International Student Mobility in ASEAN

Abstract

This chapter will examine the present context where international student mobility in the ASEAN region is concerned. It will look at how national policy, regional policy, and specific mobility initiatives are functioning to support the creation of an ‘ASEAN Student Mobility' regional hub. In particular, the chapter will explore how these efforts relate to existing theoretical models that that exist to explain student mobility and whether they are framed in terms of this theoretical thinking. The chapter will conclude by arguing that while there is the potential for increases in intra-ASEAN student mobility which can enhance the economic and cultural life of the region, a more coherent and coordinated approach is required by the key political stakeholders who lead in the area. It draws upon two recent major research studies undertaken by the team examining student mobility in the ASEAN region.

International education supports and cross-border student mobility: factors influencing Cambodian and Laotian students’ choice of studying in a Vietnamese university

“…Vietnam-bound ISM is, first, characterised by diplomatic and economic relations between Vietnam and the sending countries of international students. This trend is evident in the dominant majority of international students in Vietnam come from Cambodia and Laos, its two neighbouring countries (Atherton et al, 2020;MOET, 2022). Vietnam's more recent ties with South Korea have also given rise to the presence of Korean nationals in Vietnamese HEIs, especially in Vietnamese studies undergraduate programmes or short-term language and culture courses as shown in the works of Phan et al (2022) and Khanh and Ngoc (2023a, b).…”

“…In recent years, both Cambodia and Laos have witnessed steady and increasing outflows of students engaging in higher education abroad (Atherton et al, 2020). In terms of destinations, Vietnam is the top choice for Laotian students (Chao, 2020), and one of the most popular host countries for those from Cambodia (Phirom, 2022).…”

“…Possibly due to the distinctiveness of CLS influx to Vietnam that studies investigating this group of students almost exclusively cover aspects of their experiences in Vietnam (Doan, 2012;Nguyen et al, 2020;MOET, 2022) rather than seeking to understand factors influencing their decisions to choose Vietnam as the host country. Given that CLS are also eligible to receive scholarships from other sponsoring countries (Atherton et al, 2020) and there are an increasing number of fee-paying students from Cambodia and Laos in Vietnamese HEIs, gaining insight into their decision to go to Vietnam is necessary. This would not only contribute to the mosaic of Asia-bound ISM literature but also offer implication for intraregional vertical mobility which might facilitate affordable cross-national higher education access.…”

Through the Looking Glass: How the COVID-19 Pandemic Changed International Branch Campuses’ Academic Experience and Home Campus Relationship

“…Malaysia was selected as the host country in this research because it is often regarded as an “education hub”, due in part to favorable government policies toward TNE as well as a large student market. Malaysia accounts for 40% of enrollments of ASEAN students that study abroad within the region ( Atherton et al, 2018 ), and TNE management processes in Malaysia are “generally well developed”, according to an analysis by the UK's Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education ( QAA, 2020 ).…”

Reimagining Higher Education in the Post-COVID-19 Era: Chinese Students’ Desires for Overseas Learning and Implications for University Governance

“…During the COVID-19 crisis, student mobility and academic exchange were made available within the Asian region through innovative means and mixed modes of in-person and virtual channels. ASEAN representative bodies and member states provided more flexible ways of implementing “internationalism at home,” where less physical mobility and more virtual mobility are required to experience the curriculum’s internationalism (Atherton et al, 2021 ). Whether regionalization of higher education would shape the future of Chinese student mobility is open for further research.…”