Dutch education minister Eppo Bruins intends to cut the number of English-language bachelor’s courses offered in the Netherlands, in part to reduce the number of international students in the country’s universities. In 2023/24, about 20% of students in Dutch university bachelor’s courses were from abroad.
As in many other destinations, a housing shortage is pressuring Dutch policymakers to reduce inbound flows of students. Last year, the previous government opened to the door for universities to self-regulate in terms of bringing their international student numbers down, but that government fell and the new coalition government is taking a more active stance on this issue.
Few exceptions
In a letter sent to the House of Representatives on 15 October 2024, Mr Bruins said the intention is to make English-only courses the exception, rather than the rule. His department is preparing a new version of the Internationalisation in Balance bill (WIB) that will dictate that at least two-thirds of the curriculum in Dutch bachelor programmes must be in Dutch, with up to a third remaining for English or another language.
There will be exceptions, but they will be made only after review by a special committee. Reasons the committee might approve an English-only curriculum include a regional or labour market need or the determination that the course has “an inextricably international character” (Mr Bruin said the latter exemption would be rare).
Currently, one-third of bachelor courses are delivered in other language and half of them are a mix of Dutch and English.
Master’s and doctoral programmes will not be subject to the imminent language ruling, but there is speculation that the master’s level at least may be affected in the near future.
Still open for business
Mr Bruins emphasised that he wants the Netherlands to remain a country that can attract top international talent, and that he wants more, rather than fewer, foreign students to transition to the labour force after completing their studies:
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“The Netherlands is proud to be an internationally oriented, knowledge-based society. And we want it to stay like that, for a prosperous future. But over the past several years international student numbers have grown sharply, resulting in major student housing shortages, crowded lecture halls and diminishing use of Dutch as the language of instruction. Measures are needed to reverse these trends. I want to restore Dutch as the norm. This will improve students’ proficiency in Dutch and help retain international students after they graduate, for the benefit of the Dutch economy and society in general.”
New immigration policies this year in Australia, Canada, and the UK are aimed at welcoming a narrower band of students than in the past. This appears to be the theme in the Netherlands as well. Mr Bruins said, “We want to attract the right international students here and with more Dutch language skills, increase the chance of international students staying so that they can work here after their studies.”
The Minister is actively looking into the possibility of raising international student tuition fees as well as limiting public financing for EU students studying in the Netherlands.
Pressure on universities to reduce number of spaces for international students
Mr Bruin is inviting Dutch universities to reduce flows of foreign students, saying:
“Ultimately, the total inflow must be reduced, also because the government wants to spend less money on international students from 2026. This requires commitment from the educational institutions, which also retain self-management in this regard.”
If universities don’t manage their enrolment intakes enough “universities will be given less funding per student.”
University response
Universities of the Netherlands (UNL) association chairman Caspar van den Berg said of the proposal: “The cabinet is using a blunt axe to hack at universities and colleges.” He continued:
“This approach will impoverish education, we will lose important scientific talent and we will also scare away international students, who we really need in our country. This is a cost-cutting operation that damages the international character of higher education. It will probably be accompanied by the forced closure of courses, and with major consequences for the quality of Dutch scientific research. In addition, it is still questionable whether this restriction of the international inflow is legally feasible, given the European treaties on the free movement of persons.”
At Leiden University, which is ranked 73rd globally on the Times Higher Education World University Rankings (2025) and 24th for its Arts and Humanities department, President Annetje Ottow, on behalf of the Executive Board, issued this statement:
“The Executive Board is concerned about the effects of the strict language criteria outlined in the Balanced Internationalisation Bill on Leiden University’s degree programmes. ‘Minister Bruin’s parliamentary letter is even stricter than we had feared. This can have major implications for our English-taught bachelor’s programmes … Bleak and uncertain times lie ahead and we must face them together.”
Rector Hester Bijl elaborated on what could be lost:
“Many of the language and culture programmes are extremely important for our knowledge of regions that are currently going through such difficult times: the Middle East, for example, with the escalating conflict there. In the Middle Eastern Studies programmes, important specialisations such as Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Islamic Studies, Hebrew and Modern Middle Eastern Studies would be significantly reduced. It is very painful to think this is necessary. The Faculty of Humanities definitely wishes to maintain this expertise. Where else will politicians, negotiators, aid workers and other specialists who want to help resolve the crisis obtain their knowledge?
We will continue to fight, and together with the faculty will do all we can to limit the damaging effects for our students and staff and thus for society as a whole.”
A fascinating presentation at the October 2024 Australian International Education Conference (AIEC), “Global student flows: understanding the ‘next’ wave in international education,” showcased data-based forecasts for international student mobility for the rest of the decade.
Gabrielle Rolan, pro vice chancellor at the University of South Australia, led the event, which featured senior Navitas Australia executives Jonathan Chew (chief insights officer) and Ethan Fogarty (senior manager, government relations) sharing Navitas’ projections. Those projections were based on a variety of primary and secondary inputs from Oxford Economics and UNESCO.
International student mobility set to grow
In 2019, six million students were studying in countries other than their own. Navitas projects 4% growth over the next few years, culminating in just over nine million students abroad by 2030.
India and China will continue to send the most students, followed by Nigeria. Regionally, Central Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa are expected to post the most percentage growth.
A comparison of 2020 outbound numbers by region and expected numbers and growth rates leading to 2030. Source: Navitas
Will India overtake China?
The question is on everyone’s minds. Indian student demand for study abroad has been extraordinarily high for several years, while Chinese demand has been more complicated – slowed by the pandemic and disrupted by the proliferation of high-quality domestic options.
Mr Fogarty crystallised the complex interplay of factors that might inform the answer. India’s overall population will exceed China’s in 2030, as will its number of 18–22-year-olds. These dynamics guarantee an upward outbound mobility trajectory.
However, India trails China in several ways that will affect how many of its students will study abroad in the next few years. Its tertiary enrolment ratio, outbound study mobility ratio, and GDP per capital are much lower than China’s. These factors lead to a lower projected outbound volume in 2023 than China’s.
