The Study Abroad Decision: A Qualitative Case Study of Pakistani Doctoral Students

Abstract

Deciding to pursue doctoral studies abroad is informed by several factors reflected by students perspectives and experiences. The present study purports to examine Pakistani doctoral students study abroad decisions and their preference to study in Austria. The study drew on a qualitative case study approach to grasp a broader perspective of the participants who were comprised of twenty doctoral students selected purposefully from the public universities of Austria. The data were collected through a semi-structured interview guide with open-ended questions. The researcher performed a thematic analysis of the interview data, field notes and reflective writing after all the participants described their personal experiences and perspectives. As a result of the analysis, the themes emerged include; country of previous studies, Austria versus other countries, placement and working environment, and language and country choice. The study has implications for doctoral students, their home country funding agencies and the host university support system.