This thesis is about international student migrants (ISM). It compares the migration process of international students pursuing degree studies (BA, MA or PhD) abroad, using the case study of student migration to London from Poland and China. The research method includes in-depth interviews and participant observation with Polish and Chinese international students in London. The study adopted a grounded theory approach and data from the research revealed different strands of migration motivations and integration processes.

The first of the empirical chapters investigates motivations to study abroad. The second examines how Polish and Chinese students integrate into university life in London. The third chapter probes into their social integration, using Fox and Miller-Idriss’s (2008) concept of everyday nationhood and Berry’s (1997) acculturation model as a theoretical framework.

Several important findings are disclosed. First, Polish participants generally behave as ‘elite cosmopolitan Europeans’, who are rich in mobility capital. Study abroad is a natural outcome of their migrant identity and they find it easy to integrate into multicultural London. Second, Chinese participants generally apply a ‘getting-gilded’ strategy and tend to stay only temporarily in London and then return home to outshine others with their received cultural capital. This return-home intention hinders their desire for integration and makes them stick to co-national networks. Language barriers constrain their possibility of deeper integration, too, while Polish students are confident about their English skills. Third, students’ behaviour is conditioned by their family backgrounds and socialisation, although they also can make choices when abroad – they have agency. However, Chinese students are much more likely than their Polish counterparts to make ‘national’ choices (Fox and Miller-Idriss 2008). Their national identity is even strengthened, while Polish students generally possess a more cosmopolitan identity. On the integration spectrum, Polish students are more likely to be situated towards the assimilation end, while Chinese students are closer to separation. It is argued that more attention should be paid to the influence of ISMs’ agency on their integration, and universities should explore tailored support to the diverse ISM populations considering their backgrounds and cultures.