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Despite a higher population of college-aged students in 2030, India is still expected to remain the number two largest sending market after China. Source: Navitas
Still, for China, the outlook is uncertain. Mr Fogarty notes that confidence in the Chinese economy has deteriorated since the pandemic. Predictions for Chinese outbound have been volatile as a result, as shown in the following chart.
Economic challenges have resulted in adjusted GDP forecasts for China. COVID had a huge impact on the Chinese economy and Chinese outbound, lowering growth projections. Source: Navitas
Mr Fogarty foresees “countervailing” inputs that will determine what happens in the event China’s economy deteriorates:
On the one hand, affordability would become more of an issue – fewer families might be able to send their children for study abroad;
On the other, unemployment and limited job prospects would drive more Chinese students to pursue opportunities in other countries.
Mr Fogarty points out: “Poor employment prospects can actually drive positive effects for students’ propensity to study.”
Because of this uncertainty, it is not impossible that India will defy the forecast and edge ahead of China by 2030. India has outperformed Navitas’ forecasts in the past, and it was instrumental to the recovery of international education sectors in leading destinations post-COVID.
India, forecast and actual student numbers, 2004–2030. Actual Indian student numbers were 6.4% higher than forecast in 2020. Source: Navitas
But India would a great deal of catch-up in the next few years to match the market fundamentals of China. As shown below, GDP per capita would need to move from 6.8K in 2019 to 35K in 2030. Tertiary enrolment would have to jump from 28.4% to 58%. And there would need to be a doubling of the outbound student mobility ratio.
The levels of growth required for India to catch China outbound student numbers are seemingly impossible. Many factors would likely combine to prevent India from achieving China’s outbound student mobility numbers by 2030. Source: Navitas
The more likely scenario – if India were to outpace China – would be more compelling “pull” factors for Indian students, such as better post-study work and immigration opportunities.
Whatever happens, it is almost certain that China and India will remain the top two sending markets in 2030.
Can India really become the next China? It is tricky to predict the relative size of Chinese versus Indian student outbound in 2023. Source: Navitas
A narrower pool of students
New immigration settings in leading destinations are fundamentally changing the way (1) international students consider study abroad, (2) educators recruit overseas. The following chart succinctly summarises this shift for Australia, but it could easily be extrapolated to the other three of the Big Four: Canada, the UK, and the US. Incoming students will be more academically motivated and less price-sensitive.
A narrower band of profiles will define the international student population in leading destinations in the years ahead. Source: Navitas
This isn’t to say that demand for foreign qualifications in emerging markets will lessen. To the contrary, it will probably grow. But transnational education, including branch campuses, international exchanges, and models where students complete part of their degree at home and part abroad, will likely play a much larger role in expanding access to globally recognised degrees in the future.
Youth population: Two-thirds of the population is under 30
Median age: 20.5
GDP: US$375 billion (2024)
Currency: Pakistan rupee (PKR)
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Official languages: English and Urdu
Main language of instruction: English (especially in private schools) and Urdu (especially in public schools).
English proficiency: “Low” according to the EF Proficiency Index, and 10th of 23 countries in Asia.
Religion: Islam
Geography: Pakistan is in South Asia. It shares borders with Iran to the west, Afghanistan to the northwest and north, China to the northeast, and India to the east and southeast.
Outbound students: Over 100,000
Preferred destinations: UK, China, UAE, Australia, US, Malaysia
Top student cities: Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, and Peshawar
Pakistan is becoming an increasingly valuable recruiting ground for educators in leading destinations. A large segment of high-school and college-aged Pakistani students are interested in study abroad, and nearly half of Pakistan’s population is under the age of 20.
Market fundamentals
The market fundamentals are in some ways very strong. According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Pakistan’s youth demographic is the largest in the world. Nearly two-thirds of the population is under the age of 30.
Pakistan is third, after only China and India, in terms of the size of its college-aged population. The British Council expects growth in Pakistani outbound mobility to be among highest in the world over the next decade, along with China, India, Nigeria, and Bangladesh.
Unfortunately, Pakistan is also a country where there is massive income inequality and limited opportunities for youth. The Commonwealth’s Youth Development Index for 2023 found that in South Asia, Pakistan is one of two countries that ranks “low.” WENR has written:
“Failure to integrate the country’s legions of youngsters into the education system and the labour market could turn population growth into what the Washington Post called a ‘disaster in the making … putting catastrophic pressures on water and sanitation systems, swamping health and education services, and leaving tens of millions of people jobless’—trends that would almost inevitably lead to the further destabilisation of Pakistan’s already fragile political system.”
Pakistan’s gross tertiary enrolment (GER) ratio was only 13% in 2023, according to UNESCO. This is much lower than in India, and lower than in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka as well. Of 109 countries UNESCO profiled in 2021, Pakistan’s tertiary GER was 100th. Given Pakistan’s huge college-aged population, there is serious unmet demand for higher education.
There are currently 4.5 million Pakistani students in secondary education (grades 9–10), and 2.5 million in upper-secondary education (grades 11–12). More than 25 million children aged 5–16 are “out-of-school” (36% of the cohort’s total population, a proportion similar to that in Nigeria).
Far more girls than boys do not complete school for a range of factors, including poverty and traditional views about the role of women. The literacy rate is 68% for adult men and 46% for adult women.
Regional disparities and opportunities
A Pakistani student’s access to education depends greatly on their household income, gender, and region. Just over a third (36%) of the population lives in cities, where there is more wealth and literacy, and where more schools are considered “functional.” In the poorest areas, many schools lack running water, plumbing, and electricity.
In an excellent report published in 2024 focused on regional opportunities in Pakistan, the British Council considers that, at the city level:
“Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad will continue to provide the bulk of outbound students simply because of their population size. Second-tier cities, however, are proliferating. Faisalabad is large and fast-growing. Peshawar has begun to emerge as the next major city for outbound students….
