Having experience abroad is considered indispensable for a student’s career profile. It has been long since universities started to examine the importance of internationalization and the potential it has for both universities and students alike. Over the past few years, there has been a recording rise in the number of students applying to study abroad. According to UNESCO, the number of International Students Abroad has increased roughly 12% each year since 2000.
Choosing where to study abroad is probably the most crucial decision that students make in their lifetime.
The most important criteria for a prospective international student in deciding the destination to study are the quality of education, employability, culture, use of technology, infrastructure, labor, and human rights, and immigration pathways.
This article will explore some current trends in international education and student recruitment.
- Quality of education
When deciding where to study, the destination is a crucial aspect for students. Most students prefer Anglophone countries such as the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, and Australia for higher studies. The choice of countries is quite logical, considering the availability of English-taught programs in these countries, which is an important driver of international education. The thing students find most valuable when deciding in which country to study the quality of the education offered compared to their current country.
- Employability
The students decide to study abroad for better education, leisure life and better employability. He/She also keeps track of the International acknowledgment of qualifications of the university before deciding the destination to study. Better career opportunities and employability is the first reason why a student thinks of studying abroad. Hence, this becomes the primary factor while deciding where to study. A student chooses the country with good employment rates and where his/her rights are valued.
- Labor and Human Rights
The other factor that influences a student’s decision of studying abroad is how the country and institution respects and handles the rights and choices of international students. A student wants to be in a place where his/ her decisions and priorities are valued.
- Immigration pathways
There are a variety of immigration programs and paths that countries follow for foreign students. All these pathways have different application and eligibility requirements. From accessing world-class education to increasing the international job possibilities, millions of students across the globe choose to study abroad to get a life-altering learning experience for their careers. That being said, one of the deciding factors while planning on pursuing higher education abroad is if the country grants easy immigration processes to international students or not. Students usually look for countries which offer permanent residence pathways to foreign nationals and International students of the country.
- Culture
One of the biggest benefits of studying abroad is the chance for students to become immersed in a new culture.A student gets to see new perspectives and cultures. From diversity of foods and traditions to traditional music and games. One of the key factors that influences the student decision is the culture followed in that country. A student wants to be in a place where there is a lot to learn and explore.
- Use of Technology
Technology is fundamental to many sectors of society, and its assimilation into the education process has great promise for student learning. With technology, one can expect enhanced efficiency and effectiveness on both the part of teachers and students. Technology can also prompt pedagogical change and address issues that affect learning, teaching, and social organization. Technology can therefore be seen as both a tool and a catalyst for development. Students embrace the universities that are open to introducing new technology into the classroom and improve and innovate their teaching practices.
- Infrastructure
Buildings, classrooms, laboratories, and equipment- education infrastructure are the crucial ingredients of learning environments in universities. There is strong evidence that high-quality infrastructure promotes better education, improves student outcomes, and reduces dropout rates, among other benefits. The students deciding to immigrate abroad consider better infrastructure as one of the factors while deciding where to study.
The view of studying abroad is an ever-present thought in the minds of international students everywhere, and many of them settle in their study country in the hope of attaining some form of permanence in their career. For this reason alone, any country that offers a comparatively straightforward successful path from student to the permanent resident will always hold a recruitment advantage over those that do not.