International Higher Education: The Attraction of Singapore

Abstract

There has been a marked increase in the number of international higher education students studying at Australian universities in Singapore while during the same period, there has been a corresponding decrease in the number of such students choosing traditional study locations such as Australia. The study aimed to understand why one current group of international higher education students studying in Singapore chose to study at an Australian campus in Singapore rather than study in Australia or elsewhere in the world. The research design employed both a qualitative and quantitative approach using a focus group interview and a survey. The study found that most international higher education students left their home country to study aboard to gain a global perspective of the professional field which they hoped to work on the completion of their degree. Singapore was chosen over other locations because of its reputation for safety, comparatively lower cost of living, cultural similarity to students' home country, nearness to students' home country and the perception that Singapore offered better job prospects on the completion of students' degrees compared to other locations. Most students chose an Australian university because of its reputation, its fast tracking of degree programs and for Indian international students, a similarity of curriculum content and learning approaches. The study highlights future recommendations for universities in attracting and catering for students from overseas countries.