Abstract:

Contemporary higher education has been increasingly shaped by intersecting pressures of global marketisation and the enduring effects of colonialism that continue to structure both institutional and pedagogical practice. Internationalisation, which is often positioned as a driver of diversity and global engagement, tends to operated within these conditions as a transactional project, where students are recruited as financial assets within a neoliberal system, colloquially 'cash cows'. Thus, despite this push for internationalisation, there is a tangible lag between institutional rhetoric and practice, still shaped by Eurocentric standards, particularly regarding on what constitutes legitimate knowledge, and the marginalisation of alternative, namely international, means of knowledge which sustains 'othering' deficit narratives.

To address this, this paper presents findings from a cross-institutional series of participatory workshops across four UK universities and examines how these structural conditions are reproduced and resisted within everyday pedagogic practice. Workshop data reveal a persistent disjuncture between institutional rhetoric of inclusion and the lived realities of staff and international students. Participants consistently identified the homogenisation of international students and the prevalence of deficit framings while recognising that these very deficits are often produced by institutional constraints such as limited staff development, fragmented support systems, and the absence of coherent pedagogic strategies. Drawing on decolonial perspectives, the study foregrounds the importance of recognising international students as epistemic contributors whose knowledge, linguistic repertoires, and lived experiences challenge dominant academic norms. Ultimately, building belonging serves as a prerequisite for successful pedagogy.

The paper then introduces four interconnected analytical lenses embedded within the findings. First, positioning interrogates how international students are constructed within discourse and practice, challenging homogenising and deficit-based representations. Second, epistemology examines whose knowledge is centred and why; third, reflexivity foregrounds the role of educators, encouraging critical engagement with positionality, assumptions, and power relations in teaching. Finally, structure addresses the institutional conditions such as workload, policy, and resource allocation that influence the extent of inclusive practice. The findings demonstrate that improving the international student experience requires a shift from individualised pedagogic solutions to systemic approaches to internationalisation. This includes embedding equity within institutional structures, investing in meaningful staff development, and fostering co-creative practices that position students as partners in knowledge production and curriculum design.

Keywords:

Higher education, pedagogy, pedagogical innovation, internationalisation, international students, decolonialisation, decolonial pedagogy.