Rethinking Your ‘Why’ for Studying Abroad: Moving Beyond ‘Narrative Capital’
For me, education’s aim is to empower, reflect on, and critically analyse something that is taken for granted. It would be really fascinating if what I learnt was about myself. Last year, I studied the Understanding Global Migration module at the University of Sussex as a visiting student. Who knows that the issue of international student migration will be discussed at the third meeting? I eagerly read the required readings before class. During the class, the lecturer asked who among the students was an international student and why they chose Sussex to study overseas.
That day, we learned why some students are willing to travel thousands of miles from home to attend university. The lecturer presented four major perspectives on international student migration (ISM). First and foremost, ISM is a subset of highly skilled migration. Second, ISM is a product and a crucial mechanism of higher education internationalisation. Third, ISM is an element of the youth mobility culture. Fourth, ISM is a component of class difference and elite reproduction. While these perspectives are utilised to study ISM or study abroad for more than a year, I still find it relevant to analyse international student mobility.
I agree that the internationalisation of higher education, as a multi-billion global business (Zaman, 2021), plays a key role in attracting international students. However, the third perspective piqued my interest the most, and one year later, I believe it could explain why international student mobility is so popular. In today’s youth mobility culture, studying abroad is regarded as a “rite of passage” for students (King et al., 2016). It is an ‘experience’ that serves as an end rather than a means to an end. The main goal is not necessarily academic achievement but rather enjoying the ‘experience’ of other nations’ cuisine, traditions, climates, and cross-cultural friendships. Murphy-Lejeune (2002), as quoted in King et al. (2016), coined the concept of “mobility capital,” which suggests that mobile students get an “enriching experience,” distinguishing them from other students. This mobility capital could be transformed into ‘narrative capital’ by using their study abroad experience for future careers (CV and job credentials) or personal advantage–a more ‘interesting’ life story (Zaman, 2021).
I believe that social media increases youth mobility culture as an international mobility motivation. Social media has long had an impact on how our society operates, including the creation of our life objectives and aspirations. Images and videos depicting the fun aspects of studying abroad are routinely shared on social media sites, with many receiving significant exposure. I fully acknowledge that I also promoted international mobility as a youth mobility culture in the past. Here, I offer my reflections on better reasons ‘why’ students should study abroad.
While pursuing international mobility for ‘the experience’ or the narrative capital is not a wrong goal, there are far more deserving reasons to do so, particularly if you are funded by taxpayer money. Higher education serves many purposes than simply preparing students for employment. Higher education aims to advance human progress and the quest for knowledge (Grant, 2021). As far as my time at Sussex goes, the lecturers actively encouraged us to challenge the knowledge we typically take for granted and to engage with the knowledge around us critically. We were also taught to support those who are oppressed and marginalised. Thus, we were encouraged to unlearn and relearn a variety of things. While my experience is shaped by my social science background, I believe that STEM students could do the same by interrogating entrenched concepts in their respective fields. From racism in global health and undemocratic digital technologies to agriculture practices that harm indigenous people, there is a lot to unpack in every discipline.
However, international mobility entails more than just classroom teaching. One may become concerned about the need for a stronger social security system at home after seeing underpaid workers striking for their rights. Furthermore, seeing the inequality between the Global North and the Global South–between developed and developing countries–may increase awareness about the existing pattern of colonialism. Additionally, living abroad and possibly becoming a minority — or even a double minority, like I am (Asian and Muslim) — can help us better understand how to support and protect marginalised people. To sum up, exposure to unjust socio-political and economic structures around the world could foster critical consciousness and prompt individuals to reevaluate their identities and worldviews in order to build a just society (Çiftçi & Karaman, 2021). Some of the pictures below could illustrate how social justice issues are widely talked about in public spaces (at least in the UK according to my experience):
In conclusion, various people may have different reasons for wanting to study abroad or participate in international mobility specifically. We must have our own distinct motivations; otherwise, studying abroad is not truly necessary. Try going beyond Instagram’s stunning photos or TikTok’s trending videos. Also, go beyond the narrative capital that it is cool to include the experience in your CV or share the story with others. The benefits of studying abroad extend far beyond that. It can mould you into a better person with a deeper and more critical understanding of the world.
References
Grant, A.M. [@AdamMGrant]. (2021, January 26). The purpose of a university is not to train skills. It’s to promote the pursuit of knowledge. [Twitter]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/adammgrant/status/1354093110087667712?s=61&t=khK4x2klKU8qYl0188D_sg
King, R., Lulle, A., Moroşanu, L., & Williams, A. (2016). (working paper). International Youth Mobility and Life Transitions in Europe: Questions, Definitions, Typologies and Theoretical Approaches (pp. 19–19). Brighton: Sussex Centre for Migration Research.
Zaman, T. (2021). Week 3 — International student migration. Lecture, Brighton; University of Sussex.
Çiftçi, E. Y., & Karaman, A. C. (2021). Rethinking the Value(s) of Short-Term Youth Mobility: Neoliberal Ideals and Counterhegemonic Possibilities. In D. Cairns (Ed.), The Palgrave Handbook of Youth Mobility and Educational Migration (pp. 441–452). Palgrave Macmillan.
