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Objective This study examined the impact of a short-term study abroad program, focusing on program evaluation, attendee satisfaction, and acquired knowledge and skills. A questionnaire survey was conducted covering various aspects including demographics, program evaluation, and feedback. Results Results indicated higher female participation due to gender imbalances in pharmacy students in Egypt, with senior students recognizing the value of international experience. Attendee satisfaction was high, with positive feedback on accommodation, tours, and workshop materials. Field visits and workshops provided valuable experiential learning, with attendees suggesting extending the program’s duration. The program equipped attendees with knowledge and skills relevant to pharmaceutical products and services, leading to improved competences and perceptions. The study concludes that such study abroad experiences profoundly impact personal growth and recommends integrating them into educational curricula for valuable experiences.

Despite the mounting evidence supporting the effectiveness of short-term study abroad programs (such as Service-Learning programs) on university students’ development, few studies have been conducted to explore the impact of short-term study in China programs on young people from Hong Kong. This study employed a qualitative design method to examine the impact of three types of short-term study programs in China—summer school, cultural tour, and service-learning—on Hong Kong university students’ development and to explore both the facilitators of, and the barriers to, the impact of the programs. A total of 42 students from 17 short-term study in China programs were interviewed individually. Results showed that all three types of short-term study in China programs were perceived by participants as having a positive impact on their intercultural competence as well as their perceptions of, and attitudes toward, the Nation and Chinese people. Participants of service-learning programs also demonstrated enhanced global citizenship. However, these programs did not have any significant impact on their perceived identities as Hong Kong or Chinese citizens. Individual and program factors that facilitated or impeded the student’s gains from the programs were identified. These findings provide pioneer evidence for the positive impacts of short-term study in China programs on Hong Kong local university students and for the improvement of the current programs as well as the development of new programs in the future.

Study-abroad programs can enhance students’ acquisition of a foreign language, improve their knowledge of the host culture, and even transform their worldviews (Lewis and Niesenbaum 2005b). In this study, the author will report the participants’ expectations and conclusions based on a short-term study-abroad program at The University of British Columbia, located in Vancouver, Canada. The participants in this study consisted of twenty-nine students participating in a six-week study-abroad program provided by The Language Institute of Thammasat University, Thailand (2012). A questionnaire (Pre-survey) was used to survey the students’ expectations prior to their participation and the questionnaire (Post-survey) was launched again to survey their conclusions drawn from their actual experiences after the participation. The data from the survey, as well as an open-ended questionnaire were then analyzed. The study also revealed the benefits of participating in this short-term study-abroad program from the essay written by the students at the end of the program. It was shown that, on the whole, all of the participants were satisfied with their participation in the short-course study-abroad program. In addition, they believe that the program promote their self confidence in speaking English language, their language proficiency development and their cultural awareness.

The purpose of this paper is to serve as a comprehensive review of short-term study abroad (STSA) outcomes to help guide future STSA and study abroad (SA) scholars and practitioners in the further development of the field. This paper is the first comprehensive and systematic review of all outcomes of STSA programs within the SA body of research based on 156 papers. The study provides the first comprehensive classification of all previously studied STSA outcomes (85) into six categories: cross-cultural outcomes, STSA pedagogy outcomes, personal and professional outcomes; language outcomes; teacher and faculty outcomes; and other outcomes. Distinct sub-categories are identified that provide insights on the current landscape of STSA and related research. This study makes a significant contribution to the theory and practice of SA, and among the key contributions are a systematic understanding of the scale and scope of STSA outcomes; insights on the most efficient design of future STSA programs; and an expanded understanding of the role and importance of STSA programs in international education. Furthermore, a comprehensive STSA outcomes map develops an extensive research agenda. While the COVID-19 pandemic currently limits the opportunities for STSA, given its previous popularity, the authors envisage a strong return in the coming years of this form of affordable and valuable global learning. STSA programs have become an important component of higher education and which require considerable resources from participants and educational institutions alike. Therefore, further research is needed to understand the impacts of STSA programs and to further improve program design. Such research will serve to better inform both academic understanding of the phenomenon and educational practice. The study provides the first comprehensive classification of all studied STSA outcomes. [Author abstract, ed]

