No abstract

An increasing number of students complete an internship during their higher education studies in a country different from that of their home institution. A main advantage of this type of mobility is that it responds to employers' need for graduates with both hands‐on experience and global skills. In this paper, we attempt to review existing research on the types of skills higher education students gain through their participation in international internships. While there are several systematic reviews on study abroad programmes, this is, to the best of our knowledge, the first focusing on internship programmes abroad. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) approaches were used to explore four electronic databases (Scopus, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect and Resources Information Center). From these, 31 relevant studies were identified, and data were examined using a combination of thematic and content analysis. Intrapersonal skills (e.g., open mindedness, self‐confidence) are found to be the most frequently cited skills learned by participants. Many of the reviewed studies also report learning gains in terms of practical knowledge and language proficiency. On the other hand, there is less evidence suggesting that international internships enhance cognitive skills and leadership skills. The large majority of the reviewed studies, however, have methodological problems. A future research agenda is outlined, along with suggestions for improving the research methodology.

The increasing number of university students participating in international mobility programs worldwide calls for a better understanding of the effects of studying abroad. Despite the frequent claim that these programs enhance participants’ labor market prospects, there is no clear consensus in the literature about their impact on earnings. The present article attempts to shed light on this issue by applying meta‐analysis techniques to 166 estimates of returns to studying abroad from 17 studies. Summary measures used in meta‐analysis indicate that participation in study abroad programs during university studies has a small positive effect on post‐graduation earnings. However, due to the high heterogeneity and publication bias, this conclusion should be interpreted very cautiously. Multivariate meta‐regression analysis shows that the omission of relevant variables from the wage equation, the econometric methods employed, and the duration of the study abroad experience contribute to explain variation in the empirical findings.