Building intercultural links: The impact of a multicultural intervention programme on social ties of international students in Australia

The present research examined the effects of a multicultural intervention programme on the development of social ties, cultural orientation, and psychological adjustment among international students in Australia. Ninety-eight international students from 11 Asian countries, including 47 participants and 51 non-participants of the intervention programme, completed two surveys, 1 month and 4 months after the programme (Time 1 and Time 2, respectively). The programme participants and non-participants were comparable in their background characteristics and personality tendencies. Nonetheless, over the 3-month period, participants (vs. non-participants) of the programme developed a greater number of new friends, especially local Australian friends. Moreover, the participants maintained their interests in local culture while non-participants weakened their interests. The programme participation however had no influence on students' psychological adjustment. Potential implications of multicultural intervention programmes for educational institutions are discussed. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.