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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

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  • 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

    as
    1. Donald Lien, 2007. "The Role of Scholarships in Study Abroad Programs," Education Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(2), pages 203-213.
    2. 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.
    3. 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.
    4. 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.
    5. 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.
    6. Tari, Juan Jose & Molina, Jose Francisco & Castejon, Juan Luis, 2007. "The relationship between quality management practices and their effects on quality outcomes," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 183(2), pages 483-501, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Mohamad Shahril Mohamad Besir & Saadiah Juliana Saadun & Siti Noraini Mohd. Tobi & Nor Zaihan Mat Hasan & Mohd Faris Fikri, 2024. "Help! I Have Been Thinking to Do It Lately: Workplace Mistreatment and Suicidal Ideation Among Internship Students in Klang Valley," Information Management and Business Review, AMH International, vol. 16(3), pages 776-786.
    2. 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.
    3. Manan Shah & Ameya Kshirsagar & Tulasi Sushra, 2024. "Student Trend Analysis for Foreign Education Employing Machine Learning: A Case Study from ‘Disha Consultants’, Gujarat, India," Annals of Data Science, Springer, vol. 11(2), pages 571-588, April.

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