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Factors Affecting Students in the Selection of Country for Higher Education: A Comparative Analysis of International Students in Germany and the UK

Author

Listed:
  • Jawad Abbas

    (Faculty of Business and Economics, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, 07743 Jena, Germany
    Department of Business Administration, Iqra University, Islamabad 44000, Pakistan)

  • Uthman Alturki

    (Educational Technology Department, College of Education, King Saud University, P.O. Box 65663, Riyadh 11566, Saudi Arabia)

  • Misbah Habib

    (Faculty of Management Sciences, Forman Christian College and University, Lahore 54600, Pakistan)

  • Ahmed Aldraiweesh

    (Educational Technology Department, College of Education, King Saud University, P.O. Box 65663, Riyadh 11566, Saudi Arabia)

  • Waleed Mugahed Al-Rahmi

    (Faculty of Social Sciences & Humanities, School of Education, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Skudai 81310, Johor, Malaysia)

Abstract

Based on the internationalization of higher education in the current global highly competitive education market, the current study aims to explore the factors affecting students in the selection of the country to continue their higher education. Following the mixed-method approach, the researchers collected data from international students studying in Germany and the United Kingdom (UK). The qualitative phase identified six themes: academic, social, personal, financial, career, and marketing as the highly influential elements in students’ choice to study abroad. Empirical analyses indicate that students in both countries consider academic reputation as a dominant theme in the selection of country for HEI. However, noteworthy differences were identified in the subsequent themes. Moreover, international students in Germany were found more satisfied with their choice of the country as compared to the students in the UK. This study provides valuable insights to the academic policymakers in the host and home countries concerning factors that pull and push students to study abroad. It also proposes recommendations to counter the brain drain element.

Suggested Citation

  • Jawad Abbas & Uthman Alturki & Misbah Habib & Ahmed Aldraiweesh & Waleed Mugahed Al-Rahmi, 2021. "Factors Affecting Students in the Selection of Country for Higher Education: A Comparative Analysis of International Students in Germany and the UK," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-17, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:18:p:10065-:d:631542
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Misbah Habib & Jawad Abbas & Rahat Noman, 2019. "Are human capital, intellectual property rights, and research and development expenditures really important for total factor productivity? An empirical analysis," International Journal of Social Economics, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 46(6), pages 756-774, February.
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    3. Jacob, W. James & Gokbel, Veysel, 2018. "Global higher education learning outcomes and financial trends: Comparative and innovative approaches," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 5-17.
    4. Donald Lien, 2007. "The Role of Scholarships in Study Abroad Programs," Education Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(2), pages 203-213.
    5. Guilbault, Melodi, 2018. "Students as customers in higher education: The (controversial) debate needs to end," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 295-298.
    6. Amer Mutrik Sayaf & Mahdi Mohammed Alamri & Mohammed Ayid Alqahtani & Waleed Mugahed Al-Rahmi, 2021. "Information and Communications Technology Used in Higher Education: An Empirical Study on Digital Learning as Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-19, June.
    7. Waleed Mugahed Al-Rahmi & Ahmed Ibrahim Alzahrani & Noraffandy Yahaya & Nasser Alalwan & Yusri Bin Kamin, 2020. "Digital Communication: Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Usage for Education Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-18, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Zhikang Xie & Xinglin Liu & Hina Najam & Qinghua Fu & Jawad Abbas & Ubaldo Comite & Laura Mariana Cismas & Andra Miculescu, 2022. "Achieving Financial Sustainability through Revenue Diversification: A Green Pathway for Financial Institutions in Asia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-16, March.

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