Compassionate belonging: A case study investigating postgraduate international student belonging

Supporting international postgraduates in their higher education academic journey not only involves ensuring high quality teaching and research but also their sense of belonging to academic, learning and student communities. This research discusses a case study which investigated international postgraduate student belonging at a UK university. Two workshops were carried out. The first using Soft Systems Methodology to explore the complex topic area and put forward recommendations for developing a more compassionate learning environment and community which accommodates multiple stakeholder viewpoints and provides a conducive learning environment. The second workshop was a grounded discussion on findings from the first workshop to lead onto actionable interventions to encourage student engagement and belonging. Some of the tentative findings include the need for knowledge sharing of day-to-day tasks, recognising cultural events, a spread-out induction with a wider scope and consistency between cohorts.