The latest research report by British Council forecasts a drop of an average annual 1.7 percent in outbound student mobility through 2027. The key factor contributing to the continuous decline can be attributed to the decrease in demographic cohort from China.

China and India account for approximately half of the global university population and contribute to about 40 percent of the total global growth in outbound student figures between 2012 and 2015. The British Council predicted the two markets to continue driving increment through 2027, accounting for a collective 60 percent of overall growth in outbound mobility over the next decade. This is in spite of the ongoing growth of tertiary enrolment in both countries, particularly the heavy investment by China in its local higher education sector which will witness a demand in the next few years.

This finding underlines a key market dynamic in global mobility. While it is important to focus on China and India, it is critical to expand their focus on other fundamental growth markets as well.

The study highlights the top ten projected growth markets for outbound mobility through 2027.

In addition, the study demonstrated the possibility for alternate forms of delivering international education, including distance education and transnational education. At present, the high outbound mobility can be attributed to the lack of capacity or quality education in most countries. However, with heightened political and financial attention placed on shaping education, things are set to change. More students may opt to pursue higher education in universities close to home and schools will have to be more dependent on partnerships or distance models for advancement.

Source: ICEF Monitor