The information below outlines the conference schedule for Day 3 of the RIS Online Conference 2025. The full conference runs between March 10 – 13 and details about the full conference can be found here.
Registration
Registration is required to receive links for all sessions:
Time zones
All times are listed in UK time zone (GMT). Please take a moment to double check all times through a time zone converter:
Wednesday Schedule (March 12)
Session 14: 4:00 – 4:25 pm GMT
Gatekeepers of inclusion: Exploring international office professionals’ perspectives on equity for international students
Speaker: Betül Bulut-Sahin (TED University)
Abstract: International students often face injustices and inequities in higher education systems, yet the role of international office professionals (IPs) in addressing these disparities remains understudied. As street-level bureaucrats (Bulut-Şahin, 2023), IPs serve as the frontline of institutional engagement with international students, significantly shaping their experiences. Central to this interaction is the debate between equality—applying the same rules to all students—and equity—offering tailored support to meet the distinct needs of international students. This tension reflects broader challenges in ensuring ethical and purposive practices in the field of internationalization.
Drawing on critical reflections inspired by the Research with International Students (RIS) community, this study investigates IPs’ perspectives on whether international students should be treated identically to domestic students or supported through context-sensitive provisions. By employing a qualitative research design, the study explores the nuanced decision-making processes of IPs in Turkish higher education institutions. Data collection involves focus group discussions structured around case studies that highlight common challenges faced by international students, prompting IPs to critically engage with the concepts of equality and equity.
Aligned with the RIS ethos of purpose-building, this research seeks to reimagine the role of IPs as key agents in fostering inclusive and just environments for international students. The study also responds to RIS calls for innovative and meaningful methodologies by using reflective case-based discussions to explore ethical and relational dimensions of practice. Findings will illuminate how IPs’ perceptions and approaches can contribute to dismantling structural inequities and create more empowering spaces for international students.
This work not only fills a critical gap in the literature but also aligns with RIS’s commitment to advocacy and collaboration. By addressing the agency of IPs, this study contributes to the collective effort to reframe research with international students as a site of resistance and renewal.
Session 15: 4:30 to 4:55 pm GMT
Navigating fear and freedom: Ethical challenges and safe spaces in researching Chinese students’ activism abroad
Speakers: Shanshan Jiang-Brittan (University of California, Berkeley)
Abstract: This presentation examines the ethical challenges and emotional toll faced by both researchers and international student participants during qualitative research. Drawing from an empirical study on Chinese students’ engagement in social activism in the U.S. West, it reflects on interviews conducted during a period of heightened state surveillance of overseas Chinese and escalating geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and China. Specifically, it highlights the fear of repercussions experienced by both researchers and participants. Chinese student participants exhibited cautious behaviors during interviews, such as long pauses, fidgeting, and scanning their surroundings before speaking. They frequently used the term “political sensitivity,” not to convey advanced political knowledge but rather a heightened awareness of what can and cannot be expressed. Similarly, the researcher navigated a precarious position, given that some participants came from families with ties to the Chinese government, raising concerns about personal security.
This dynamic created significant challenges in building trust and underscored the dilemmas faced by student activists in choosing whether to speak out or remain silent. Despite these risks, some participants expressed appreciation for the interviews, which provided a rare opportunity to voice frustrations about injustices both at home and abroad. For these students, the interviews became a vital outlet for political expression unavailable elsewhere.
This presentation explores the potential of qualitative research to serve as a safe space for international student participants, particularly when political climates and institutional cultures threaten freedom of expression. It calls for a rethinking of research methodologies to better support participants navigating such complex global political landscapes.
Session 16: 5:00 to 5:25 pm GMT
From deficit narratives to empowered voices: Reimagining purpose and equity in research with international students
Speakers: Soumia Bardhan and Sihang Shu (University of Colorado Denver)
This collaborative project rethinks international student research as an act of empowerment and resistance, moving beyond deficit-based narratives to advocate for methodological innovation that fosters purpose, equity, and agency. In response to the conference’s call to reimagine research purpose, we employ nexus analysis and solicited diaries to examine the intersection of language, discourse, and social action, alongside reflective narratives that document international students’ lived experiences in academia.
