As internationalization accelerates in higher music education, institutions increasingly rely on international students for financial and symbolic capital (Marginson, 2012; Tran & Pham, 2016). However, these students often find that curricula centered on Western classical traditions leave little room for their musical identities, with cultural diversity addressed only through token events or elective modules (Schippers, 2010; Bradley, 2007).This conceptual paper critically examines how higher music education institutions (HMEIs) construct—and often constrain—the role of international students within their pedagogical and structural frameworks. Drawing on Gay’s (2010) model of culturally responsive pedagogy and Ladson-Billings’ (1995) asset-based approach, the paper argues that international students are frequently positioned as passive recipients rather than active contributors to the academic and cultural life of music programs. While institutions may celebrate surface-level diversity, they often neglect the more profound structural shifts required for genuine inclusion (Ahmed, 2012).Rather than treating international students as a homogenous group, the paper foregrounds their intersectional diversity, shaped by nationality, language, race, and musical background (Lee & Rice, 2007). The paper analyzes how dominant language use, selective definitions of musical excellence, and limited curricular flexibility intersect to make it difficult for non-Western musical perspectives to gain legitimacy within higher education settings. These challenges, the paper contends, are not isolated misunderstandings but symptoms of broader institutional logic and cultural norms that resist transformation.The paper critiques how international students are often cast as “beneficiaries” of global education while their knowledge systems and artistic practices are undervalued (Tran & Marginson, 2013). In doing so, it calls for a shift in discourse—from one that frames inclusion as a symbolic celebration to one that recognizes the need for structural and epistemological change.By centering international students not as recipients but as co-constructors of music education, this paper contributes to critical conversations on decolonization, cultural legitimacy, and educational equity—while offering new perspectives on how music education can build authentic cultural bridges across differences.