This study analyzes how self‐guided cultural exploration and reflection (SCER) tasks affect the development of intercultural competency (ICC) of students participating in a study abroad program. The Intercultural Effectiveness Scale (IES) was used to measure students' ICC development before and after a 6‐week faculty‐led study abroad program in Japan. The SCER tasks encouraged students to examine Japanese history, cuisine, politics, architecture, economy, communication style, and behaviors, and gain a sophisticated understanding of the Japanese culture through the lens of unique Japanese perspectives. The results reveal significant gains in overall IES scales, in particular, student's continuous learning and interpersonal engagement saw the most change. Analysis of student reflections further demonstrates the positive impact of culturally bridging experiences on self‐awareness and cultural exploration. We argue that the impact of perspective‐shifting practices, combined with students' first‐hand intercultural experience improves student's level of hardiness. Finally, student reflections reveal the important role that the SCER tasks have on initiating a meaningful dialogue with their host families. The Challenge Due to globalization, students today need to develop intercultural skills, and study abroad is widely held as one of the most effective ways of developing competence, and more university students are attending short summer‐long programs. In this context, we ask, how can teachers design a program that maximizes student's intercultural learning in a short‐term study abroad program? Can students develop a rich and deep understanding of the culture in short‐term study abroad? This article presents unique cultural bridging experiences, self‐exploration tasks, and teacher guidance that impacted the development of student's intercultural competency.

This study investigated Japanese students’ perceived learning outcomes from a short-term program jointly conducted by the University of Tokyo and Asian University for Women in Bangladesh through the lens of intercultural competence and the contact hypothesis. Qualitative data were derived primarily from Japanese students’ essays. Inductive analysis revealed that intergroup interactions enhanced Japanese students’ awareness of social inequalities, diverse ethnic identities, prevailing stereotypes against the Global South, their own privilege, and Japan’s colonial legacy. This study makes theoretical contributions by illuminating the potential for inappropriate and ineffective interactions with outgroup peers. These findings suggest that educators should create environments where learners feel safe in making communicative mistakes and avoid hastily developing learners’ intercultural competence.

In line with the fiscal, structural, and academic shifts in higher education, a growing number of universities in English-speaking countries develop and deliver short-term study-abroad (STSA) programs that are shorter than a regular academic term, often under contract with sending universities and governments from non-English-speaking countries. Distinct from the well-established scholarship in SA largely focused on American and European university students going abroad to improve their foreign language skills (c.f., Kinginger, 2008; Mitchell, Tracy-Ventura, & McManus, 2017), there is an emerging area of inquiry in which Anglophone institutions of higher education host students and (para) professionals from non-English-speaking countries for academic and cultural enrichment, as well as for English language teaching. To address the nascent transnational trend, broadly related to ESL in higher education, this article provides an overview of the current state and prospects associated with STSA. After laying out the groundwork for SA, this article identifies the unique scope and potential area of inquiry related to STSA hosted by Anglophone institutions of higher education. The overview article then proposes a potential research agenda that encompasses sojourner identity, goals, and practices vis-a-vis institutional goals and practices at the intersection of SA and TESOL.

