DIASPORA, XENOPHOBIA AND STUDENT MOBILITY: RETHINKING EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION AND PLANNING FOR INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN A GLOBALIZED WORLD

Abstract

Cross-border study has widened access to academic exchange and transnational networks, but movement between countries does not guarantee an inclusive educational experience. Students who are international, mobile or connected to diaspora communities may face racism, xenophobia, unequal treatment and uncertainty about belonging. This conceptual paper examines the links among diaspora, xenophobia and student mobility from the perspective of educational administration and planning. It brings together recent scholarship and selected institutional publications from 2021 to 2026 to consider how policy, resources, public discourse and campus practices shape students’ experiences. The central argument is that mobility cannot be managed as a recruitment exercise alone: institutions must plan for students’ arrival, learning, welfare, participation and protection from discrimination. Diaspora networks can support knowledge exchange and adaptation, yet students should not be reduced to sources of revenue or institutional prestige. The paper therefore proposes that responsible internationalization be judged not only by enrolment figures, but also by equitable participation, student belonging, academic progress and institutional accountability.