Second-tier smaller cities are also seeing strong growth in demand for study abroad, especially in the Punjab (Gujranwala, Sialkot, Gujrat, Multan). Their economic growth lies in their connection to the bigger metropolitan areas, with a four or five-hour drive seen as an acceptable connection time. Important and growing industries in these second-tier cities mean that families have money to pay for education. Hence, industry growth has been matched by rapidly growing education provision. Large private school networks are also spreading out from the major cities to the smaller ones. These feed students directly into higher education.”
Further, students prefer certain destinations depending on where they live in the country:
“Punjab, the largest and most populated region in Pakistan, is the largest contributor to student mobility to the UK. The UK has consistently been the top study destination, mainly through strong family connections with many fourth-generation families having well-established businesses in UK cities. Many political and business leaders of Pakistan from the region have also studied in the UK.
In Islamabad and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, students mainly choose between the UK, North America and Australia. Often, the UK is not the top destination choice.
Pakistan’s south region has the smallest population and includes Karachi and a few smaller cities. Students from this region mainly choose the US as a study destination.”
Outbound mobility trends
Leading destinations are all recording significant increases in Pakistani enrolments, and demand is especially high for postgraduate studies. Successive governments of Pakistan have slashed educational budgets, and one implication has been the closure of many graduate programmes, which is driving outbound mobility at this level.
Recent data on which destinations are hosting the most Pakistani students include:
UK: 34,690 in 2022/23 (+50% y-o-y)
China: 28,000 before the pandemic
UAE: 24,865 in 2020 according to UNESCO
Australia: 23,380 in 2023 (+49%)
US: 10,165 in 2022/23 (+16%)
Germany: 8,210 in 2022/23 (+22%)
Kyrgyzstan: 6,000 in 2020 according to UNESCO
Malaysia: 5,000 in 2023
Canada: 4,750 in 2023 (+101%)
Turkey: 2,385 in 2020 according to UNESCO
Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Sweden, Qatar: At least 4,000 in 2020 according to UNESCO
Malaysian institutions are currently recruiting intensively in Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia has been increasing its scholarships for Pakistani students.
Meanwhile, educators in Canada, the US, and UK understand that while Chinese and Indian demand for study abroad remains high, it can be easily disrupted by immigration policies and geopolitics. It is worth noting that:
ApplyBoard found that January to June 2024, Pakistani student demand for the UK grew by over 30% compared to the same period in 2023.
Studyportals found that Pakistan was second only to India in terms of growth in demand for study abroad between 2022 and 2024 and that its share of enrolments, among the top-five student sending markets, is trending upward.
Trend in share of total enrolments for the top five origin countries, 2019–2023. Pakistan and India are trending upward in terms of enrolments abroad. Source: Studyportals
Transnational education
Thousands of Pakistanis are currently pursuing foreign degrees online, and they may soon be able to study for these degrees in-person in Pakistan. Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission (HEC) launched a revised transnational education policy in September 2024 that opens the door for foreign branch campuses. According to Times Higher Education:
“Under the policy, foreign institutions can offer degree programmes in Pakistan if they are among the 700 top-ranked universities in the world. There are also specific requirements around local contexts, with institutions required to ‘strictly comply with and respect the constitutional provisions, local laws, and the ideology of Pakistan.’”
The British Council reports that “HESA data show that 11,715 students in Pakistan are taking UK qualifications through transnational education, with most choosing distance and online models.”
Middle-class pressures
After slowing in 2023 (following devastating floods in 2022), the Pakistani economy has recovered somewhat, and the Pakistani rupee has stabilised a bit relative to the US dollar. The agricultural sector was the main reason for growth, up 6% in 2024 compared with overall GDP growth of 2.5%. But the situation remains difficult, as you can see in the following chart from KPMG comparing economic indicators in Pakistan and India in 2024 versus 2023.
Pakistan’s economy is more fragile than India’s. Source: KPMG
A 2017 estimate by Pakistani market research firm Aftab Associates put 40% of Pakistanis in the middle class, up substantially from previous years. But this proportion may be shrinking.
The middle class is shaky and dynamic due to a lack of internal structural stability in the economy. Pakistan is incredibly dependent on loans and other packages from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and allies such as Saudi Arabia, UAE, and China. For the 24th time, the IMF approved a new loan in September 2024 in an “ongoing effort to strengthen macroeconomic stability, address deep structural challenges, and create conditions for a stronger, more inclusive, and resilient growth.”
In the meantime, Pakistanis are struggling due to persistently high inflation rates and currency fluctuations.
“The lower middle class has been really hit in the last few years,” Javaid Ghani, pro vice chancellor at Karachi’s Al Ghazali University, told the Wall Street Journal earlier this year. Many households “are struggling to hold on to the markers of a middle-class life as they are buffeted by higher food and energy prices.”
Pakistan’s independent newspaper, The Friday Times, featured an article in August 2024 that explained how current economic trends affect students aiming to study abroad:
“One of the primary challenges Pakistani students face in their quest to study abroad is financial affordability. Tuition fees, living expenses, and currency exchange rates often present insurmountable barriers for many Pakistani families because the value of the Pakistani Rupee has sunk to such depths that a single US dollar (August 7, 2024) costs around Rs278.5. Because of these circumstances, even the wealthiest people in Pakistan are forced to lead modest lives in developed countries. Managing spending becomes extremely challenging as the Pakistani currency’s value has diminished by more than 100%.”
When they undertake a cost analysis, Pakistani students find that overseas university tuition is surprisingly and excessively expensive. The ordinary Pakistani cannot afford the cost of international flights, rent, food, and transportation. In a developed foreign country, one can only purchase a cup of coffee with a monthly wage of Rs12,000 in Pakistan.”
As difficult as study abroad may be to afford, many families remain determined to secure a quality higher education for their children abroad, driven by a sense of hopelessness about opportunities in Pakistan. An Ipsos poll conducted in the summer of 2024 found that only 1 in 10 Pakistanis believe their country is headed in the right direction.
Muhammad Khan, a restaurant manager in the northern city of Rawalpindi who turns his fridge off in the day and works two jobs but who still cannot make ends meet, told the Wall Street Journal:
“The lower middle class, like us, is now just posing as white collar. Honestly, we are in the poor class now. Seeing the political situation, I have no hope.”
