Transnational Student Mobility: Introducing New Paradigms for Researching International Students

Abstract

This chapter introduces the background and context of global student mobility and the shifts that have characterised transnational higher education. This chapter discusses the dominance of so-called Big Five nations of the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Australia in the context of a global market. This book introduces the idea that global student mobility is an Asian phenomenon as the majority of international students come from the Asian region. This chapter discusses the shifts in global mobility from development and donor programs to a transnational market where students are a commodity. The authors argue that market context has emerged from the growth of the corporate academy where the commercialization of higher education has dovetailed into globalisation and internationalisation of higher education. This chapter also discusses the rise of Asia and the conditions, economic and social that gives rise to the factors that are facilitating the movement of students to overseas study. This chapter looks at the way in which developed countries have utilised international students as migrants to overcome skills shortages in professions. The link between international students and migration is explored in the context of a global backlash to migration. The combination of September 11, financial and economic crisis has led to strong anti-immigration movements in the developed world. These sentiments and the responses to them have created a new set of risks for international students. This chapter explores these risks in the context of concerns about the impact of international students on opportunities for local students and the labour market, academic standards and the character of institutions.