STUDY-WORK-LIFE BALANCE AND THE WELFARE OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

Abstract

Cross-border education has become a global market and policy makers have turned their attention to the welfare of international students. As a window into student wellbeing this article introduces and analyses the concept of ‘study- work-life balance’ (SWLB). Evidence is utilised from a highly internationalised university in Australia, which has the world's highest per capita enrolment of international students. A mixed research design is adopted consisting of 537 surveys of enrolled students and 21 in-depth semi-structured interviews with university staff. The findings suggest shortcomings in a policy agenda which focuses mainly or only on students’ academic experiences. Interrogating student welfare moves debate beyond traditional conceptions of the ‘overseas student experience’ and encourages scholars to view international students as deserving of rights which extend beyond the educational and the economic, into employment and work and life outside university.