Private schools
Where there is hope, however, is in Pakistan’s thousands of private schools. These have ballooned from 3,000 in 1982 to 137,000+ in 2024. Almost half of Pakistani children attend private schools – many of them from lower-income households.
A fascinating study by researchers at Harvard explores what is behind the popularity of Pakistan’s for-profit, non-religious, fully autonomous private schools. It investigates why middle-class and poorer families are able to send their children to these schools, and finds:
“The key element in their rise is their low fees. They hire predominantly local, female, and moderately educated teachers who have limited alternative opportunities outside the village. Hiring these teachers at low cost allows the savings to be passed on to parents through low fees ….
At the time of writing, a typical private school in a village in Pakistan charged a fee of Rs. 1,000 per year (roughly $18). The countrywide data analyzed shows that fees are low for all the provinces in Pakistan, as well as within rural and urban regions within each province. The analysis shows that in rural areas, the median annual fee roughly translates to $1.50 a month, or less than—much less than a dime a day. Thus, these schools’ fees are affordable even for someone living at the dollar-a-day poverty line established as a global benchmark.”
The researchers also note that affordability does not mean lower quality:
“Despite lower levels of education and training, lower salaries in private schools do not imply lower educational quality. Because private schools are held accountable by parents, who may monitor teacher behavior and can withdraw their children if performance is poor, private schools have full incentives to hire the best available teachers who then exert high effort. Indeed, teacher absenteeism rates appear to be lower and student test scores higher in many private schools as compared to government schools.”
Government support for study abroad
The number of universities in Pakistan has been rising quickly, but quality is a major issue, as is government interference and underfunding. There are over 200 universities and 3,000 degree colleges (which are similar to community colleges) across the country.
To counter domestic higher education issues, the government supports study abroad, not least because personal remittances from Pakistanis abroad compose a significant portion of GDP (over 8% in 2022). The UN says. “The substantial share of remittances highlights the importance of the Pakistani migrant community abroad in the economic development and stability of the country.”
Key motivations for students
Pakistani students are first and foremost interested in accessing a high-quality foreign degree to enhance their career prospects. Affordability is a major concern – and so scholarships are much sought-after. Similarly, the ability to work during studies and post-study work opportunities can make the difference in decision-making about where to go.
Recommended reading
We highly recommend checking out the following resources:
WENR’s focus on Pakistan (2020), which includes assessment criteria and what official documents are recommended from Pakistani students.
The British Council’s 2023 report, Landscape of in-country funding options for students from Bangladesh, India and Pakistan to pursue higher education overseas.
The British Council’s 2024 report, Mapping international student mobility from Pakistan at the province / territory and city level.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Olukayode Adeolu Egbetokun, has flagged off a two-day training of Schools Protection Squad of the Nigeria Police Force in Anambra State
The flagged off training exercise expected to end on Thursday, 31st October, 2924, was held at the Prof Dora Akwuyili women development center Awka on Wednesday.
In his address, the IGP who was represented at the event by the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 13 Headquarters Ukpo, Anambra State, AIG Godwin Ndidi Aghaulor, said the initiative will help reduce security threats across schools in the state, particularly, at the pro-security areas.
According to him, the initiative geared towards prioritizing, and improving security in and around our schools and learning institutions in Anambra State.
“Our presence here today is a testament to our collective will and effort to support the Nigeria Police Force in promoting the Federal government agenda of prioritizing school protection in Nigeria, as this is one of the many strategic forums on school protection that has been initiated and ongoing in many parts of the country.
“I use this opportunity to commend the Governor of Anambra State, His Excellency, Prof Chukwuma Charles Soludo, for his unwavering support and commitment to the course of school protection in Anambra State.
“In our efforts to promote a safe and conducive learning environment, we recognize the vital importance of strengthening security resilience in our host communities. The safety and security of our educational institutions are paramount, and it is imperative that we work together to protect and safeguard our students and educators.
“Collaboration and integration between host communities and security agencies play a significant rofe in fostering a secure and harmonious coexistence. And by coming together and building strong partnerships, we are proactively addressing the challenges and security threats faced by educational! institutions in our country, which if not done, can have adverse effects on the economy of our dear nation.
“The Force has also embraced the project by establishing the Schools Protection Squad (SPS) in all the States of the Federation and the FCT, as well as the training of State Coordinators and Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) nationwide.
“The good news is that the challenges we face are not insurmountable. | therefore commend the National Coordinator Schools Protection Squad (SPS), CP Lanre Ogunlowo for driving the Vision-Mission of the Force with dedication. And other stakeholders for their dedication and commitment to enhancing security and promoting education in our community through collective efforts.
“As we embark on this important assignment together, let us reaffirm our commitment to working hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder, to ensure the safety and well-being of our students, educators, and community members. Together, we can make a difference and forge a brighter tomorrow for all,” the IGP concluded.
Declaring the training open, the State Governor, Charles Soludo, commended the IGP for choosing Anambra to be the first state to launched the Squad in Nigeria.
He noted that the initiative was in line with his administration to provide quality education in the state.
The governor was also represented by his deputy, Dr Onyekachukwu Ibezim.
The State Commissioner of Police, CP Nnaghe Itam, in his earlier speech, said the initiative will further increase the confidence the Anambra people have for the Police and other security agencies on in protection of lives and properties.
While commending the IGP and his management team for remembering the command to be among the first, on the launch of the School protection Squad, the CP equally urged community leaders, school principals and other relevant stakeholders to support the initiative for a conducive school environment in the state.
It was gathered that the event that was also attended by Traditional rulers, sister security agencies, Civil Society Organisations and the media feature panel discussion/paper presentation by Prof Chigozie Nwafor of the department of Psychology, Nnamdi Azikiwe University and has the theme: “Strengthening security resilience and integration of host communities in the protection of education.
A new study finds that when international students from low- to middle-income countries return home after their studies abroad, they help to alleviate poverty in their societies – not immediately, but over a period of about 15 years.
