East-Asian Students' Choice of Canadian Graduate Schools

Abstract

This study seeks to explain why and how international graduate students from East Asia choose to come to Canada to pursue advanced education, to assess the strengths and dynamics of the factors influencing the enrollment decision, and to describe possible implications both for education-exporting countries and universities offering graduate education. A synthesis model is developed to explain their decision-making process, while a push–pull model is used to understand the strengths of and relationships among various factors that influence the choice of a country, institution, program, and city. The research sample comprised 140 students from China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan who enrolled in graduate programs at two large Ontario universities. The research shows a three-stage process, guided first by the focus of the program (i.e. research-oriented versus professional programs). Other factors—country, institution, and city—interplay simultaneously at the later two stages. The research findings reveal the significant influence of academic (Academic Pulling Factors and Administrative Pulling Factors), economic, environmental, and visa/immigration pulling factors as well as a set of negative pushing factors from third countries such as the United States. This research suggests that to attract top international graduate students, policy makers and institutional administrators should focus on investing in research and ensuring the quality of graduate education, while devoting efforts and resources to the internationalization of graduate education, as well as crafting a national marketing strategy to enhance awareness of and the overall image of their higher education institutions and programs.