Abstract
The importance of internationalization in higher education institutes (HEIs) of Pakistan is increasing day by day. This study aimed to explore the experiences of international students of HEIs in natural academic and sociocultural settings. The study used a semi-structured questionnaire and collected data from respondents through interviews and observation. This study extracted themes from the data with the help of NVIVO 11 PLUS. This study found four main themes related to education, health, social and behavioral issues, and ten sub-themes. Three sub-themes, that is, academic progress, the role of teacher, and parent-teacher meetings were related to education while two sub-themes, that is, confusion and communication were related to society. Similarly, the study found two sub-themes, that is, depression and ethics for behavioral issues, and three sub-themes, homesickness, improper food intake, and lack of supervision were related to health issues. Findings of the study will help higher education institutions to modify their policies accordingly to facilitate and attract more international students.
Keyword(s)
academic issues, Health Issues, Social Issues, behavioral issues, foreign students