The study, International student mobility and poverty reduction: A cross-national analysis of low- and middle-income countries, was conducted and authored by Joonghyun Kwak and Maia Chankseliani and appears in The International Journal of Educational Research.
The authors say they pursued the study because while there is ample research on the positive effect of study abroad on individual students (e.g., upward social mobility and income), there is not much on its effect on whole societies.
There is a complex methodology underlying the findings, which can be explored here, but we will limit our coverage to the study’s main finding and takeaways.
Long-term benefits
The authors looked at the relationship between global study mobility from 1999–2018 and poverty levels in 43 countries low- or middle-income countries. They found that the impact of international student returnees on poverty levels happens gradually over a 15-year period.
The following chart shows that as international student mobility increased, poverty in the 43 middle- and low-income countries in the study sample went down. The difference between poverty levels in 1999 and 2018 is quite striking.
The correlation between increased outbound student mobility and poverty reduction. Source: The International Journal of Educational Research
The intangible good of transnational spaces
When students decide to study abroad, they aren’t just border hopping to access a more developed country’s education system, even if they might think of it that way initially. When they are abroad, they seek to acquire new skills and valuable credentials. But at the same time, they enter what the authors call a “transnational” space where different cultures and worldviews are shared.
This intangible, even unexpected space is also populated with other international students with the same drive for progress, success, and knowledge. The transnational space is full of connections that students take back with them if they return home.
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Back at home, students’ skills and global understanding tend to drive economic and social development. Their success and immersion in new environments abroad provides them with newfound agency that can empower them to work towards innovation and progress, which reverberates across their society. For example:
“Returnees can use their connections formed abroad to build bridges between their home countries and global networks of resources, innovation, and knowledge …. These global connections enable the exchange of ideas and resources, promoting cooperation and supporting local economic development. For example, returnees can attract investments or support for poverty alleviation projects in their own communities ….
Armed with technical expertise and an entrepreneurial spirit, returnees may introduce new technologies and methods to sectors like health, science, and business.”
Issues to consider
The authors make the obvious point that at an individual level, most international students are not from households experiencing extreme poverty. Study abroad is very expensive and relatively affluent families are best positioned to pursue it. This underlines the importance of government and institution-level scholarships for poorer international students. The authors note: “We contend that students’ exposure to diverse cultures and perspectives abroad leads to a transformation in how they perceive and engage with their home countries.” Poorer students deserve that opportunity, too.
The other caveat is that of course, not all international students return to their home countries. Many see study abroad as the first step towards emigration, which leads to a certain amount of brain drain.
Targeted scholarships and short-term exchanges are important in this respect. Here are two examples:
In general, we are seeing more activity in international research collaborations between so-called Global North and Global South universities. As the world moves further from colonialist assumptions, two-way mobility agreements that benefit both traditional destinations and emerging economies are becoming more common.
A group, Old Aguata Union (OAU), Awka branch, Anambra State, says Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo’s approval of 70,000 new minimum wage for civil servants and the extension of his free education policy to senior secondary students in all public schools in the state is a practical demonstration of his efforts towards improving the living standard of the people as well as standard of education system in the state.
Chairman of OAU Awka branch , Comrade Chukwuemeka Richard Onwuegbuna gave the commendation in his address to marked this year 2024 OAU day celebration, held at Orpet Arena, Eze-Uzu junction Awka on Sunday.
According to Onwuegbuna, “We applaud the governor who within his first year in office recruited and have continued to recruit teachers in both primary and secondary schools in the state to cultivate our children.
“He has also declared free child birth and free education in our Primary Healthcare Centers PHCs and public primary and secondary schools respectively, to alleviate the problem of parents in this hard times in Nigeria.
“We will also be extremely proud and make mouth the more if we hear that Anambra is the first state that actually implemented the new minimum wage as it should be for civil servants of the state.
“We therefore, call on all Anambrarians to partner with the State Government to extend the existing basic scholarship to all privately owned schools in the state, and promulgate policy that will stop the use of English in teaching our children until they are in basic 4. This he noted will help to save our dying igbo language.
On the OAU matters, Onwuegbuna said as a notable association with branches globally, we appreciate the efforts of our brother, governor Soludo, (ODENIGBO Aguata na Orumba) for his doggedness to keep security and impact on human and infrastructural development since his assumption of office especially the edifice of new government house Awka.
The Union is a brotherhood umbrella association for the indigenes of the 45 towns in the present day Aguata, Orumba-South, and Orumba-North Local Government Areas of the State. This Union, which the National Body was founded in 1994 was formed to bind us together for the personal and collective benefits of our citizens, the Chairman concluded.
The event also feature inauguration of Grand-Patron, Patrons and award presentation to some deserving members for their various contributions to the development of the Union. The awardees include; Chief Sir Joseph Chimezie Nwakpadolu, Chief Sir Godwin Okechukwu Uchime, Barr. J.C Nwikpo, Engr Dr. Martins Agbili, Prof Promise Okpala, Sir Fidelis Umeh, Chief Chika Nwosu, Dr Maduka Nwankwo High Chief Sunday Nnebe, Egwu John Maduabueke, and Engr Chief Innocent Ike-Ibe, who also serve as the chairman of the occasion, among others.
Mr Efenji Nicholas, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Efenji Homes and Properties and former chairmanship aspirant in the recently concluded primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Cross River, has extended financial support to students in Bekwarra local government area.
Despite losing out in the race to serve the good people of the local government, Efenji Nicholas’s passion for humanitarian and community service remain unwavering. Barely a week after the primary elections, he entered into partnership with the National Association of Bekwarra Students (NABES) Worldwide to roll out an Educational Support Scheme for students in the LGA.
Enabled by the financial support provided by the former chairmanship aspirant, NABES-WW led by its president, Sen. Obe Alphonsus Alokpa, set out to implement the Educational Support Scheme in primary and secondary schools across various wards in the local government area.
Speaking in an interview shortly after the exercise, Alokpa said “My just concluded project was the production of exercise books for Bekwarra students as an educational support scheme. And it was sponsored by Mr Efenji Nicholas Iyiukanne, CEO of Efenji Homes and Properties.
