Xinzhi Wang, Shengxiang She, Junaidi Junaidi
International students have become a significant sociocultural phenomenon globally, frequently associated with independence and empowerment. However, school support and students’ mobility constrained, including cross-cultural adaptability which effect students’ educational experience and ability to integrate into the host culture. The large number of international students has greatly sped up the modernization of Chinese universities' administration and made schools more welcoming to people from different cultures. This internationalization enhances academic standards, boosts global rankings, and promotes research collaboration. Additionally, it strengthens China’s soft power and contributes to local economies by creating job opportunities, increasing cultural exchange, and attracting foreign investment. This study proposes an integrated model to investigate the impact of school support on the international students' satisfaction in China, with cross-cultural adaptability as a mediator and psychological resilience as a moderator variable. A total of 455 international students were recruited for an online survey study, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the research hypotheses. School support has a positive effect on student satisfaction and psychological resilience. Furthermore, psychological resilience also plays a pivotal role in both cross-cultural adaptability and student satisfaction. Cross-cultural adaptability addresses the relationship between school support and students’ satisfaction with the school environment. The study offers theoretical contributions by extending the student integration theory and provides practical implications for universities aiming to promote international student experiences through integrated support and resilience-building programs, such as mentorship initiatives and workshops that enhance cultural adaptation and academic success.