Research on Cross-Cultural Adaptation of International Students from Countries along the Belt and Road Initiative Route

Abstract

With the implementation of the Belt and Road (B&R) Initiative, China has deepened economic and cultural exchanges and dialogue with the countries along the Belt and Road Initiative route, which has a direct influence on a significant increase in the number of international students in China. Thus, it has become an urgent need for colleges and universities in China to solve the problem of cultivating international students. The huge difference in cultural background, ideology and language between Chinese students and international students, and even among the international students is an important obstacle to the education of international students. In this paper, 160 international students from countries along the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) route admitted by a Chinese university are selected as the objects to explore the cross-cultural adaptation difficulty confronted by international students. Additionally, this paper aims to put forward several measures in a bid to continuously improve the cross-cultural adaptation of international students and thus promote our economic and cultural exchanges with foreign countries. The B&R Initiative is a kind of global view that China puts forward beyond national and ideological barriers to conform to the historical development trend of human society. It is the inevitable by-product of economic globalization. With the deepening of the B&R initiative, China has deepened its economic and cultural exchanges with the countries along the Belt and Road initiative route, which has led to a significant increase in the number of international students in China. The Annual Report on the Development of Chinese Students Studying Abroad (2017) showed that among the top 15 countries from which international students in China came, most countries were those along the BRI route, among which Thailand, India, Pakistan, Laos, etc., showed a significant increase in the number of overseas students studying in China. This indicates the Initiative’s big role in promoting China's educational cooperation with the countries along the BRI route. However, different language systems, education systems, talent cultivation systems and other barriers have caused an obvious cross-cultural adaptation of international students in China. To this end, this paper aims at promoting international students to better adapt to China's education mode, by exploring the cross-cultural adaptation of international students from countries along the BRI route.