The Ones Who Stay Behind: Transitions of Significant Others in International Student Mobility

20 January, 2026 (Tuesday)
14:00 PM UK Time (time zone converter)
Online Via Zoom (registration required)

This session is grounded in a doctoral research examining the multiple and multi-dimensional transitions experienced by Pakistani students and their significant others across three temporal arcs: pre-departure, during study in the UK, and post-return. It foregrounds how families and close networks undergo their own concurrent transitions when a student moves abroad; experiences that are frequently overlooked, unspoken, and institutionally unrecognised; yet which can critically support, shape, or complicate the student’s mobility journey. Drawing on empirical evidence, the session is situated within Jindal-Snape’s Multiple and Multi-dimensional Transitions framework and engages broader debates on relationality, networks of care, and Global South perspectives. The discussion integrates insights from the doctoral thesis alongside professional practice in international education.

About the Speakers:

Fahd Ali Asif is a higher education professional with over sixteen years’ experience in international student recruitment, admissions, and partnership development across UK universities and economic development agencies. A former international student, he now brings an academic lens to these experiences as a doctoral researcher examining the multiple and multi-dimensional transitions of students and their families, with a particular focus on Pakistani students studying in the UK. His work explores how significant others shape students’ mobility decisions, experiences, and identities. This combination of research, professional practice, and lived experience allows him to connect empirical evidence with practical insights relevant to researchers, practitioners, and students.

Rachel Kimber is Director of Kaplan International Pathways University Placement Service and Alumni Services. With almost three decades of experience across international student recruitment, university placement, language testing, and alumni engagement, she brings a deep understanding of the institutional and human dimensions of global student mobility. Her recent experience as the parent of an international student preparing to study abroad has offered a further perspective on the often-unseen transitions experienced by those who remain at home. This blend of professional insight and lived experience underpins her commitment to more relational and holistic approaches to international education.