Recent research conducted by Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) and Tilburg University (UvT) has shown that Dutch students without previous international experience benefit most from an international education. The research showed that, during their first year of university, these students showed significant growth in open-mindedness and developed more social initiative in intercultural settings.
The results showed that Dutch students without international experience at the start of the academic year were less open-minded and showed less social initiative in intercultural situations than international students, or Dutch students who have previously lived abroad. However, as the year progressed and they became part of an international environment, the first group showed significantly improved scores on these aspects, and the differences disappeared. This suggests that these students benefit most from the multicultural environment of an international classroom.
The results of this research may have consequences for the internationalisation strategies of educational institutions. It emphasizes that the international classroom is especially valuable for students from the host country. These results provide important new information for the ongoing discussion in the Netherlands about the added value of internationalisation in higher education, and the government's intention to limit the influx of international students. According to this research, this measure could have negative consequences for Dutch students.
Next to the influence of an international study environment, this research also looked at stress levels, well-being, and study performance. The scores showed that students with higher emotional stability scores experienced less stress. This could suggest that this trait helped them overcome the initial culture shock when they entered an international study programme. Contrary to the researchers' expectations, none of the intercultural competences affected the overall satisfaction of the students. However, the students who scored higher on cultural empathy and a proactive social attitude did achieve higher grades on average.
The research, conducted by Joep Hofhuis and Jeroen Jansz from Erasmus University Rotterdam (ESHCC) and Joran Jongerling from Tilburg University, involved 425 first-year students who all followed the same international English-taught study programme in Rotterdam. The students completed a questionnaire three times, at the beginning, mid-way, and at the end of the study year. With this questionnaire, various intercultural competences were measured, including cultural empathy, emotional stability, behavioral flexibility, open-mindedness, and social initiative.
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