Internationalisation of higher education
Student perspectives on going international (2015)
09/06/2015
CRAC and a team of consultants designed and completed the research which resulted in this report published by the UK Higher Education International Unit's Go International programme and the British Council, on the benefits of and barriers to spending time abroad as part of a UK degree. The research sought to provide evidence for institutions and policy-makers developing and implementing initiatives to increase the number of UK students accessing international opportunities.
Key findings included:
- Most students perceived a positive relationship between spending time abroad during their studies and increased employability, academic success and personal development.
- Students perceived that very short mobility periods resulted in similar levels of impact to longer periods of mobility (i.e. a semester or full year).
The principal motivations to go abroad, whether studying, working or volunteering, were a desire for an enjoyable experience and to enhance employability and career prospects. - Key factors in the decision to go abroad were the availability of funding, personal safety and security, and perceived quality of host and location.
- While students are motivated by the experiences and opinions of other students when making a decision, the encouragement of academic tutors was also very significant.
