scholarly journals Paradoxical Attraction? Why an Increasing Number of International Students Choose Norway

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 281-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jannecke Wiers-Jenssen

Between 2000 and 2015, Norway has experienced a large increase in the number of international students compared with many other countries. At first glance, this may seem paradoxical considering that Norway is a country with few well-known universities, a high cost of living, and a geographical location on the northern fringe of Europe. This article sheds light on why more students find their way to Norway. Global trends of increased student mobility as well as EU policies influence the flow of students to Norway. Nevertheless, national higher education policies and in this development. Courses in English and more active partnerships with higher education institutions abroad have been established to attract international students. Furthermore, tuition fees are not charged in state-owned universities and colleges, and this has become a comparative advantage in an era when institutions in other countries are introducing or increasing tuition fees for national as well as international students. Asking the international students themselves about their motivation for studying in Norway, we find that the rationale is pragmatic rather than related to perceived quality. Their choices still appear rational; they get free higher education in a safe country, and increase their career opportunities.

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 137-154
Author(s):  
Thais França

Since the 2000s, the Portuguese government and higher education institutions have been making significant changes to their strategies for attracting international students. While scholars have given extensive consideration to how these changes have increased the number of international students, less attention has been paid to how the national media have represented these new arrivals. Hence, in this article, following the analysis of 103 news stories published in two leading Portuguese newspapers, we investigate the representation of international students in the Portuguese press to analyse how the media portrayed this population from 2006 to 2019. As student mobility became more visible in Portuguese migration and education policies, media focus on this phenomenon increased. Based on a critical analysis discourse framework, our results outline a positive narrative about international students that both reinforces Portugal’s image as an attractive destination for skilled youths and highlights the contribution of international students to the country’s development.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Vargas

The role of higher education in promoting economic growth and social cohesion has been recognised in multiple international documents, programmes and strategies. Likewise, a number of countries and higher education institutions worldwide have introduced policies that aim at fostering learners’ employability, active citizenship, personal development, knowledge base, competences and capabilities. However, not all these policies have successfully addressed current global trends like the economic downturn, demographic change, the changing nature of the labour market, and pressing social needs. This paper posits that introducing lifelong learning principles to the formulation and implementation of higher education policies may provide more inclusive and comprehensive frameworks for meeting the needs and aspirations of the multiple stakeholders of higher education.


2021 ◽  
pp. 000283122110030
Author(s):  
Lauren Schudde ◽  
Huriya Jabbar ◽  
Eliza Epstein ◽  
Elif Yucel

More than a third of students enter higher education at a community college; most aim to earn a baccalaureate. Drawing on sense-making theory and longitudinal qualitative data, we examined how community college students interpret state transfer policies and how their interpretations influence subsequent behavior. Data from 3 years of interviews revealed how students adjudicate between multiple intersecting policies. The higher education context, where institutions provided competing signals about policies, left students to navigate complex messages to achieve their transfer goals. Students’ approaches to understanding transfer policies primarily followed one of two patterns: adopting policy signals as step-by-step procedures or adapting and combining policy signals to create a customized transfer pathway. Both approaches had important implications for students’ transfer outcomes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-43
Author(s):  
Jia Liu ◽  
Lun Li

Capital, natural resources, technology and education are often considered to be the most important factors in improving the level of economic development. China is in the "efficiency-driven" stage of economic development. There are objective laws in the development of education level and economic growth, but they interact with each other. Economic growth provides the foundation and necessary conditions for the development of education. At the same time, the role of education in promoting economic growth is also very obvious. Based on the perspective of postgraduate training, this paper studies the role of education in economic efficiency-driven, through the study of theory, data collection and empirical analysis, combined with the development characteristics of China's higher education, and compares China's and US higher education policies to guide China's higher education. The development of education, and then promote the transformation of China into the "innovation-driven" stage, has certain theoretical and practical significance.


Author(s):  
Oliver Tafadzwa Gore ◽  

Although policies to widen participation have been implemented in South African higher education since 1994, inequality of achievements persists in universities. The failure of the higher education policy to clearly define ‘disadvantage’ in various interventions seems to have contributed to the continuing inequalities. This study theorises disadvantage using the capabilities approach pioneered by Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum and argues for a more nuanced definition of disadvantage by exploring the opportunities, agency and achievements available to students in universities. The theorisation is based on findings from a qualitative case study of 26 semi-structured interviews conducted with students from one South African university. Using empirical findings, the theorisation in this study shows how the conversion factors intersect, resulting in some students achieving fewer functionings, which put them at a disadvantage. While gender equality seemingly has been achieved through enrolment figures that show parity levels, some female students are still disadvantaged through subtle forms of discrimination and sexual harassment in universities. This study therefore recommends that higher education policies should consider an expansive definition of disadvantage that encompasses the various dimensions of student wellbeing for all students to have flourishing lives.


Author(s):  
Rashim Wadhwa

International student mobility is the core element of the internationalization of higher education. In recent years, a significant change has been observed in the outlook of individuals which is giving a boost to this phenomenon. Within this context, the present chapter analyzed the phenomenon of international student mobility through different approaches by providing critical outlook. An attempt has been made to list the important determinants which influence the decision-making process of international students.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document