Grounded in one coauthor’s journey as international student, our inquiry illustrates how culturally responsive mentorship and collaborative research actively counter systemic inequities. For example, this coauthor’s initial critique of Hollywood’s stereotypical portrayals of Asians and non-native English speakers evolved—through iterative dialogue with faculty mentors—into a broader exploration of cultural progress in films like Everything Everywhere All at Once and Crazy Rich Asians. This shift not only expanded the research’s analytical scope but also demonstrated how inclusive mentorship fosters critical reflection, agency, and scholarly growth. Solicited diaries capture this coauthor’s academic navigation, underscoring how mentorship rooted in shared experiences cultivates belonging and strengthens international students’ voices in research.
Nexus analysis further reveals how these collaborative engagements disrupt structural inequities by centering equity and empowerment. By shifting international student research from a space of marginalization to one of advocacy and renewal, this project demonstrates how reimagined methodologies and inclusive mentorship challenge dominant power structures in academia.
Ultimately, we argue that purpose-building in international student research is both an act of self-preservation and resistance against systemic oppression. By embracing innovative research designs and relational methodologies, we call for a renewed commitment to intercultural understanding, the amplification of marginalized voices, and the ethical transformation of international student research.
Social activity: 5:30 to 6:15 pm GMT
Scholarly Publication with International Students for Purpose-building, Collaboration, and Advocacy: The Case of the Critical Internationalization Studies Review
Led by Critical Internationalization Studies Network team: Melissa Whatley (William & Mary), Santiago Castiello-Gutiérrez (Seton Hall University), Christopher Fuglestad (The University of Chicago), and Arif Abu (Memorial University of Newfoundland)
Abstract: The purpose of this session is to share how the Critical Internationalization Studies Network (CISN) and its associated journal, the Critical Internationalization Studies Review, support research with international students through the publication of essays written by, with, and for international students, international scholars, and other individuals who work professionally with and for international colleagues.
Through essays, research briefs, practice briefs, and opinion pieces, we aim to challenge deficit narratives and amplify underrepresented voices in international education. Our research briefs address innovative methodological issues that speak specifically to research with international students, and our practice briefs outline ways in which research can humanize the work of individuals who advise and support international students. Our opinion pieces provide a venue for scholars to reflect on problems facing students and scholars in international education contexts and potential solutions to those problems.
This networking event will support an interactive discussion wherein participants will be invited to reflect on how scholarly publishing can serve as a vehicle for purpose-building, collaboration, and advocacy. To facilitate conversation, we will draw from our experience publishing scholarly work written by and for researchers who work with international students and scholars, share publication issues we have encountered and our process of addressing these issues, and engage the audience in a conversation around how publication venues such as ours can support the work of research with international students.
Session 17: 6:30 to 6:55 pm GMT
Navigating neoliberal forces: Sustaining purpose in equity-oriented work in the field of internationalization of higher education
Speakers: Sarang Kim (University of Oklahoma) and Marisa Lally (George Mason University)
Abstract: Neoliberalism, with its emphasis on individualism, competition, and the pursuit of monetary gain over democratic ideals, has become a dominant force shaping various aspects of higher education, including internationalization practices. For scholars committed to advancing equity, justice, and collaboration in the internationalization of higher education, this neoliberal paradigm can be disheartening and discouraging. Tensions often arise between the commitment to addressing social justice issues and the institutional focus on economically driven agendas, competition, and global rankings. For instance, the market-oriented rationale driving internationalization often reduces international students to economic assets rather than recognizing them as agents of social change capable of fostering equity in their host societies, home countries, and global communities.
