The rise of global student mobility
In recent years, the number of students enrolled in universities and higher-education institutions outside their country of citizenship has risen dramatically. Gaining international experience has become a top priority for school-leavers. We explore this growing global trend, and consider why the children of internationally-relocating families appear to have a head start.
ccording to the latest edition of Education at a Glance, an annual Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report which takes a close look at worldwide education developments, more than four million students were enrolled in higher education outside their home countries in 2015. This represents a fivefold increase on the 0.8 million in 1975.
A
This significant expansion, says the report, stems from an interest in promoting academic, cultural, social and political ties between countries.
The internationalisation of labour markets for highly- skilled people has meant that potential students are placing a stronger emphasis on gaining international experience as part of their higher education. The OECD report states that studying in tertiary institutions in countries other than their own can offer a direct path for students to expand their knowledge of other societies and languages, and thus improve their prospects in globalised sectors of the labour market.
BENEFITS OF INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS This is where children attending international schools, which are often the first choice of families in global transition, could find themselves at a distinct advantage. “In today’s highly- competitive jobs market, a strong and proven international mindset can be a powerful differentiator,” says Mark London, marketing manager of ACS International Schools. “The international environment at our schools prepares students for careers that could take them to all corners of the globe and help them to succeed in a global workforce. The ability to understand and work with different nationalities and cultures is a highly-regarded personal and professional asset.” At the British School of Brussels (BSB), which prepares students for the International Baccalaureate (IB), A Levels
and BTEC courses, students have gone on to study at a wide selection of universities across the globe. “We hear regularly from university admissions officers
about how much they value true internationalism, cultural awareness, and the resilience and adaptability of international students,” says Mark Andrews, head of careers at BSB. “The importance of proficiency in multiple languages is also prized. “Our students are encouraged to make ambitious applications in the UK, continental Europe and North America – indeed, all over the world. The UK accounts for 70 per cent of our university admissions, while Belgium, Holland, Canada and the USA make up the bulk of the rest. “BSB is unique in that it has three pre-university courses: A Levels, the IB (with French and Dutch options) and BTEC Business, BTEC Sport and BTEC Hospitality. We certainly find that students taking BTEC, sometimes combined with A Levels, are very successful at obtaining their university choices.”
Annual research commissioned by ACS International Schools among university admissions officers in the UK tells us that the top ten attributes they look for, in addition to academic qualifications and grades, include an awareness of global and cultural differences.
Mark London believes that the International
Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP), which is taught throughout ACS International Schools, encourages students to develop intellectual independence, mental self-reliance, and the ability to reflect critically and gain research skills. “Equipped
with these transferable skills, international students will find it easier to adapt to new surroundings, styles of learning and unfamiliar contexts,” he says. “Our 2015 University Admissions Officers Report, which explores views on the three main UK post-16 qualifications
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191 |
Page 192 |
Page 193 |
Page 194 |
Page 195 |
Page 196 |
Page 197 |
Page 198 |
Page 199 |
Page 200 |
Page 201 |
Page 202 |
Page 203 |
Page 204 |
Page 205 |
Page 206 |
Page 207 |
Page 208 |
Page 209 |
Page 210 |
Page 211 |
Page 212 |
Page 213 |
Page 214 |
Page 215 |
Page 216 |
Page 217 |
Page 218 |
Page 219 |
Page 220 |
Page 221 |
Page 222 |
Page 223 |
Page 224 |
Page 225 |
Page 226 |
Page 227 |
Page 228 |
Page 229 |
Page 230 |
Page 231 |
Page 232 |
Page 233 |
Page 234 |
Page 235 |
Page 236
