Careers on the Move: International Doctoral Students at an Elite British University

Abstract

International student mobility, especially at doctoral level, is a largely under-researched component of international migration. This is in stark contrast with the case of credit mobility where much research has been undertaken on Erasmus students. The aim of this paper is to remedy the situation by focusing on international doctoral students who chose to study at an elite higher education institution in the UK. By analysing the role of – local, national and international – schemes of funding in shaping individual mobility decisions, the author argues against the portrayal of international students as ‘rational decision makers’ in favour of a more contextualised approach to mapping the graduate student migratory phenomenon. By contrasting the ‘entry channels’ of students with their future plans – in terms of the nature of future career and geographic location – the author challenges the assumption that internationally mobile students are coming with the intention of settling down in their study destination. The study cannot uphold the view of international students as a ‘migratory elite’ either; although some postgraduate students are indeed from more privileged backgrounds, many individuals undertake international doctoral mobility with the explicit aim of capital accumulation. Last but not least, the paper strongly argues for abandoning the term ‘spontaneous mobility’ in student mobility research because a significant proportion of degree mobility does not occur spontaneously but is a result of organised schemes of funding.