Comparison Of African And Asian International Students In Cross Cultural Adaptation

International education in China has grown enormously in the past decade. The international student population in both undergraduate and post-graduate programs increased from 141087 in 2005 to 397,635 in 2015. International students in China come from 202 countries and regions. About 46 percent of them are studying for a degree, which means they will stay in China for extended period of time. Thus, international students face a challenge to adapt to the new life, new culture and new environment in China.This research aims at comparing African and Asian international students in cross-cultural adaptation in China, based on a case study of East China Normal University(ECNU) in Shanghai. We focused on African and Asian international students because most of them study in China, pursue a degree rather thanjust a short visit.Based on the previous studies on the cross-cultural adaptation of the international students, we develop a theoretical framework to compare the Asia and African international students in cross-cultural adaptation in China.This study conducts in-depth interviews with 30 African and Asian international students at ECNU to compare their academic experiences, social and cultural life in the host country.The findings of this study show that African and Asian international students encounter various difficulties in their adaptation to the new cultural environment. Academic difficulties include their language barrier, interaction with professors, interaction with supervisors and interaction with classmates. In coping with their socio-cultural difficulties, most of them adopt four strategies: cultural differences, campus life, isolation from families and geographic climate or changes. They also face the economic difficulties, such as insufficient allowances and lack or insufficient health insurance. Finally the research suggests international students to get well prepared in terms of psychology, health insurance allowances, etc... before undertaking studies in China.