“Through his support we were able to reach out to primary and secondary schools in 5 wards. Some of the schools that benefitted include, Bekwarra Secondary School, Abuochiche; Community Secondary School, Afrike; St Justin’s Primary School, Beten; among others.”
The student leader thanked Efenji Nicholas and commended him for demonstrating genuine love towards the people of Bekwarra. He called on other well-meaning individuals and groups to emulate his kind gesture for the progress of the LGA.
Efenji Nicholas is a renowned philanthropist and humanitarian whose unparalleled generosity and goodwill have earned him series of awards and accolades nationally. In August 2024, he was honoured with the Achievers Per Excellence Award by the Nigerian Youth League, in recognition of his exceptional contributions and outstanding service to humanity and the country.
In September 2024, Efenji Nicholas bagged the ‘Icon of Transformation/Peace Ambassador’ award conferred by the Northern Youth Peace Ambassadors (NYPA).
According to the northern group, the award was in recognition of Efenji Nicholas’s “dexterous leadership acumen, passionate professional capabilities and commitment towards navigating Nigerian communities and humanitarian development for the benefit of the nation at large.”
In addition to the foregoing, Efenji Nicholas has carved a niche for himself by positively impacting the highly competitive real estate sector in Nigeria. Little wonder, he is sometimes referred to by friends and colleagues, as the Czar of real estate.
The latest edition of the IDP Education Emerging Futures survey shows that Australia, the UK, and especially Canada are losing share of interest among international students around the world. The US is benefitting from this trend, as are alternative destinations.
The survey – conducted from 20 August–16 September 2024 with 6,000+ student respondents in 114 countries – also shows that some students are foregoing or delaying study abroad plans because it is too expensive at this time.
IDP’s Emerging Future’s research has been ongoing since March 2022. This latest round is the sixth iteration of the initiative.
Student profiles
As the following chart shows, most surveyed students were prospective or had applied to at least one institution. More than half were at the postgraduate level, with 27% at the undergraduate level. India and China were the two most-represented markets, with the Philippines, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nigeria, Nepal, Indonesia, Ghana, and Vietnam rounding out the top 10 nationalities by response volume
Australia remains the destination of choice (24%), followed closely by the US (23%) and then by the UK (21%). Canada has fallen to fourth place (16%) and has weakened significantly, down nine percentage points since August 2023. New Zealand comes in at 5%.
Meanwhile, “other destinations” are the top choice of 11% of students, up the most (six percentage points) of all the options students were given. This finding is in keeping with separate research confirming that students are widening their scope of potential destinations, and it is backed as well by findings presented at the recent ICEF Monitor Global Summit.
Destination preferences and changes since August 2023. Source: IDP
Key drivers of choice
As shown in the chart below, more than half of students said that post-study work opportunities are the most important factor driving their decisions. Next in line are pathways to permanent residency (43%), financial requirements for visas (42%), and student visa fees and associated costs (41%). More than a quarter of students also said they look at dependants’ rights when choosing a study destination
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Factors that strongly influence international students’ decision-making. Source: IDP
This suggests that students are highly aware of policy changes in top destinations. These include:
Australia and Canada raising their proof-of-savings requirements to US$19,535 and US$14,945 per student, respectively;
Australia hiking its visa application fee to US$1,070, a 125% increase;
The UK ending families’ rights to accompany international students unless students are in research-oriented postgraduate degrees or on scholarships;
France requiring international students to have lived in France for 24 months (up from 18 months) if they want to bring dependants;
Canada ending the right of partners of undergraduate students and students in master’s programmes of less than 16 months to receive an open work permit.
All these policies are affecting the shape of international student mobility and contributing to the rise of alternative destinations. Germany is one of the destinations becoming much more popular, even though it raised its savings requirement to US$12,875 this year. This is still much less than the amount students need for Australia and is a bit less than what Canada asks for as well.
Students are hedging bets
Fully 66% of students are considering more than one destination, and almost half are considering at least three. They are carefully weighing their options and willing to switch if a destination becomes more appealing in terms of post-study opportunities, affordability, visa flexibility, and dependants’ rights. A positive change in post-study work opportunities would be the biggest driver of a change of destinations, followed closely by a lessening of visa costs, as shown in the chart below.
Students would change their minds re: destination for various reasons. Source: IDP
Study abroad is becoming too expensive for some
Of the small segment of surveyed students (3%) who said they are putting their study abroad plans on hold, the largest proportion said that tuition fees are the main barrier, followed by those citing costs of living and costs of visas. More than a quarter also said, “it is too difficult getting a student visa.”
However, IDP notes that almost half of those who have opted out of applying to study abroad this year said they were “highly likely” to apply in the next couple of years.
Affordability issues are causing some international students to think twice about studying abroad this year. Source: IDP
The US is ahead
Survey respondents rates the US more positively than Australia, Canada, the UK, and New Zealand on the key dimensions of quality of education, value for money, and graduate employment opportunities. The results of the US election may see different results in the future, though an IDP research survey earlier this fall found that only 35% said the election may influence their decision, either slightly or significantly. Of that finding, Dr Fanta Aw, CEO of NAFSA, said: “The IDP research shows that students are consistently focused on practical aspects of studying abroad, such as quality of education, which students rank higher for the US than any other destination.”
The US is perceived the most positively of the five destinations. Source: IDP
Students are informing themselves more than ever
There was a time, say 10–15 years ago, when international students automatically assumed the US, UK, and Australia were the most desirable destinations, while also becoming more aware of Canada’s competitive strengths. Then around 2016, Canada surged in popularity for reasons including post-study work and immigration opportunities and value for money, joining the league of the so-called Big Four English-speaking destinations.
But since the pandemic, international students have shown themselves to be savvy researchers who look at a multitude of pros and cons for each destination under consideration. Institutions, and governments, need to know that students can and will change their minds at any time, depending on which study path and destination is most aligned with their budget, priorities, and post-study plans.
A new whitepaper from Oxford International Education Group, A Lack of Diversity Spells Adversity, highlights why it is so urgent for US institutions to commit more meaningfully and strategically to more global representation on their campuses. In 2023, China, India, South Korea, Canada, and Vietnam accounted for 62% of all international students enrolled in US colleges and universities.
