Page 18 - Movers, Shapers, and Everything in Between: Influencers of the International Student Experience
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Chapter 1
own campuses. Statistics on student mobility show that while the United States (US), the United Kingdom (UK), and Australia have the most international students, their outbound mobility is low. In fact, only 0.5% of all US students enrolled in higher education are enrolled outside the United States. This compares to 0.7% in Australia and 1.5% in the United Kingdom (UNESCO, 2021).
Although there is evidence that study abroad is an influential experience, there are few empirical studies that examine the impact of study abroad (Di Pietro, 2019). A study by d’Hombres and Schnepf (2021) suggests that part of the reason for the lack of research is that it is difficult to account for differences between students who have chosen to study abroad and those who have not. Intrinsic characteristics such as motivation, skills, and expectations are rarely measured in the two groups, which in turn affects student experiences and outcomes. “The literature taking this so-called selection bias into account is still circumscribed,” the authors conclude, pointing to the need for more empirical research.
Given the benefits that international students bring to the universities where they study and to the fellow students with whom they interact, those involved have much reason to continually improve their experiences abroad. Understanding the experiences of international students allows universities to think about how to focus their efforts on high-impact areas, such as establishing programs to facilitate informal exchanges between international and domestic students, cultivating a student body of diverse backgrounds and nationalities, or promoting mobility programs. Using data on the student experience to make informed decisions can pay huge dividends in terms of domestic and international student satisfaction.
National and Societal Benefits
International students not only promote cultural exchange and international competencies in their academic communities, but also bring economic benefits. According to a study based on data from UNESCO (Choudaha, 2019), international students contributed over




























































































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