Promoting International Student Mobility for Sustainability? Navigating Conflicting Realities and Emotions of International Educators

Abstract

In international education, climate change is an increasingly prominent consideration. International mobility contributes to global carbon emissions yet provides students with skills and knowledge to address climate change. Based on interviews with 17 individuals working in international education, this qualitative study illuminates how international educators view climate change: both as a threat and an opportunity for the field. When considering and mitigating international education's carbon emissions, interviewees reported mostly negative emotions: feeling stuck, frustrated, and overwhelmed. Interviewees also noted difficulties in logically and ethically reconciling the relationship, especially with student mobility as a key component of international education, providing several rationales for expanding international education to promote social and environmental justice. Notably, interviewees called for a reimagining of the field with more virtual exchanges and less air travel. Findings aim to inform higher education internationalization efforts – and student mobility specifically – in a time of climate crisis.