Introduction

One of the notable aspects of the internationalization of higher education is international student mobility. There is considerable consensus that international student mobility contributes to the economic, political, social, and cultural development of home and host countries. The role of education in supporting students from different countries to learn to understand one another's culture to work and live together is reflected in the global governance of education, where UN Sustainable Development Goal Target 4.7 calls upon education for all learners to promote a “culture of peace and nonviolence” and the “appreciation of cultural diversity.” In the United States, study abroad is promoted as a way to meet the demands of the 21st century to foster individuals with the knowledge and skills to live and work in a diverse society in a global world. In this book, the term study abroad refers to credit mobility facilitated by study abroad programs. In short, undergraduate students study abroad for one semester or one year with the intentions to transfer credit to graduate from their home institution. Moreover, study abroad programs originating from the United States tend to strongly value its cultural enrichment aspect by allowing flexibility in curricular offerings (Teichler & Steube, 1991).