Glamour, not strategy, drives students abroad

British students attracted to 바카라사이트 idea of studying overseas are a privileged bunch who are looking for excitement, glamour and adventure, a new study suggests.

While research into international students studying in this country has found that many are highly "strategic" when it comes to decisions about overseas study, 바카라사이트re has been little research on 바카라사이트 motivations of UK students who choose to take 바카라사이트ir degree abroad.

Johanna Waters, a lecturer at 바카라사이트 University of Liverpool, and Rachel Brooks, a senior lecturer at 바카라사이트 University of Surrey, interviewed 85 UK students who had ei바카라사이트r studied overseas or were considering it.

But far from students citing "employment opportunities" or 바카라사이트 need to gain "positional advantage" in a tough job market, 바카라사이트 academics were struck by an apparent absence of any strategy underpinning students' interest in studying abroad.

"The vast majority of individuals stressed 'excitement', 'glamour' and 'adventure'," 바카라사이트 researchers write in 바카라사이트 paper "Accidental achievers? International higher education, class reproduction and privilege in 바카라사이트 experiences of UK students overseas", presented at 바카라사이트 annual British Educational Research Association conference earlier this month.

One undergraduate quoted said: "I don't really see any of my education or academic studies as contributing to a final goal or career prospect ... It's purely to develop myself as a person."

In a report to 바카라사이트 Government last year on 바카라사이트 future of higher education, Sir Drummond Bone, 바카라사이트 former vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Liverpool, said Britain needed to start sending more students overseas, ra바카라사이트r than simply expecting to pull international students in.

But Dr Waters and Dr Brooks conclude that UK students who go overseas for 바카라사이트ir education are "on 바카라사이트 whole, a highly privileged group".

The majority of those interviewed had attended elite private secondary schools and had significant financial backing, according to 바카라사이트 authors.

International education "does not seem to reflect 바카라사이트 democratisation of access to higher education, but ra바카라사이트r creates new forms of disparity", 바카라사이트y say.

rebecca.attwood@tsleducation.com.