Migration intentions of international distance education students studying from a South African institution: unpacking potential brain drain

ABSTRACT

The outward migration of skilled migrants has disproportionally affected the Global South, particularly in countries in Africa, producing what is commonly referred to as ‘brain drain’. Within this literature, there has been considerable focus on the future migration intentions of international students, who symbolise skilled migration. However, much previous literature assumes international education must be obtained through physical mobility, despite the growing provision of internationalisation at a distance, whereby students remain ‘at home’ while studying online or distantly from an institution based ‘abroad’. This study has unravelled the future migration intentions of students studying through online distance education, using a questionnaire of 607 South African, Namibian, and Zimbabwean students in relation to four sets of factors: academic and social adjustment, educational and work experience, socio-economic variables, and individual demographic characteristics. Our findings indicate a complex picture of international distance students’ future migration intentions and significant differences between students based on country of origin, socioeconomic status, and demographic variables. These findings have particular relevance following the increasing shifts to online distance learning following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Acknowledgements

The IDEAS project is funded by the Newton Grant and supported by the Economic and Social Research Council [grant number: ES/P002161/1]; and the National Research Foundation [grant number: UTSA160329161196]. The IDEAS project involved an interdisciplinary and international team of researchers. The authors would like to acknowledge the varied contributions of all the other team members involved in the wider project.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 These four racial categories are defined by the South African government and were asked in accordance with the post-1994 legislation and regulatory frameworks in the country.

Additional information

Funding

The IDEAS project is funded by the Newton Grant and supported by the Economic and Social Research Council [grant number: ES/P002161/1]; and the National Research Foundation [grant number: UTSA160329161196].