SHOW NOTES
What does the international student experience look like in the US today? This is obviously a very broad question with many different nuances to it, but in this episode we look at what this experience has felt like in recent years, framed by the forces of the pandemic, the rising social justice movement globally, and a political and social environment that has not always felt friendly to international students. It’s also been a time when international students in the U.S. have turned to each other as never before, drawing support from a shared experience and coming together and organizing in ways that provide a sense of community but that also give voice to their needs and interests.
This episode’s guest is Aryan D’Rozario, an international student first in the U.S. and now in the U.K. Originally from New Delhi, India, Aryan received a B.A. in Politics from the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) in 2021. While at UCSC, Aryan also served for two years as the Undergraduate Representative on the university’s "Committee on International Education," which looked at matters related to international education on campus, including the allocation of resources for international education, the recruitment of international students, and their status and well-being. Aryan is now an international student again, but starting out in a different country this time. He is working on a master's at the University of Oxford in England, where his thesis will look at political views among Anglicized elites in Narendra Modi’s India.
Episode Themes:
The experience of being an international student in the U.S. vs. the U.K.
How international students from India feel about studying in the U.S. today
Do international students understand their own agency and how can they better advocate for themselves and their needs?
The complex interplay between race and being foreign for international students. What international students in the U.S. can and should learn about the Civil Rights Movement and the history of race and politics in the U.S.
The impact of immigration policies on international students
How studying abroad shapes an international student’s academic interests, but also their political and social consciousness
Aryan's top tips for succeeding as an international student
Resources and Links:
My Book: America Calling: A Foreign Student in a Country of Possibility
Website & Newsletter sign-up: www.rajikabhandari.com
Twitter: @rajikabhandari
LinkedIn: @rajikabhandari
Instagram: @rajika_bhandari
Facebook: @authorrajikabhandari