Background Student mobility programmes aim to enhance academic competence and personal growth. However, non-academic reasons are decisive for students’ decisions not to participate in exchange programmes abroad. Short exchange programmes are becoming increasingly popular among both institutions and students, addressing some of the non-academic reasons to not participate in exchange programmes. The aim of the study was to gain insight into nursing students’ motivation for, and experiences from, participating in a short-term exchange programme focused on mass casualty incidents. Method A qualitative study was conducted using focus group interviews with 30 nursing students from Norway, the Netherlands, Spain, and Italy. The data were analysed using content analysis. Results Three main categories were identified. These were “motivation”, “learning experiences” and “barriers and coping”. The two main motivational factors identified were the academic subject of mass casualty and the opportunity to experience international encounters. The learning experiences encompassed perspectives on nursing, cooperation and teamwork along with measurable academic outcomes related to the learning outcomes of the blended intensive programme. The participants expressed language and communication challenges and professional discrepancies as barriers in the learning process. Nevertheless, they also reported a feeling of coping and achievement after completing the programme and provided insights into various aspects of the learning climate during the blended intensive programme. Conclusions Driven by students’ academic interest and motivation for international encountering, the BIP demonstrated educational and personal benefits, emphasizing the potential value of short-term international programmes in nursing education. The programme fostered important competencies such as emergency preparedness, intercultural communication and interprofessional collaboration. Coping with language barriers and professional discrepancies contributed to personal and professional growth.

PurposeInternational environments introduce a number of learning-related barriers for students endeavoring to understand global business practices. One way in which these obstacles can be addressed is through participation in temporary learning environments (TLEs), such as trade fairs and similar events. This paper aims to examine how international trade missions (ITMs) – a type of short-term, study-abroad experience – were used as TLEs by students at an Atlantic Canada university as part of their EMBA curriculum to gain practical experience in international business environments.Design/methodology/approachThis study explores the ways in which students benefitted from participation in the ITMs and resulting TLEs. Accordingly, an online survey that explored export-related issues and learning outcomes was administered to EMBA students who participated in this program to ascertain the ways in which these events furthered their educational experience and how the ITMs enabled them to perceive challenges and strategies related to international market expansion.FindingsA survey of ITM participants revealed that students gained insights into firm-level barriers to internationalization in addition to a practical understanding of general challenges in international trade. At the same time, some observations suggested that more emphasis could be placed on pre-trip preparations and post-trip networking. The paper concludes with discussions on how short-term study abroad opportunities can serve as TLEs, in addition to proposing future ways in which the ITMs could provide even more experiences for the students.Originality/valueThe value-added from this paper is found in two ways. The first is to illustrate how ITMs can be a form of a TLE for students. The second, linked contribution, is to reinforce and to provide further evidence on how the TLEs – a short study-abroad opportunity – can be an environment in which students obtain valuable, hands-on international business experience.

Intercultural Competence (IC) has gained prominence as a strategic priority in higher education; however, the socio-emotional mechanisms through which it develops in structured short-term academic mobility remain underexplored. This qualitative study addresses this gap by examining the intercultural learning experiences of undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students from Trakia University, Bulgaria, who participated in a two-week winter academic program in Zhuhai, China, hosted by the Beijing Institute of Technology. Employing a triangulated qualitative design that combines semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and content analysis of institutional discourse, the study foregrounds emotional regulation as a central process underpinning intercultural competence development. The findings indicate that navigating culturally unfamiliar situations and “disorienting dilemmas” within a multicultural co-living environment facilitated stable behavioral adaptations, including active listening, reflective pausing, empathy, and tolerance. These adaptations supported emotional well-being by reducing uncertainty and fostering a sense of belonging and psychological safety within the multicultural learning community. Repeated emotional engagement with cultural difference enabled participants to internalize values of openness and mutual respect, contributing to the formation of intercultural attitudes that extended beyond the immediate learning context. These processes functioned as a feedback loop through which intercultural competence became integrated into participants’ emerging personal and professional identities. The study demonstrates that even short-term academic exchanges, when pedagogically structured and emotionally immersive, can foster meaningful intercultural learning, leadership readiness, and professional orientation. By highlighting emotional regulation as a pathway to emotional well-being (belonging and psychological safety) and to identity integration, the findings contribute to broader social science discussions on student well-being and identity formation in transnational higher education.