Outbound Student Mobility Research Articles

Transforming and thriving: Australian students in Vietnam through the New Colombo Plan

ABSTRACT Outbound student mobility has gained increased popularity over the past two decades. It involves an array of stakeholders including students, academics, mobility practitioners and home and host communities. Despite challenges, learning abroad creates a range of impacts on individuals, institutions, and society. Existing research on learning abroad largely concentrates on students’ motivations, activities and effects of outbound mobility on individual students. However, how learning abroad may potentially contribute to transnational connections is largely under-researched. This article responds to a critical gap in the literature by examining not only how learning abroad in Vietnam enriches individual Australian students personally, professionally and culturally but also how such developments could potentially have broader transnational impacts. The article draws on a study including interviews with 24 Australian students learning abroad in Vietnam through the New Colombo Plan. It elucidates the students’ intercultural, personal and professional growth, especially on the humanistic aspects of global citizenship, through their deeper understanding of Vietnam, their formation of a relational capability, and a sense of empathy with the Vietnamese people. The article also highlights the value of Australian students' intercultural experiences and engagement with Vietnam to the society. In particular, it unpacks how Australian students' learning abroad in Vietnam could potentially contribute to enriching Australia-Vietnam connections and collaboration to respond to critical socio-economic issues such as climate change, economic development and poverty.

State-university relations and its implication on internationalization of higher education

There has always been a power struggle regarding control over the administration of the university. In the Enlightenment era, the contenders were the State and the Church. However, as the role of the Church in modern educational institutes declined, the state clamoured for greater control ( Delanty, 2001b ; Rüegg, 1992 ). In the 1990s, academic autonomy was under the purview of the university. This in turn gave impetus to greater mobility of students across borders and to the larger process of Internationalization of Higher Education (IHE). However, in the post-democratic era, the autonomy of universities was severely restricted and research and curriculum were tainted with a protectionist attitude ( Altbach and De Wit, 2018 ; Jenkins et al., 2018 ). Emerging conflicts between the state and the university highlight the urgent need to understand and assess state-university relations in the new political climate. Under these circumstances, the process of IHE has borne the brunt and in the last decade, we have seen a decrease in international outbound student mobility, an increase in the cancellation of offshore campuses and other cross-border education activities. While the process of IHE is still maintained, the original aim of this process, to tackle global issues with a local perspective while providing an inter-cultural university education is at risk. This paper examines the changing dynamics of state-university relations and their implications on the process of IHE.

Knowing, acting and becoming: Australian students’ curriculum-specific learning through a New Colombo Plan short-term mobility program to Japan

ABSTRACT Embedding learning abroad as part of the curriculum has become popular in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the US and European countries. In Australia, the government has actively promoted and committed to funding students’ learning abroad in the Indo-Pacific region which is considered to be strategic to the nation's prosperity and public diplomacy. The majority of the literature on outbound student mobility has concentrated on its benefits to students’ development of global competence and employability. However, little is known about how students are engaged in curriculum-specific learning and development of discipline-specific knowledge through short-term mobility experiences. This article responds to this gap in the existing literature. It aims to examine how a short-term mobility program to Japan affects Australian undergraduate students’ curriculum-specific learning. The article draws on 45 interviews with science students across three rounds (pre-departure, in-country, and re-entry). It uses Barnett and Coate's framework of curriculum and Tran's concept of mobility as becoming to analyse whether and how the short-term mobility program engages students in their knowing, acting and becoming whereby they are able to construct, organise and build on what they know and can do to arrive at new knowledge, skills and ways of being/becoming. Based on the findings of the study, we discuss implications for how learning abroad in the Indo-Pacific can potentially enhance Australian students’ deep and meaningful learning in not only cultural and social but also academic aspects. Practical principles for optimising students’ curriculum-specific learning through short-term mobility programs are generated.

The ‘Global South’ in the transnational student mobility network. Effects of institutional instability, reputation of the higher education systems, post-colonial ties, and culture

ABSTRACT In this article, we take a global perspective and analyse how state institutions constitute a countries’ place in the global network of transnational student mobility. We use longitudinal social network analysis to investigate transnational student mobility patterns and find that fragile institutions act as a push factor by increasing outbound student mobility. In addition, reputation of a higher education system impacts on the countries’ role as a favoured study destination. And, particularly for countries in the Global South, cultural similarity is important for the intensity and direction of exchange within the global network of transnational student mobility.

The COVID‐19 pandemic: The watershed moment for student mobility in Chinese universities?