Diversification progress of late
In August 2024, ICEF Monitor looked in on the extent to which major destinations have diversified their international student bodies and found that the US, along with Canada, is more dependent on top five sending markets than Australia, France, Germany, Ireland, and the UK. What’s more, unlike Australia and Canada, the US has not significantly reduced its reliance on top markets since 2019.
Share of top five markets in leading destinations, 2019 vs 2023. Source: ICEF Monitor
This status quo underlines the timeliness of the Oxford whitepaper, and the relevance of its focus on student motivations in emerging markets including Nigeria, Pakistan, and Vietnam.
Take nothing for granted
The whitepaper reminds us of the inherent volatility of student mobility flows with two examples: the discontinuation of the Brazil Scientific Mobility Program (BSMP) in 2017 and, even more dramatically, the phasing out of Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah Scholarship Program (KASP) in 2015. The latter development has been a factor in Saudi enrolments in US institutions dropping from over 61,000 in 2015/16 to under 16,000 in 2022/23, as shown in the chart below from the Institute of International Education (IIE).
The steep decline of Saudi enrolments in the US. Source: IIE Open Doors
In the span of one year – 2015/16 to 2016/17 – Saudi enrolments fell by over 15%. Saudi Arabia is now the US’s tenth largest international student market; it had been third before the winding down of the KASP beginning in 2015.
China, too, is a source of concern. Long the US’s number one sending market, China accounted for 27% of the total international student population in the US in 2022/23 – down from 35% in 2019/20. We expect to see China replaced by India as the top market in the next round of IIE reporting.
Domestic enrolment cliff approaching
The Oxford whitepaper says that another imminent danger for US institutions is that demographic trends are leading to a projected drop in the number of American high-school graduates as soon as 2025. This means the pool of domestic prospects for colleges and universities will shrink – and at the same time as more young Americans are questioning the value of a degree. A diversified flow of international students into the US will be essential to mitigate the decline in domestic student numbers.
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International students needed for balance
In 2023, the US Supreme Court ruled to significantly limit universities’ consideration of students’ race in admissions decisions. This has made it more difficult for institutions to meet diversity and inclusion goals. The whitepaper elaborates:
“Relatedly, recent political and policy shifts at the U.S. state level have increased scrutiny and, in some cases, rolled back DEI programming and initiatives, particularly in public secondary and postsecondary institutions.”
In this context, recruiting international students from a wide variety of countries can help to keep campuses vibrant with a multitude of ethnicities, religions, and experiences represented.
Five key takeaways
The case for expanding geographic focus in international student recruiting is clear, but the Oxford whitepaper rightly points out that recruitment is just part of any successful diversification initiative. Hosting international students properly is another: “Ensuring [international students’] well-being is central to their retention and success.”
With that in mind, the whitepaper offers five key takeaways* that include not only strategies for attracting a diversity of international students, but also ideas for how to serve international students once they are enrolled.
*The takeaways reflect direct wording from the Oxford paper, paraphrasing, and editing for brevity. We recommend reading the paper in its entirety for elaboration.
1. Align international student strategy with diversity efforts. This includes:
Admissions processes that consider a wide range of criteria beyond academic performance;
Scholarships and financial aid specifically targeted at international students from underrepresented regions and socio-economic backgrounds;
Formal mechanisms for gathering and analysing current international student feedback about their experience and challenges.
2. Leverage technology and digital engagement. This includes:
More leveraging of digital tours, virtual reality, and webinars to attract prospective students who cannot travel for in-campus visits;
Robust social media channels where prospective and current students can interact;
Online programmes that allow international students to begin part (or all) of their degrees in their home country.
3. Foster diversity by creating an inclusive environment for international students. This includes:
Organising cultural events and programmes that celebrate diversity and promote cross-cultural interaction;
Establishing international student associations, mentorship programmes, and peer support groups where international students can share their experiences, seek advice, and receive emotional support;
Training for faculty and staff that focuses on cultural sensitivity, creating culturally diverse curricula, and promoting intercultural exchange programmes.”
4. Enhance support services for a diverse international student body. This includes:
Comprehensive orientation programmes tailored specifically for international students that cover academic expectations, campus resources, and cultural norms in the US, helping students from various regions feel welcomed and prepared;
Specialised advising and counselling services based on an understanding of the unique challenges faced by students from different cultural backgrounds and covering course selection, career planning, and academic regulations;
Knowledge of the diverse motivations of international students, which facilitates the design of programmes and services that align with students’ goals, such as offering career development workshops, cross-cultural exchange opportunities, and language support services.
5. Strengthening partnerships with global institutions and school systems. This includes:
Collaborating with global institutions, including student exchanges, joint research projects, scholarship programmes, and collaborative research projects with institutions in Global South countries. “These research projects can address critical global challenges and enhance the institution’s reputation as a leader in international education.”
Engaging with high schools in key source countries to increase their visibility to potential undergraduate international students.
Practical considerations
The whitepaper does not gloss over the fact that a real commitment to diversification is not always easy. Challenges include aligning institutional budgets with diversification goals (often in a context where budgets are already tight and resources scarce) and restrictive immigration policies that include relatively high visa refusal rates for applicants from the Global South. Regarding the immigration hurdle, the paper says:
“These barriers will have to be addressed by active advocacy on the parts of institutions who are eager to admit and enroll a more diverse international student body but are limited by restrictive immigration policies.”
Read more
The whitepaper includes deep dives into trends in key emerging target markets as well as case studies. The full report is available here.
New immigration policies enacted by the Canadian government in 2023 and 2024 are projected to remove billions from the revenue base of Canada’s post-secondary system over the next two years.
