International students in Switzerland:: trajectories, stay rates, and intentions for post-graduate mobility

Abstract

Increased international student mobility (ISM) has become one of the salient features of contemporary global migration. In the context of growing global mobility and the globalization of higher education, international student migration to Switzerland is changing significantly in both extent and character. Due to the importance of international students in current migration flows, their mobility is receiving increased attention in migration studies and policy debates. This dissertation sheds light on the character and dynamics of ISM by analyzing the migration trajectories of international students in Switzerland. The study aims to discover patterns and identify factors which have a positive or negative impact on the stay rates of international students and their subsequent integration into the Swiss labour market, proposes a framework for student mobility, and finally discusses the results in a context of current changes in migration policies and debates including a glance at migration policies outside Switzerland. The thesis is composed of four sections which draw attention to a) stay rates of international students, b) intentions to stay in Switzerland, taking partnership status into account, c) integration into the Swiss labour market, and d) changes in relevant policies. The statistical data originates from various datasets on international students, from a merged dataset of the Swiss Higher Education Information System (SHIS) and the Central Migration Information System (ZEMIS) 1 , a series of the Swiss Graduate Surveys, and the NCCR Mobility and Migration Survey. Statistical methods are used to test a series of static and dynamic factors, such as social and demographic characteristics (nationality, gender, age, civil status), as well as educational characteristics (study field, study performance, the higher education institution). Furthermore, the minutes of the discourse of the parliamentary initiative that led to law amendments are examined. Finally, the results on the educational trajectories of international students are discussed in the context of recent changes in Swiss migration policies.

La importancia de la madurez científica durante las estancias de investigación

“…A pesar de tener instituciones de renombre mundial y consideradas dentro de las 200 mejores, como la UNAM y el Tecnológico de Monterrey (QS World University Rankings, 2022), ¿es necesario irse y no volver para prosperar? Investigaciones demuestran que muchas veces los estudiantes de países en desarrollo tienen una percepción de que la calidad de la educación es mejor en el extranjero (Lombard, 2019); uno de los retos para la academia es combatir esta percepción. México es uno de los diez países con mayor "fuga de cerebro" (Weiss, 2021).…”