As COVID‐19 drastically affects cross‐border mobility, virtual mobility emerges as a viable alternative to cope with the crisis. This article reports on the integrated findings of an exploratory sequential mixed methods design to understand benefits and challenges of virtual mobility at a Chinese university and future projection of outbound student mobility. The mixed methods design used in this study is characterized by an initial quantitative phase of data collection and analysis, followed by a phase of qualitative data collection and analysis, with a final phase of integration or linking of data from the two separate strands of data. The study suggests Chinese students appreciate the flexibility and economic advantages of virtual mobility but also express concerns on several limitations. Online mobility may be viewed as a complement or alternative for Chinese institutions when the COVID‐19 crisis is over. As Chinese universities are promoting internationalization at home, the number of virtual programmes available to Chinese students will surge. In this context, coupled with the stress of geopolitical instability, the growth in Chinese student mobility may be entering a period of contraction, which may exert profound impacts on a global scale.

‘Employability in context’: The importance of considering contextual factors in reimagining employability through Australian student mobility to the Indo‐Pacific region

AbstractAustralia has shifted its student mobility agenda since 2014 with a commitment to see learning abroad in the Indo‐Pacific region, rather than in traditional destinations such as anglophone countries, as a ‘rite of passage’ for Australian students' future life and career. While there has been rich literature on the impact of outbound student mobility from Australia to anglophone countries, critical inquiry is warranted regarding how Australian students' learning abroad in the Indo‐Pacific affects their employability and career directions. This article responds to this paucity in the literature. It is derived from a larger research project, including a survey of 1,362 New Colombo Plan alumni. Unlike dominant conceptualisations of employability focusing largely on the role of disciplinary knowledge and soft skills, this study found affording different perspectives, connections and opportunities and the increased knowledge about the Indo‐Pacific have been critical in shaping Australian students' employability and career orientations. The findings of this study provide the empirical base for the development of the concept, ‘employability in context’, which underscores the importance of moving beyond the conventional discourse about employability and taking into account the contextual factors in conceptualising employability.

Evaluating the soft power of outbound student mobility: an analysis of Australia’s New Colombo Plan

ABSTRACT Outbound student mobility can be regarded as an important foreign policy initiative to exert and increase national influence in host locations. But how to evaluate the specific soft power influences remains unsolved. In this article, an educational soft power framework that can provide a reference in evaluating soft power of related education activities in future empirical studies is proposed. Taking the Australian short-term student mobility program, New Colombo Plan, as an example, the soft power pursuit of outbound student mobility is analyzed. Evaluating its detailed soft power elements and influences is conducted by examining its evaluation reports under the framework. The study then provides some suggestions for future implementation and study for promoting soft power.

Forecasting outbound student mobility: A machine learning approach.

BackgroundA country’s ability to become a prominent knowledge economy is tied closely to its ability to acquire skilled people who can compete internationally while resolving challenges of the future. To equip students with competence that can only by gained by being immersed in a foreign environment, outbound mobility is vital.MethodsTo analyze outbound student mobility in Taiwan using time series methods, this study aims to propose a hybrid approach FSDESVR which combines feature selection (FS) and support vector regression (SVR) with differential evolution (DE). FS and a DE algorithm were used for selecting reliable input features and determining the optimal initial parameters of SVR, respectively, to achieve high forecast accuracy.ResultsThe proposed approach was examined using a dataset of outbound Taiwanese student mobility to ten countries between 1998 and 2018. Without the requirements of any special conditions for the proprieties of the objective function and constraints, the FSDESVR model retained the advantage of FS, SVR, and DE. A comparison of the FSDESVR model and other forecasting models revealed that FSDESVR provided the lowest mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) and root mean square error (RMSE) results for all the analyzed nations. The experimental results indicate that FSDESVR achieved higher forecasting accuracy than the compared models from the literature.ConclusionWith the recognition of outbound values, key findings of Taiwanese outbound student mobility, and accurate application of the FSDESVR model, education administration units are exposed to a more in-depth view of future student mobility, which enables the implement of a more accurate education curriculum.

Intra‐ASEAN student mobility: overview, challenges and opportunities

PurposeThis paper explores the issue of developing and enhancing intra-ASEAN international student mobility given the context of ASEAN integration, regionalization of ASEAN higher education and the various intra‐ASEAN student mobility schemes currently implemented.Design/methodology/approachIt explores higher education policies, available higher education and international student mobility data, as well as the various intra‐ASEAN (and relevant) student mobility schemes to present the current status of intra‐ASEAN student mobility, challenges and opportunities to further enhance student mobility within the ASEAN region.FindingsAside from showing that intra‐ASEAN student mobility is significantly low compared to outbound student mobility from ASEAN countries, the paper also highlights the relationship between a country’s income status with choice of intra‐ASEAN or extraASEAN student mobility. Finally, it recommends developing a comprehensive intra‐ASEAN mobility scheme taking the merits of the various intra‐ASEAN mobility schemes currently implemented and guided by developments in the European ERASMUS mobility programs.Originality/valueThis is probably the first (in fact, it is an exploratory) paper that address the issue of intra‐ASEAN international student mobility, which aims to explore relevant issues to address the development of a comprehensive ASEAN mobility scheme.

