Australian universities are said to have the highest number of international students per capita in the world.

Their well-being is paramount for the higher education sector. Despite the difficulties international students face when studying in an unfamiliar environment, there is a counter-narrative regarding the many associated benefits students experience studying in developed-world contexts like Australia. – even during a pandemic.

Monash University sociologist, Associate Professor Helen Forbes-Mewett, and Federation University psychology scholar Dr Ashley Humphrey and lead author of a recent publication have joined forces to examine the interface between social issues and psychology.

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Read more: COVID-19: The future of international education in Australia and New Zealand

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Their research focused on social value systems and the mental health of international students reveals the importance of social connections – with family, friends, peers, teachers and other academic staff – especially during stressful confinements. in Victoria.

In their work, they indicate that the mental health of international students was in decline before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and that it was exacerbated during periods of lockdown.

The importance of understanding social systems

Associate Professor Forbes-Mewett says it’s important to learn about students’ backgrounds, cultures, and social systems they’re used to.

While referring to the extensive support systems already in place in educational institutions and more broadly, she says it is also important to find ways to best provide support services that will be attractive and useful to students. from diverse backgrounds – that is, the kind of support they can connect with.

They often look for tangible results in service support rather than Western-style advice that encourages individuals to solve the problems they face.

Associate Professor Forbes-Mewett sees this as an area of ​​research to be developed. She accepts that this is an important call, as student cohorts have many cultural components and countries of origin are constantly changing. But she says Australia is well positioned to be a leader in this area.

His recent study focuses on the backgrounds and cultures of students to understand how people in a collectivist society – where people work together and support each other as a customary practice – find ways to function and stay well in a society like Australia where there are expectations for individuals to take responsibility for their daily lives through assertiveness and independence.

This individualistic approach, which is “normal” for those who have been established for a long time in Australia, tends to be difficult for those who are more accustomed to a collectivist culture which favors the interests of the group.

Many of our international students come from collectivist cultures, and we need to learn more about this concept to be able to see it the way they do.

Maintain social ties

It appears that the key to the well-being of international students during the pandemic has been the ability to maintain some form of social connection, including regular chats online or over the phone with family and friends.

Of particular interest are the results of the study: international students expressed a sense of privilege to be able to stay in Australia (around 74% stayed) in relatively safe circumstances, and possibly return to campus to continue their studies.

Many of our international students come from collectivist cultures, and we need to learn more about this concept to be able to see it the way they do.

Associate Professor Forbes-Mewett highlighted how happy international students were to be able to participate in extended tutorials on campus during the first semester of this year.

“They attended tutorials very regularly and were always looking for ways to engage,†she says. “I felt that in response to the difficult circumstances of the pandemic, they had become even more resourceful than in the past. “

Back home, many students previously had no choice to engage in the community, but in Australia they can come home and have more freedom in what they do. It was appreciated by many, but they also had to adjust to this new way of life, and the pandemic added another layer – or more layers – of required adjustment.

While acknowledging the many challenges international students currently face, Associate Professor Forbes-Mewett highlights their “resilience, resourcefulness and enormous contribution to Australia”.