Property Hunter Magazine Issue 63- February 2015 | Page 20

HOT TOPIC | Sabahan Migration And Education Destination

SABAHAN
MIGRATION

&

EDUCATION DESTINATION

U

IS (UNESCO
Institute of
Statistics) data
on the mobility of
students sheds
light on the shifting
demand for higher education,
particularly in the developing world.
The number of students pursuing
studies abroad continues to surge
as higher education institutions
around the world vie for the best
and brightest minds.

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So what is behind this increase?
Steve Woodfield, a senior researcher
in higher education policy at the
UK’s Kingston University, suggests
it’s simply down to students looking
for a better education.
“There is continuing unmet demand
for good quality higher-education
in many countries, particularly in
Asia, combined with a willingness
amongst potential students to
travel and to pay for high-quality
overseas study.”

More students are studying abroad today and it is
predicted that the figure could rise to 7 million by
2020. Data released by the OECD (an international
trade and research organization) revealed that in
2010, 4.1 million students were studying abroad.
This is a rise of 0.4 million since 2009, and a truly
stunning increase of 99% since 2000.

Elizabeth Shepherd, Research
Director for the British Council’s
Education Intelligence, agrees.
“There are an increasing number
of relevant aged young people
whose families have an increasing
disposable income that they are
willing to spend on higher education
overseas to give their children an
opportunity to progress in their
future careers.
“Students are looking for a ‘value
add’, beyond the qualification they

obtain to help them stand out
from the crowd when it comes to
employment.”
Jasmine Leong, Executive Director of
IEC Sdn Bhd, a one-stop education
centre in Kota Kinabalu that assists
students with overseas university
placement concurs saying that
better environment, experiencing a
different way of life and culture, and
more course options and choices are
the main reasons why students in
Sabah consider studying overseas.