Discourse Analysis of the New Colombo Plan funded Australian Outbound Student Mobility Programs

This study aims to investigate the key aspects of Australian outbound student mobility programs (OSM), such as their benefits and obstacles through three different discourses. The study draws attention to three different emerging discourses of OSM between the academic literature, the policy and the Australian university students. In the context of OSM, the literature is examined as the first emerging discourse. The recent Australian government policy, The New Colombo Plan is examined as the second discourse. The third discourse, which is Australian university students’ perspectives, is offered to the emerging discourses in this study as it seems majorly missing from the Australian higher education mobility literature (Arden, Manathunga, & Bottrell, 2017). The research has employed qualitative data and data analysis has already been conducted for this thesis. In the following, what theories, methods and techniques have been utilized for the thesis are reported. However, this paper only presents one aspect of the research in detail.

Outbound Student Mobility in Russia: Creating a Path for Brain Circulation through Higher Education

Given the ambitious national strategies for science, innovations and university development inRussia, the availability for young highly qualified specialists who can be competitive at the global job market, is vital. At the same time, as of now,Russia, unlike many other countries, does not have a comprehensive set of initiatives addressing the brain drain among Russian students that obtain their degrees abroad. This article provides an analysis of motivations of Russian perspective graduate (master and doctoral) students who plan to study abroad and emigrate after graduation, as well as the factors that may positively affect their decision to return toRussia. In addition, the research provides an overview of international policies and practices to prevent the brain drain, and the opportunities for developing such policies in our country.

Imbalanced Student Mobility in India: A Serious Concern

A major challenge that India is facing is the existing imbalance between inbound and outbound student mobility. The inflow–outflow ratio of about 1:10 is a matter of concern. Evidence shows that it is not only the human capital that is flowing out of India, but also a substantial amount of revenue. In connection with this, concerns have been raised, which need immediate attention from Indian policy makers.

Imbalanced Student Mobility in India: A Serious Concern

A major challenge that India is facing is the existing imbalance between inbound and outbound student mobility. The inflow–outflow ratio of about 1:10 is a matter of concern. Evidence shows that it is not only the human capital that is flowing out of India, but also a substantial amount of revenue. In connection with this, concerns have been raised, which need immediate attention from Indian policy makers.

Internationalization at home: time for review and development?

ABSTRACTInternationalization is a key contemporary debate within Higher Education (HE). Many universities worldwide proclaim their ‘international’ status, citing quantitative indicators, particularly international student and staff recruitment and outbound student mobility data to illustrate this. In this paper, we focus on the non-mobile majority of the academic community. We foreground internationalization at home (IaH) and the underlying social, academic and intercultural learning benefits of an internationalized university experience. We explore how IaH is understood and operationalized in two universities in the United Kingdom and Portugal via a multiple case study. Qualitative data from 12 stakeholder interviews are analysed, generating five themes about operational understandings and practices of IaH. Findings identify relevant explanatory factors that may assist other institutions to understand, enact and communicate about IaH. We highlight the need for further empirical research to provide insights into how this key dimension of internationalization is being operationalized across other European HE institutions.

Student Mobility in North African Countries and the Need for an Information System for its Management

University cooperation is a major concern in North Africa as in the rest of the world. Indeed, the cooperation of the universities of these countries with their counterparts abroad is very active. The number of actions identified for the countries of North Africa is higher than that recorded for the countries of sub-Saharan Africa as a whole. This means that these countries have thirsted for openness to the world and knowledge. Several partnership programs fund cooperation actions with higher education institutions in North Africa and encourage student mobility, which is a source Enrichment for the education system. In North Africa, the mobility of students, researchers and staff constitutes a great wealth for the education system and one of the essential dimensions of the internationalization of higher education. Student mobility is of great importance at the heart of the missions and strategic plans of universities, as an essential criterion to take into account from the point of view of the evolution of the university system. It is seen as a policy instrument that globally links higher education systems and promotes the flow of talent and the development of a highly skilled workforce. Mobility presents crucial issues not only in the academic Also in the education of citizens open to the world and to society. As a result, international mobility is a linguistically and culturally essential experience for students, but it is a discontinuity in their academic curriculum. International mobility is favored by states; it is a wealth both for countries of departure and destination This article analyses the incoming and outgoing mobility of foreign students from and to the countries of North Africa. This mobility is massive; its rate is notoriously one of the highest in the world since the late 1980s. It involves interactions between students and researchers at international level and it is also a vehicle for knowledge exchange and a criterion for developing the potential for research and innovation, and Improvement of the performance of the higher education system in North Africa. This article also provides the basis for a cooperative information system capable of managing the inbound and outbound student mobility flows of these countries.

