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.