About this Project
I believe that hearing personal stories and experiences is one of the best ways to understand the viewpoint of another person. Though much has been written about the experiences of International students in their transition to Western post-secondary environments, too often the perspectives represented are those of faculty and other professionals, rather than those of the students themselves.
The Getting to Know Your International Students project began with my interactions with international students as they began their transition to the KPU learning community. As an educator who has worked in both Canadian and Southeast Asian environments, I was aware of the differences between educational systems shaped by educational philosophies and values about the teaching and learning process. As I discussed these differences with students, I heard more about the challenges they faced, and the factors that helped them transition well.
In recognition of the fact that students from India and China represent the majority of KPU’s international student community, this project highlights the experiences of students from these countries. The videos were developed in an unscripted interview setting, and were later organized by theme. Each of the students featured shared their intention that these videos would impact instructors and students alike, facilitating effective communication and transitions to the Canadian post-secondary education environment.
Many thanks to the student participants: Neet Dhindsa, Rishab Sapra, Tony Yuan, Lovepreet Kaur Deol, and Gurmanpreet Kaur for their efforts. Robin Leung served as the videographer for this project; without his assistance these videos would not be possible.
Welcome to the journey of Getting to Know Your International Students. Our hope is that these videos would stimulate your curiosity, answer your questions, and provide new pathways to building relationships with your students.
Christina Page (on behalf of the project team)
March 2019 (Revised January 2021)