Given this context, this proposal is guided by the following questions: How can scholars in the field of internationalization of higher education find and maintain their sense of purpose in pursuing equity-centered work, especially when it conflicts with the dominant, profit-driven forces within the field? What strategies can be employed to sustain critical efforts with international students and in internationalization practices? This session will examine these questions through the lens of equity-oriented scholars who center international students’ critical consciousness, agency, and empowerment within the context of U.S. higher education. It will explore the interplay between neoliberalism and internationalization practices and their impacts on scholars dedicated to equity work in the field. Finally, the session will propose strategies for sustaining purpose in equity-focused work at individual, community, and institutional levels, such as centering transnational reflexivity. The session will conclude with interactive discussion questions to engage the audience in further dialogue.
Session 18: 7:00 to 7:25 pm GMT
Negotiating financial precarity, reciprocity and queer identity for international students
Speakers: Prof-Collins Ifoenu (Simon Fraser University)
Abstract: Responding to scholarly calls to challenge monolithic portrayals of international students, my presentation will detail the interwoven precarities of economic dependency and heteronormativity. I foreground this issue by presenting the story of Emmanuella, a Nigerian student in Canada struggling to maintain good academic standing while dealing the pressure of being ‘outed’ to her parents, her primary financial sponsors. Emmanuella’s story reveals the mental, academic and emotional challenges queer international students navigate as they balance immediate economic reliance on disapproving parents with plans to complete their studies and live openly as queer individuals.
Through Emmanuella’s story, I emphasize the need to move beyond single-axis understandings of international student precarity and view it, instead, as a multifocal, mutually reinforcing phenomenon. While existing scholarship on international students tackles the issues of financial dependency and sexual identity separately, my approach details their convergence to reveal how they affect the experience of studying abroad for queer international students. Ultimately, my presentation advocates for inclusive frameworks in research and policymaking that understand the diversity and intersecting vulnerabilities of international students.
Session 19: 7:30 to 7:55 pm GMT
Advancing theoretical insights on first-generation international graduate students
Speakers: Sana Ghazi and Chi Nguyen (University of Arizona)
Abstract: As higher education continues to globalize, understanding the unique experiences of international students is critical in shaping more inclusive and supportive academic environments. This study finds purpose in research by centering the voices of first-generation international graduate students—an often-overlooked population whose experiences reflect the intersection of multiple systemic challenges.
There is limited research on the combined experiences of graduate students who are both first-generation and international. Therefore, our conceptual paper focuses on this specific subgroup of first-generation international graduate students. We draw on several important theories that have been misunderstood and misused to reanimate and expand our understanding of these students’ journeys.
Numerous first-person narratives and research indicate that the experiences of first-generation international graduate students present a unique intersection of challenges and opportunities that demand a thoughtful and inclusive analytical approach (Gardner & Holley, 2011; Baba & Hosoda, 2014; Moon et al., 2020). Hence, to capture the complexity of these experiences, our study draws on three critical theoretical frameworks: Bourdieu’s theory of capital, Yosso’s community cultural wealth, and Crenshaw’s intersectionality theory.
First, despite being historically misused to perpetuate deficit-based narratives, Bourdieu’s framework provides a lens to examine how international students navigate structural inequalities and institutional norms in host higher education (Bourdieu, 1986). Second, while Yosso’s framework was developed to explore the experiences of communities of color in U.S. higher education, it can also be applied to international students. The concept of community cultural wealth emphasizes students’ unique assets—such as aspirational, familial, and navigational capital—offering a strength-based perspective (Yosso, 2005). Finally, Crenshaw’s intersectionality theory (Crenshaw, 1990) further enriches the analysis by highlighting how overlapping identities—such as being first-generation, international, and members of racialized or gendered communities—interact with systemic power structures.
This conceptual paper moves beyond a linear analysis and adopts a critical, intersectional lens that values students’ strengths while addressing systemic inequities. By integrating Bourdieu’s, Yosso’s, and Crenshaw’s frameworks, this work contributes to a deeper, more inclusive understanding of how institutions can better support this unique student population, ultimately promoting equity and holistic development in higher education. Given the increasing globalization of education, these insights offer valuable considerations for international higher education institutions striving to create more inclusive learning environments.
There is one more day of the conference! Check out the speaker schedules for other days: