International

Global Researchers may encounter difficulties in adjusting to the new environment, cultures, and expectations. International students, as well as global scholars, professors, and staff, may have different experiences from students. Beyond the culture shock, each international professor may experience and feel differently. Some key highlights of their experiences are below, and more detailed experiences are on the Experience-Faculty page. 

Culture shock is one of their experiences, as each country, region, and area has its own culture, and adjusting to a new culture can be challenging. There are defined stages in culture shock listed below: 

1. Honeymoon Stage:
   At first, everything seems exciting and new. Researchers might feel optimistic about the opportunities, cultural experiences, and professional growth ahead.
2. Frustration Stage:
   As the novelty wears off, challenges emerge. Frustration may arise from language barriers, communication misunderstandings, and differences in academic culture or workplace dynamics. This can lead to feelings of isolation, homesickness, or confusion.
3. Adjustment Stage:
   Gradually, individuals start to adjust and develop coping mechanisms. Researchers begin to understand the new cultural norms and develop strategies to navigate academic or work environments more effectively.
4. Adaptation Stage:
   Researchers become more comfortable and confident in this stage of their new environment. They learn to embrace cultural differences and integrate aspects of the new culture into their professional and personal lives.

Individuals will deal with culture shock in their own ways, and strategies may vary. 

1. Academic and Professional Expectations:
   Different countries may have unique academic cultures, including expectations around hierarchy, collaboration, and communication. For example, in some cultures, direct communication is encouraged, while in others, indirect or formal communication is preferred.
2. Language Barriers:
   Even for researchers proficient in the local language, academic or professional jargon may differ. Misunderstandings during meetings, presentations, or written communication can add to the stress of adapting.
3. Social Integration:
   Building relationships with colleagues or local researchers can be challenging due to different social norms, work-life balance expectations, or cultural approaches to collaboration.
4. Workplace Dynamics:
   The pace of work, decision-making processes, and expectations around autonomy or teamwork can vary greatly between countries and institutions. Researchers may need to adjust to new leadership styles, group dynamics, or academic processes like funding, publishing, and peer review.
5. Mental Health and Well-Being:
   The emotional strain of adjusting to a new culture, combined with the pressure of academic research, can lead to stress, anxiety, or depression. It’s important to recognize and address these feelings early.

Adjusting to a new culture is not the only challenge global researchers face; they also start getting to know the local areas where they live and work. Information about Rochester, New York, is essential and getting to know more about the city will ease their challenges to adopt to their new life. 

1. Lilac Festival (May) 
2. Rochester Jazz Festival (June)
3. Rochester Public Market

You can learn more about Rochester, NY through Visit Rochester or here.

Knowing the local information about transportation will be helpful before global researchers get to Rochester. Most of the faculty members at Rochester Institute of Technology commute with their own vehicles as society heavily relies on their own transportation. You can learn about public transportation here.