Sustainable Higher Education: Analyses of Policy and Factors Affecting Successful Access in International and English-Medium Contexts

Dear Colleagues,

Access to higher education has long been an issue worldwide. According to a recent UNESCO (2020) report, enrollment has nearly doubled globally in the past two decades due to economic development, rising middle-class aspirations, and the growth of private institutions. However, there remains a number of factors hampering the successful access of potential students. These factors range from issues that affect basic needs, such as poverty and crisis, to issues related to entrance examinations and geographic mobility. While this Special Issue is open to submissions related to fundamental barriers to higher education, we are especially interested in learning and language-related issues linked to the growing areas of international and English-medium education worldwide. It is our belief that in order for higher education to be sustainable, these issues must be taken seriously.

For this Special Issue, we interpret international and English-medium contexts broadly. “International education” may refer to higher education programs in which local or international students engage in learning that aims to develop, among other aspects, a sense of “international mindedness” through local or other languages (Cambridge & Thompson, 2004, p. 161). This includes but is not limited to study abroad in contexts such as the US, the UK, and so on. “English-medium” refers to contexts where English is not a first, primary, or official language and, yet, is used as a medium of instruction (Macaro, 2018). This includes students in China studying science through the medium of English, for example. We tag “successful” access to our call to expand the discussion from simply “getting into” international and English-medium education to also thriving in such contexts once enrolled.

We welcome submissions from authors representing a wide range of higher education contexts that engage with these issues from the level of national or institutional policy all the way down to issues of access for individual learners. Original research articles and reviews are welcome.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Jack K.H. Pun
Dr. Fan Fang
Guest Editors

Nathan Thomas
Guest Editor Assistant

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