Template-type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0
Author-Name: Dubow, Talitha
Author-Email: dubow@merit.unu.edu
Author-Workplace-Name: Maastricht University, UNU-MERIT
Author-Name: Marchand, Katrin
Author-Email: marchand@merit.unu.edu
Author-Workplace-Name: Maastricht University, UNU-MERIT
Author-Name: Siegel, Melissa
Author-Email: melissa.siegel@maastrichtuniversity.nl
Author-Workplace-Name: Maastricht University, UNU-MERIT
Title: International student mobility decision-making in a European context
Abstract: This paper contributes to existing theoretical and empirical
	 understandings of international student mobility (ISM) decision-making.
	 Drawing on interview and focus group data from 115 current and former
	 'student migrants' in the EU (from both EU and non-EU countries of
	 origin), it provides an in-depth, international comparative analysis of
	 ISM decision-making. It addresses three questions: 1) What motivates the
	 decision to study abroad in the EU, and how do these motivations vary
	 across different countries of origin?; 2) How does the decision to study
	 abroad relate to the student's initial aspirations (i.e. formed prior to
	 starting their foreign study programme) regarding their post-study
	 (im)mobility?; and 3) How are post-study (im)mobility aspirations
	 (re)shaped over the course of the student's foreign study programme? The
	 relevance of existing theorisations of ISM decision-making is tested in
	 relation to student inflows from different countries of origin. The
	 results highlight the ways in which individual decisions to study abroad
	 do not necessarily align with a single decision-making model but are
	 rather often determined by multiple and interacting considerations. The
	 findings further existing knowledge on: 1) the ways in which
	 international student decision-making relate to the social, cultural,
	 economic and political environments in which these decisions are made;
	 and 2) how international student decision-making relates to the
	 student's broader and evolving life aspirations. 
Classification-JEL: F22, I23, 126, J15, J24, J61, O15
Keywords: Higher education, migrant, decision-making, student mobility, mobility,
	 European Union
Series: UNU-MERIT Working Papers
Creation-Date: 20200707
Number: 2020-031
File-URL: https://unu-merit.nl/publications/wppdf/2020/wp2020-031.pdf
File-Format: application/pdf
File-Size: 275 Kb
Handle: RePEc:unm:unumer:2020031