Date Available

2-18-2014

Year of Publication

2014

Document Type

Doctoral Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

College

Education

Department/School/Program

Educational Policy Studies and Eval

Advisor

Dr. Beth Goldstein

Abstract

This research is a case study on the lived experience of international graduate students in the Graduate School of Asia Pacific Studies (GSAPS) at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan. Using cultural globalization and internationalization as a lens, this research positions international graduate students as local actors in an abroad community and addresses, 1) how and why students decided on an English Medium degree in Japan, and 2) the lived academic and social experiences of this particular group of students while in Japan. In-depth interviews with 17 degree seeking international graduate students explore graduate students’ past educational and professional experiences and the purpose of seeking an advanced degree abroad. Graduate students also discussed the types of academic and social sodalities they chose to engage in while in Japan and the other actors involved (or not involved) in these communities. Through inductive analysis, conclusions were drawn on how these actors constructed their social and academic lives amidst the influences of internationalization and cultural globalization.

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