The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has affected and continues to impact several areas of human lives and activities. With a particular focus on China, this reflection shares authors' observation on how COVID-19 may affect future trends of student mobility from and to the country. The reflection revealed that the impact of COVID-19 might not…

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant disruption in education. We employ a gravity model to estimate its impact on international student credit mobility. Data on inbound and outbound students to and from four Spanish universities between the academic years 2017-2018 and 2021-2022 are used. While COVID-19 significantly reduced participation…

In educational research, scales are often presented as the ontological reality of a study. This study problematises this starting point and suggests approaching scales as experienced and epistemically used. Thus, this study asks how international students studying at Finnish universities during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic negotiated…

In response to the international mobility challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic, many institutions have tried to shift to virtual programs in an attempt to provide continued education abroad experiences. This situation has amplified discussions about online education abroad programs as a way to address some equity issues in the…

This study explores the unique experience of disrupted sojourns and early reentry among U.S. college students who were abruptly repatriated from their study abroad experience in March 2020. Using a combination of focus groups and interviews with 25 U.S. returning students, the findings suggest that students' experiences were characterized by…

As COVID-19 drastically affects cross-border mobility, virtual mobility emerges as a viable alternative to cope with the crisis. This article reports on the integrated findings of an exploratory sequential mixed methods design to understand benefits and challenges of virtual mobility at a Chinese university and future projection of outbound…

The 'See the World -- Winchester' programme was funded by the UK Turing scheme in 2021-2022 and aimed to broaden the horizons of historically marginalised students who may not otherwise have had access to extracurricular opportunities such as international travel. The purpose of this article is twofold. Firstly, the authors reflect on the…

Neither world leaders nor leading medical professionals would have anticipated the adverse impacts of the global health crisis resulting from the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic on multifaceted aspects of contemporary society. Set against the broader political economy context, this Special Issue focuses on examining the impacts of the present…

This contribution discusses two case studies that illustrate the experiences of mobility students who were studying abroad during the first outbreak of COVID19. The case studies have emerged from a larger longitudinal, mixed-method study, which included an interview study with six international students planned for spring 2020. Due to the COVID-19…

This research study provides a case study of how the COVID-19 pandemic affected Japanese university students' views and attitudes on international topics and motivations for living and working abroad. During the pandemic, digital information, including social media, played a prominent role in how these students interacted and kept up with the…

The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically altered life at higher education institutions in the US. International students were particularly affected because they lack the community and support structures upon which other stakeholder groups could rely. International student experiences of the pandemic may have been further exacerbated by uncertain…

While several studies on study abroad have examined the impact of personal factors (e.g., gender, age, and family environment) on the decision to study abroad, a factor analysis has not yet been conducted on the reasons why some students choose not to study abroad. This paper highlights the role of academic study abroad programs in promoting…

The aim of this study was to understand how international students sponsored by the "Bolashak" program administered in Kazakhstan perceived the support provided by the host institutions and the funding agency during the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted a cross-sectional survey to gain a foundational understanding and basic…

Objective: This study explored the predictive relationship among international student trauma responses, visa status anxiety, and perceived institutional support. Researchers also sought to understand the relationship between help seeking behaviors and trauma exposure responses. Participants: International students (n = 172) from U.S. colleges and…

Many Chinese international students had to or chose to leave their host universities, receiving online international higher education (HE) at 'homes' during the COVID-19. Inspired by the 'glonacal' mode of thought, this qualitative study interviewed 16 Chinese international students at 'homes' to explore the potential complexities of spatiality…