as field investigators from the North, South, East and Western regions of India to co-design and conduct the surveys. Thereafter, in consultation with the field investigators we will recruit few international students for in-depth qualitative interviews. The study proposes to conduct a primary survey in 10 states and approximately 100 universities in India to probe the research questions. Informed consent will be sought through this survey to be contacted at a later stage for in-person interviews. We will identify 5 international students from each region, i.e. around 20 students for conducting in-depth qualitative interviews to delve deep into the motivations and experiences of these students. First of its kind of national level study on international students, this study will provide a comprehensive understanding about the motivations of international students and their experiences in India to guide evidence-based policymaking in the future.