Globally, the systems in education especially overseas education have undergone tremendous changes over the past few decades. During the 1970s and 1980s, overseas education was regarded as a privilege that could be afforded only by a few. There were few programs available, these programs were costly, and most of them were tailored for the graduate students involved in research. But since the 90s we have witnessed the globalization of education and more and more students are now able to go abroad to study.
A look into the evolution of overseas education
Parallel to that, escalating worldwide attentiveness to the concept of internationalization policies led to the rapid growth of the partnerships between universities across the world to offer study abroad opportunities. Governments and organizations also provided more funding. This is happening in the form of grants, scholarships, and loans to cater for the costs. This helped to make overseas education available to a cross-section of society in terms of socio-economic status. Other factors that fueled demand included the shift towards growth of emerging markets such as China and India. The early part of the year 2000s was therefore marked with record levels of student mobility.
Overseas education programs also transitioned to other forms to cater for the changing expectations of students. As globalization surged forward, students needed more exposure to cultural realities; enhancement in language development; and most importantly, development of intercultural skills.
Social tools such as the internet and smartphones changed the way students prepare and ensure their safety during their study abroad programs. Students found independence in new environments easier with help from online pre-departure guidance, navigation, communication technologies, transferring of credits, etc. Demand also shifted to other regions that are not traditionally popular, such as Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Rather than program quality, cost and the likelihood of employment when they go back to study have become factors of consideration.
Just as the COVID-19 pandemic has recently restricted the ability to travel, so has global learning through online learning increased. In the future, studies overseas may be hybrid, where some courses are completed online and some are done on campus after borders are re-opened. Still, the study abroad endeavor remains a field that keeps on adapting to the various trends brought about by available technology and the changing socio-political environment. The evolution of overseas education still has a long way to go!
No comments:
Post a Comment