{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,5]],"date-time":"2026-02-05T09:57:06Z","timestamp":1770285426895,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":57,"publisher":"Emerald","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2017,8,14]],"date-time":"2017-08-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1502668800000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/site-policies"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JME"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2017,8,14]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Purpose<\/jats:title><jats:p>The aim of this paper is to explore qualitatively and holistically the experience of international students in the context of Portuguese higher education. This paper interrogates the potential that an experience abroad provides for multicultural learning and for enhancing interaction between students with different cultural backgrounds.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Design\/methodology\/approach<\/jats:title><jats:p>To provide depth to the understanding of their experiences abroad, the narratives of 12 international students in Portugal were constructed and analysed interpretatively. The findings presented in this paper result from a solid set of data based on 41 interviews with an average duration of two hours each.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Findings<\/jats:title><jats:p>Regarding students\u2019 levels of multicultural contact, the findings presented in this paper are not consistent with previous research literature which indicates a tendency for segregation among international and local students. Aside from one exception, all the interviewed students were rather comfortable to interact with their local peers and even established meaningful friendships with them. Concerning students\u2019 learning throughout the sojourn, the findings indicate that the experience of living in a different country provides numerous opportunities for multicultural learning.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Research limitations\/implications<\/jats:title><jats:p>Even though the findings suggest that multicultural learning is part of international students\u2019 lives, it is beyond the scope of this paper to identify institutional strategies to further support students\u2019 learning.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Originality\/value<\/jats:title><jats:p>The study adds to knowledge production in the field of multicultural education by bringing data from Portugal, a country seldom approached in the research literature.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1108\/jme-09-2016-0049","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2017,6,2]],"date-time":"2017-06-02T19:07:59Z","timestamp":1496430479000},"page":"176-188","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":11,"title":["The multicultural experience of international students in Portugal: a narrative approach"],"prefix":"10.1108","volume":"11","author":[{"given":"Cosmin Ionut","family":"Nada","sequence":"first","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Helena Costa","family":"Ara\u00fajo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]}],"member":"140","reference":[{"issue":"1","key":"key2020120611083886600_ref001","first-page":"3","article-title":"Globalisation and the university: Myths and realities in an unequal world","volume":"25","year":"2004","journal-title":"Tertiary Education & Management"},{"issue":"1","key":"key2020120611083886600_ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"63","DOI":"10.1353\/rhe.2001.0013","article-title":"Diversity and the 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