Why Do Countries Differ in Their Rates of Outbound Student Mobility?

International student mobility has increased rapidly since 1975. This article examined country differences in outbound student mobility and the correlates of those differences. Previous studies have addressed this question but differ in their conclusions depending on whether they focus on factors associated with student outflows or inflows. UNESCO data were used to examine student outflows from 190 countries and evaluate the merits of the constrained-schooling thesis, which holds that students go abroad because they lack study opportunities at home. Ordinary least squares regression models estimated the relative importance of country structural factors in shaping the country’s outbound mobility ratios. The models showed that outbound student mobility was negatively and significantly related to sending country tertiary supply but not to tertiary demand net of other factors. Countries with large populations had fewer students abroad, but small ones had significantly more students abroad if they had less tertiary supply. Countries with higher gross domestic product per capita as well as North countries, in general, were found to have more students abroad. Spanish and Portuguese language countries have fewer students abroad compared with other countries.

Escaping Homelands with Limited Employment and Tertiary Education Opportunities: Outbound Student Mobility from Post-Soviet Countries

Despite the phenomenal growth in the numbers of international students, research focusing on mobile students from post-Soviet countries is still extremely scarce. This paper offers an empirical investigation and theorisation of student mobility from post-Soviet countries to contribute to the growing body of research on the topic of international student mobility that so far has largely focused on English-speaking destination countries. Using secondary numeric data, I provide a snapshot of undergraduate student mobility differentials and examine whether particular characteristics of student home countries are associated with the proportion of their students studying abroad. The two variables of interest are the tertiary enrolments and the labour force participation of young people. The results show that countries with lower tertiary enrolments and lower labour force participation rates are more likely to have higher proportions of students studying abroad, when controlling for the population size and the GDP per capita. The regression model explains 77% of the variation in the outcome. The paper also examines the most popular destinations for students in order to show that their choices of destination countries seem to be somewhat limited and mainly revolve around countries within the region. I place the results in the context of scholarship on international student mobility and world-systems theory to discuss the implications for individual states and individual students. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Australian undergraduate students on the move: experiencing outbound mobility

Universities now regard student mobility programmes as a context for their students to acquire intercultural skills, cosmopolitan outlooks and potential labour market advantage. If executed thoughtfully, immersing students in unfamiliar cultural environments and different academic systems can make them aware of their own taken-for-granted practices and assumptions by bringing them into contact with people and issues that broaden their perspectives. Little is known, however, about the preparation and support that students receive to maximise their learning from mobility programmes. Using Bourdieu's writings on forms of capital, field and institutional position-taking, the authors analyse a recent initiative to increase undergraduate outbound student mobility at a research-intensive Australian university against the experiences and perceptions of participating students. They conclude with a discussion of possible improvements to mobility programmes, including greater emphases on broadening student participation and more engagement with academic learning.

International Student Mobility and Tertiary Education Capacity in Africa

AbstractIn Africa, 5.8 per cent of enrolled tertiary students go outside their homelands for tertiary study. No other world region has this high a share of outbound student mobility. In this study, I examined why African countries have larger student outflows than other regions and, in particular, I considered the importance of tertiary education capacity in the region for student mobility. I evaluated the determinants of student outflows from African countries for three different measures: the total number of tertiary students abroad, the percentage of the tertiary age cohort studying abroad and the percentage of total enrolled students abroad. In addition to showing that country rankings differ on these mobility measures, the findings indicate that their determinants also differ. The study premise was that student outflows should be lower from countries that have a greater supply of tertiary training capacity and that thesis received strong support in models that estimated the percentage of total enrolled students abroad. In models for that outcome, student outflows were also larger if countries had high tertiary demand and populations under 2 million. The findings for models that estimated total numbers abroad and share of the tertiary cohort abroad were similar after controlling for interactions between tertiary education supply and GDP per capita. In addition, population size and per capita GDP were stronger correlates of student mobility in those models, which suggests that it is more difficult for education supply and demand measures to account for student outflows when crude outflow measures are used. I concluded that strengthening tertiary education supply at home would be a cost‐effective way for African governments to increase their human capital and reduce brain drain losses.

Reflections on the Bologna Process: the making of an Asia Pacific Higher Education Area

The Brisbane Communiqué's goals and initiatives seem to follow the Bologna Process' normative path towards the creation of a common regional higher education space. However, comparing demography, socio-economics, student mobility, political economy framework and the initiatives undertaken by both the Brisbane Communiqué and the Bologna Process show both a convergence and a divergence between the two participating regional groups of countries. A number of rationales were pointed out why the Bologna Process cannot simply be emulated within the region but can only serve as an example. This includes the different demographic and socio-economic make-up of the Asia Pacific region, the fact that the region, especially with China and Korea, account for the significant number of outbound student mobility, and the divergence of the two initiatives’ evolutionary paths.