Article Socio-cultural Adjustment Experiences of International Students in Chinese Higher Education Institutions Samson Maekele Tsegay 1 Mulugeta Zemuy Zegergish 2 Muhammad Azeem Ashraf 3 Abstract Using qualitative research methods, this study explores international students’ socio-cultural adjustment experiences in Chinese Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The study indicates that many international students in China are facing linguistic and cultural challenges. They have limited interaction with Chinese stu- dents and the local people, which results in shallow socio-cultural understanding of China and its people. Although they are inadequate, Chinese HEIs are tackling these challenges by providing various supporting mechanisms such as offering introductory Chinese language course/s, organizing orientation programmes and partnering international and Chinese students. The study helps (Chinese) HEIs to enhance their services to international students and boost students’ experiences. Keywords International students, socio-cultural adjustment, higher education institutions, China I. Introduction Globalization has intensified the mobility of people and culture within a country and across borders. International students have been the main part of this mobility Millennial Asia 9(2) 183–202 © 2018 Association of Asia Scholars SAGE Publications sagepub.in/home.nav DOI: 10.1177/0976399618786342 http://journals.sagepub.com/home/mla 1 School of Education, University of Roehampton, London, England. 2 Eritrea Institute of Technology, Asmara, Eritrea. 3 Educational Science Research Institute, Hunan University, Changsha, China. Corresponding author: Samson Maekele Tsegay, School of Education, University of Roehampton, London SW15 5PJ, England. E-mail: samex221@gmail.com