Future International Job Market Trends for African Students Studying Abroad
Shorelight, along with the Presidents’ Alliance, has reported on global visa denials for more than a year now. We have highlighted Africa because of the consistently high percentage of African students being denied the opportunity to study in the US. This article highlights reasons why African students are looking to study abroad and makes predictions on the volume of students we anticipate in the near future. Africa has rapidly become a place to keep our eyes on.
Africa’s rapidly expanding young population is driving a significant increase in the number of students seeking education abroad. As Africa’s population is expected to soar from 1.4 billion today to 2.5 billion by 2050, this trend is likely to accelerate. By 2035, more young Africans will be entering the workforce each year than in the rest of the world combined.
Embassy Closure Forces Bangladeshi Students to Defer US Enrollment
For any students we have trying to come in from Bangladesh, this is a significant blow. It appears some emergency appointments for students are being granted and select students may qualify for an interview waiver. Additionally, some appointments have been reserved for students in the Kolkata embassy in India for Bangladeshi students; however, travel requires a visa, which is problematic for these students.
However, as the academic year begins in mid-August, many students are now set to miss the start of their courses and may be forced to wait another year to enrol. “The students are stuck in limbo, and they have no idea what they could do,” said Ahad Farhan, a Bangladesh-based business development manager at MPower Financing.
Learn more on Times Higher Education >
US Senator Todd Young Discusses Immigration Reform, Pessimism in Politics at NWI Forum Luncheon
The current US Congress continues to struggle with making progress in immigration policy. Senator Young (R-IN) is a moderate and reasonable lawmaker; however, getting him and others to take up the issue of legal immigration has proven very frustrating. This article is especially encouraging because he has included education in his comments:
Young said legal immigrants can add to the economy, not detract from it. He pointed to industries with consistent shortages, like health care. He worries that students are coming from all over the world to attend Indiana’s universities, only to leave once they graduate — giving other countries a chance to take advantage. “Canada actively recruiting people out of our country into their country to add value to their economy. Who’s educated them? Well, the United States of America, through our universities and subsidized through taxpayers,”Young added.
Get the full story from WFYI Indianapolis >
Parents Dig into Savings and Pensions to Pay for International Education, Survey Finds
We are always looking for news from the three other countries considered among the Big Four study abroad destinations: Australia, Canada, and the UK. We also follow news about new emerging competitors such as France, Germany, New Zealand, and others. We know that sending a child to college is major investment for both parents and students. This article discusses challenges and trends in today’s market.
The research stated that an estimated 4.67 million students are expected to study abroad by 2025. Over half (51%) of respondents either aspire to send their child overseas for study or already have a child studying internationally.
Unsurprisingly, the survey found that the US, the UK and Australia remain the top destinations for international students.
However, it added “a new preference is emerging from younger generations of parents, who are considering international markets closer to home, which could help to offset rising education costs.”
A Majority of Colleges Report an Increase in International Applications
Don’t be deceived by the headline. While the US is still number one, we continue to see a post-pandemic slowdown in overall demand.
A little more than half of colleges surveyed by the Institute of International Education said overseas applications increased for fall 2024. But that’s a smaller share than in 2023 and 2022, when applications rose at 61 and 65 percent of colleges, respectively.
About a third of colleges reported falling numbers, while 17 percent said they were steady.