Policy background
For those unfamiliar with the many changes that Canada’s immigration minister has imposed in the past year, they are summarised below:
A savings requirement of more than CDN$20,000 for students to be eligible for a study permit;
Under a federally mandated cap on foreign enrolments: a 35% reduction in new study permits for 2024 and a further 10% reduction for 2025, with some institutions especially affected because of a differentiated allotment of the overall number of study permits;
The inclusion of master’s and doctoral study levels in the 2025 cap (until September 2024, the cap had been only for the undergraduate level);
The removal of the right of partners of undergraduate students and some master’s students to receive an open work visa;
The elimination of eligibility for the Post-Graduation Work Programme (PGWP) for college students applying after 1 November 2024 unless they are graduating from designated fields of study;
The elimination of post-study work eligibility for students enrolled in college programmes delivered via private-public partnerships.
Ontario will be hit hard
Steve Orsini, president and CEO of the Council of Ontario Universities (COU), has announced that based on COU members’ projections, Ontario universities will lose CDN$300 million in 2024/25 compared with 2023, and CDN$600 million in 2025/26, assuming current trends hold. As he says, “That’s nearly a $1-billion financial impact in the first two years alone.”
Ontario enrols more international students than any other province in both colleges and universities; just over four in ten foreign students in Canada study in Ontario. In addition, the province’s funding of post-secondary institutions is the lowest in all of Canada, making those institutions heavily reliant on tuition fees – especially from international students. The Ontario Federation of Faculty Associations (OCUFA) reports:
“International students in Ontario pay the highest – and domestic students pay the fourth highest – tuition in Canada because Ontario’s funding is dead last in the country.”
OCUFA concludes:
“The system is undoubtedly broken, and these student caps only cause more problems. The only way out is for the province to properly fund universities and for the federal government to implement immigration policies that attract the world’s best talent, including international students to study in Ontario’s world-class universities.”
As for Ontario colleges, they are funded at only 44% of the Canadian national average and are more reliant than universities on international tuition. Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) president Pari Johnston says that the new policies “will cause significant harm in the college sector and to local businesses that rely on the schools to supply graduates to the labour force.”
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News broke today that three Ontario colleges have already lost thousands of international students due to policy-related study permit delays or the policies themselves. Some of those students have decided not to come to Canada, and others have deferred their study plans.
Overall, industry analyst Alex Usher predicts:
“The carnage will be immediate and catastrophic in Ontario colleges, immediate and severe in colleges elsewhere, and slow-moving but severe in universities. With, in total, probably something like 20,000 job losses. It’s not going to be pretty. And it’s deeply unnecessary: true, something had to be done…It’s just not clear this was that something.”
He warns:
“Think we’re going to get through this without program closures? Think again. We’re talking about hundreds of program closures and all those high-cost programs in health and trades are 100% on the table, because the provincial government simply does not fund these programs at an adequate level. They’ve been cross subsidized for years by international students. It’s going to be a program apocalypse, one that provincial governments are completely unprepared to handle because international student fees have allowed them to stay in denial about the extent of their own underfunding over the past decade.”
A better way
The Council of Ontario Universities’ Mr Orsini told the Globe and Mail: “The more we signal international students are not welcome, the more those most mobile, most talented students may turn away from applying to Canada.”
Mr Orsini said there is a much better way, which would be to target only unscrupulous post-secondary institutions, which are a very small minority of all institutions in Canada:
“While we recognize the federal government had to address the bad actors that recklessly increased international student enrolment without the necessary supports, this has resulted in significant collateral damage to universities, which will have untold implications for years to come. It is critical that measures to reduce overall international student numbers target institutions that have seen irresponsible and unsustainable growth in recent years.”
Universities Canada calls on the government to act
Gabriel Miller, president of Universities Canada, says the inclusion of master’s and PhD students in the cap is yet another blow to Canada’s brand:
“Our international reputation has already gotten very beaten up over the past six months and the decision to tighten the screws on the cap and to make recruiting graduate students more difficult will put another dent in our brand. [The decline in new international students] will mean bigger deficits at more institutions right across the country. It’s still within the power of federal and provincial governments to prevent those deficits from turning into cuts that hurt students and our economy.”
He continued:
“We’ve got to make sure one terrible year in international student recruitment is not allowed to turn into three, five, or 10 years. And we need to start seeing real plans to fix the funding gap that is hurting universities in Ontario and across the country.”
Canada’s Atlantic universities in trouble
The Association of Atlantic Universities (AAU) hired Gardner Pinfold Consultants to analyse the situation for universities in the region, with a resulting report entitled The Economic Impacts of Canada’s International Student Cap in Atlantic Canada for 2024/25.
The report relies on the following analytical model that compares:
The economic contribution of international students using the 2023/24 enrolment figures and 2024/25 tuition rates, assuming no cap had been imposed.
The economic contribution of international students using the 2024/25 actual enrolments and 2024/25 tuition rates.
The analysis found a decline of nearly 3,000 international students across the Atlantic region (-11.4%) because of the cap, and declines of:
CDN$163 million in spending (direct output)
CDN$165 million in provincial GDP
CDN$94 million in provincial income
CDN$39 million in tax revenues for provincial governments
2,231 full‐time equivalent jobs
AAU president Peter Halpin said the cap has had a “devastating effect on many of the 16 universities across the region.” Universities in Atlantic Canada are heavily reliant on international student tuition, with 3 in every 10 university students an international student.
The government position
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) defended the cap and related policies in a statement:
“It would be unfair to blame students for the housing crisis, but it would be equally unfair to welcome an unlimited volume of international students without the proper supports – whether it’s housing, healthcare, or a proper education environment.”
The words likely ring hollow for Ontario’s Mohawk College, which received almost 40% fewer students this fall than last fall, and which now boasts a 300-bed residence for students at its Hamilton campus. The residence was built to house incoming international students, but Katie Burrows, Mohawk’s vice-president for international students, says there are only 60 students living there.
The new policies will have an impact far beyond the college and university sector. As Universities Canada’s Mr Miller says: “It’s really costing Canada the people we are going to need to be doctors, to be engineers, to be entrepreneurs.”
He has said: “There’s every possibility that [the impact of the cap is] going to be even worse than we fear. But it’s important to note that we’re already in territory that no one anticipated and that needs to set off a big alarm bell in Ottawa that we need to start turning this around right away.”
