Cultural Journeys in Higher Education

Jan Bamford is Head of Student Experience and Academic Outcomes at London Metropolitan University UK and has been a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy since 2014. Her research interests are focused around the experience of cultural diversity in the classroom and internationalising the curriculum.  Lucie Pollard was Faculty Operating Officer in the Faculty of Education and Health, at the University of Greenwich, UK. Lucie has recently taken up a post as Director of the University of the West of Scotland's London campus. Her research interests are on cultural diversity, non-traditional students and achievement in higher education.

• Introduction Chapter 1. Bridging barriers Chapter 2. Strangers in a new land Chapter 3. "Leaving culture at the classroom door" Chapter 4.Strangers in your own land Chapter 5.Culture and developing relationality in higher education

Using the perspective of a cultural journey, this book focuses on the experiences and perspectives of students from different cultures in higher education in the UK, the obstacles they face, and the skills they use to negotiate their way through higher education. It draws on student narratives to discuss the concepts of resilience and belonging and how institutions can support belonging; the narratives of first-generation migrants and the need for the students to appreciate cultural "others" in the classroom so that all students feel included and develop a sense of belonging; the experiences of second and third-generation migrants; the difficulties and challenges arising from cultural transitions and the potential for cultural dissonance that may arise from interactions in universities; and the potential impact of students' higher education experiences on their cultural journeys.