A recent report by British Council revealed that the number of outbound students across the world is expected to increase by 1.7 per cent annually on average between 2015 and 2027.
The report, International Student Mobility to 2027: Local Investment, Global Outcomes, forecast tertiary enrolment and outbound student mobility across 56 countries.
These predictions were based on projections for tertiary-aged populations and household wealth, developed in partnership with Oxford Economics and largely based on data from the United Nations, across the countries, which are home to 80 per cent of the world’s tertiary-aged population.
The outbound student mobility rate is predicted to rise in 30 of the selected countries.
British Council’s Education Intelligence research director, Zainab Malik, who is also the author of the report, said: “When you look at examples like Malaysia, and Hong Kong, you see an increasingly high quality higher education system that is not only attracting students to stay in their own country but also attracting students regionally.
“While China will be home to the greatest growth in outbound student numbers — the number of its students going abroad is forecast to increase by 245,000 to 1.46 million by 2027 — in India, the number of outbound students is predicted to increase by 185,000 to 439,000 by 2027.
“Together, the two Asian giants will continue to drive outbound mobility over the next decade; they are forecast to account for 60 per cent of the global growth in outbound students to 2027,” she added.
THE REVEAL
Three international students, who are completing a period of mobility in Asia (Malaysia and Indonesia), shared why they made their decision to study overseas, what motivated them and who influenced them at a session on Student Mobility during the recent Going Global 2018 conference at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.
Madin Maseeh, 24, studied abroad at a very young age when he attended kindergarten and part of his primary education in Thinadhoo, the capital of Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll, south of Maldives.
He then moved to Male, the capital city of Maldives, and sat the GSE and IGCSE O levels and Edexcel A levels.
While the Maldives provides an excellent education until high school, it is a common practice in the country to pursue higher education abroad said the eldest of three siblings.
However, at the time of his graduation from high school, tertiary studies in the Maldives were still in its infancy. The only path left for the ambitious young Maldivian teen was to leave home.
“When I looked into undergraduate programmes then, I had to consider what society deemed acceptable. It was widely understood that a young and healthy male should be an engineer.
“My initial options were the United States and Australia. However, due to financial constraints, I had to forgo the US. I did, however, had the chance to go to Australia on a scholarship under the Australian Agency for International Development.
“But, alas, being 18 and understandably naive, I declined the scholarship because it did not have the major I preferred.
“Ultimately, it was my wise father who highlighted University of Malaya (UM) as an option. Although it was not popular like University of Nottingham and Monash University in the Maldives at that time, it was the most economical option,” said Madin, a second-year Bachelor of Arts International and Strategic Studies student at UM.
Born in the city of Offenbach in Germany 27 years ago to Russian parents, Albert Wolf considers himself as a cross-cultural individual due to the assimilation of two cultures.
When he was 13, he followed his sister’s path and moved to Chorley in Great Britain where he continued his high school education for nearly two years.
“After a lot of new experiences in another country, I attended the European Management School in Mainz, Germany.
“I went abroad as an exchange student for one semester at BINUS University in Jakarta, Indonesia. A partner university, it gave me the option to continue in a similar field of study,” said Wolf, who is pursuing the Bachelor of Arts programme with a focus on international management and business psychology.
“I was excited about the beauty and diversity of Indonesian nature and fulfilled my dream to explore the country,” he added.
Viniti Premchand Punjabi, a 20-year-old born to an Indian family in Jakarta, Indonesia, attended preschool until senior high school in the Southeast Asian nation.
“But thanks to my years at an international school, I am familiar with different cultures and lifestyles,” said Viniti, who has an older brother who inspires her and a mother who encourages her to experience all things in life.
Having developed a passion for baking and cake decorating as a teenager, she decided to become a pastry chef by enrolling in the Bachelor of Culinary Arts and Food Service Management course at Taylor’s University.
“My parents were reluctant to send me too far away from home and considering the short distance between Malaysia and Indonesia, it was the best option.
“Furthermore Taylor’s Faculty of Hospitality, Food and Leisure Management has a great reputation and I also learnt the art of entrepreneurship in the industry,” added Viniti.
THE DIFFERENCES
Madin said there are stark differences between the education systems in the Maldives and Malaysia.
He had expected a stimulating learning environment with active discourse and healthy competition as in the case of Maldivian higher education.
However, he found that questioning is frowned upon, not only by the lecturers but also his peers.
“But I soon came to realise that this is not the fault of the university. It is an embedded aspect of the Malaysian education culture.”
In a bid to keep his spark of curiosity alive, Madin explored other avenues available to him as a student at the university. What struck him are the opportunities available, but are not utilised by students.
Wolf added: “Teaching styles in European countries are similar to each other and it is important for me to experience a different method of thinking and see the world in another perspective by studying overseas.
“I chose Indonesia for its remarkable contrast in culture, infrastructure, and social environment.”
The educational systems at privately owned BINUS University and European Management School differ significantly from public universities.
“Students are more involved at my home university in Germany. On the other hand, BINUS University requires more group work and student projects.
“While the Indonesian education system is stricter and sets stronger rules, I am happy for the experience,” he added.
Viniti feels Malaysia has established culinary and hospitality courses while Jakarta has only recently started setting them up.
“However, for fields of study such as medicine and law, there is not much difference between the two countries.”
EXPLORING THE EXPERIENCE
Madin said his time at UM has stimulated him intellectually. “UM allows me to fail but it also allows me to get back up and learn,” he said.
Wolf added: “Studying abroad counts as one of the best decisions I have ever made. I have not only made friends but also travelled and got to know the culture.”
Viniti wanted to explore the world and studying overseas provided her the perfect chance to do so. “I want to be a citizen of the world. I love exploring different cultures, understanding and participating in different traditions and learning languages.
“My experience has boosted my confidence. I have learnt to live on a budget and be more attentive to my surroundings to avoid getting lost.
“Ultimately it is a balance between studying, managing yourself and your social life. There is also the joy of being alone, something most people fear. Being comfortable while being alone is liberating,” she said.
THE DEFINITION
Taylor’s University Global Engagement pro vice-chancellor Professor J S Perry Hobson said student mobility, commonly known as student exchange, is a programme that facilitates the international exchange of students between two institutions for a short duration within three to 12 months of study.
It usually allows for a transfer of academic credits to the existing degree programme at the student’s home institution.
“It is often referred to more broadly as ‘student mobility’ because many universities not only include semester exchange, but also short-term mobility of two- to three-week summer school and, in some cases, internships as well as field and study trips.
“Participating in an exchange programme is one way that students can grow, mature and learn to become more independent adults,” he added.
UM International Student Center director Salmi Marsita Shaari said, in the Malaysian context, mobility students can be divided into two categories — inbound and outbound.
“An inbound student refers to a foreign national or a Malaysian citizen who is currently registered as a student at a higher education institution overseas and temporarily pursuing academic or academic-related programme at any Malaysian higher education institution (public or private) as a non-graduating student.
“An outbound student refers to a Malaysian student or a foreign national who is currently studying at a Malaysian higher education institution (public or private) and is temporarily pursuing academic or academic related programme at an institution or organisation overseas.
“On the other hand, a one-way study abroad programme is a fee-paying course that runs for two to three weeks,” she added.
The benefit of student mobility programmes goes beyond academics as they are not only confined to in-class learning but also designed to expose students to a different education and cultural experience.