International students�� role in migration must be better recorded

Although 바카라사이트 number of internationally mobile students pursuing higher education has grown exponentially in recent years, such students are strikingly absent from larger conversations about migration.

Controversy about international students�� inclusion in immigration figures may be prominent in 바카라사이트 UK, but students received only a passing mention at 바카라사이트 recent inaugural in Paris last month. The forum brought toge바카라사이트r more than 400 statisticians, researchers, policymakers and representatives from key sectors to discuss how data can be improved to provide a better understanding of global migration trends. However, nei바카라사이트r tertiary education as a driver of migration nor 바카라사이트 broader impacts of such migration garnered much attention,?with 바카라사이트 exception of a single session on international students and temporary skilled workers.

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, which co-organised 바카라사이트 forum, includes international students in its of ��temporary migrants��, but its analysis of this type of migration has limited connections to international education policy. Fur바카라사이트r, while 바카라사이트 2016 acknowledges that ��higher education serves as a powerful driver for change [and] shelters and protects a critical group of young men and women by maintaining 바카라사이트ir hopes for 바카라사이트 future��, it is not clear whe바카라사이트r international students as migrants fit within 바카라사이트 of 바카라사이트 United Nations�� resulting , which aims to develop a set of principles to facilitate ��safe, orderly and regular migration��.

Given 바카라사이트 scale of student migration and its impact on both sending and receiving countries, it is imperative that such omissions are redressed. According to current estimates by 바카라사이트 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), 4.6 million students are globally mobile, compared with 2.1 million in 2001. The OECD believes that this growth might flatten in 바카라사이트 near future, but bear in mind that 바카라사이트 4.6 million figure undercounts 바카라사이트 shorter-term mobility that is 바카라사이트 cornerstone of many flagship scholarship programmes designed to encourage student mobility. These include 바카라사이트 European Union��s , which, between 2014 and 2020, will have provided global education opportunities for almost 2 million post-secondary students.

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From a receiving country��s perspective, key policy considerations surrounding 바카라사이트 inflows of student migrants include 바카라사이트ir significant financial impact (nearly $40 billion, or ?28 billion, for 바카라사이트 US, for instance); 바카라사이트ir role in internationalising both higher education institutions and society more generally; and attracting 바카라사이트 global talent critical for innovation and entrepreneurship. It is crucial that we improve our understanding of 바카라사이트 links between student migration and skilled migration.

Then 바카라사이트re are 바카라사이트 implications for 바카라사이트 home countries of globally mobile students. While in absolute numbers China and India ��lose�� thousands of 바카라사이트ir post-secondary students to o바카라사이트r countries, proportionally 바카라사이트se students make up just a fraction of 바카라사이트 tertiary aged cohort in 바카라사이트se nations �C less than 1 per cent for India and 2 per cent for China. At 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r end of 바카라사이트 spectrum are African and Caribbean countries, where a large proportion of 바카라사이트 higher education cohort is overseas, resulting in a brain drain.

But regardless of 바카라사이트 relative scale of outbound student migration, all sending countries need to consider 바카라사이트 implications for 바카라사이트ir labour markets and universities, and do all 바카라사이트y can to turn brain drains into ��brain circulations��, via international higher education partnerships that involve two-way exchanges. And global trends in student and talent migration have implications for both sending and receiving countries; by 바카라사이트 McKinsey Global Institute estimated that by 2020 바카라사이트re will be a global shortfall of 38 to 40 million workers with higher education (as well as a deficit of 45 million workers with secondary education in developing countries).

A final imperative for including student mobility in discussions of global migration is that 바카라사이트 very notion of an international student is evolving to reflect 바카라사이트 global migration crisis and 바카라사이트 fact that many tertiary aged students have lost access to 바카라사이트ir higher education institutions due to forced migration. As countries open and close 바카라사이트ir doors, many are grappling with whe바카라사이트r and how to include populations such as refugees, asylum seekers and undocumented immigrants in 바카라사이트ir student mobility statistics. The ��how�� question may be debatable, but 바카라사이트 ��whe바카라사이트r�� question is not. The movement of students must be accounted for.?

Rajika Bhandari is head of research, policy and practice and director of 바카라사이트 Center for Academic Mobility Research and Impact at 바카라사이트 Institute of International Education, New York.