Erasmus+ is the EU’s main programme for encouraging training across Europe in the areas of education, training, youth, and sport. The initiative is , with its 2021–27 budget (€26.2 billion) nearly double what it was in the 2014–20 period. The number of learners taking advantage of Erasmus+ has also nearly doubled from 2014. Erasmus+ says that the 2021-27 budget “will fund learning mobility experiences for roughly 1,275,000 participants and support more than 100,000 organisations across all sectors.”

In a 15 April , the UK government reassured the public that it “secured a 30% discount on the default contribution rate, delivering a fair deal for taxpayers while guaranteeing full participation in the programme.”

The expectation is that “100,000 people [will] benefit in the first year alone, including apprentices on placements in leading European companies, school groups taking part in cultural exchanges, and organisations collaborating on new cross-border initiatives.”

European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, welcomed the news:

“Europe and the UK have enjoyed mutually beneficial educational ties for centuries. Strengthening those ties further makes perfect sense on both sides – for our students, teachers, educational systems, economies and societies as a whole. I look forward to seeing the immense potential of this development being realised as soon as possible.”

British Council will lead the UK’s participation

The government has chosen the British Council to be the National Agency for Erasmus+ in the UK, and this will be finalised later this year by the European Commission.

Scott McDonald, Chief Executive of the British Council, offered a quote for the announcement:

“As the National Agency for Erasmus+, the British Council will work closely with the Department for Education, the Devolved Governments and the European Commission to make the most of the opportunities of the programme for the UK.”

Jamie Arrowsmith, Director of Universities UK International, spoke on behalf of his organisation:

“Universities UK International (UUKi) is delighted that the UK and EU governments have finalised the agreement which enables the UK to participate in Erasmus+ in 2027, and we welcome the appointment of the British Council as the UK’s National Agency for Erasmus+.”

Rapprochement with Europe

Joining Erasmus+ is one of many signals that the UK government is prioritising closer ties with Europe amid pronounced geopolitical shifts and as the damaging effects of Brexit on the economy become more and more apparent.

The press release states that as a result of rejoining the mobility programme, “UK institutions and communities will also once again welcome EU participants and the skills, diversity and culture they bring.”

A study for the has found that over the course of a decade, ending in 2025:

• UK GDP per capita was 6–8% lower than it would have been without Brexit
• Investment was 12–18% lower
• Employment was 3–4% lower
• Productivity was 3–4% lower

The Brexit government led by Boris Johnson had predicted there would be short-term losses from the departure from Europe. However, the research found that it considerably underestimated the long-term, ongoing losses.

The first UK-EU Summit happened in May of 2025, and it resulted in UK/EU agreements on food and drink, energy, emissions trading, security, and defence.

The press release’s working on the summit’s results reflect the current Starmer government’s belief in UK/European cooperation: “[The agreements] are helping to make people across the UK safer, more secure, and more prosperous.”

Speaking to in April, Prime Minister Starmer said: “We’re in a world where there’s massive conflict, great uncertainty, and I strongly believe the UK’s best interests are in a stronger, closer relationship with Europe.”

For additional background, please see:

• “British Council says student recruitment to UK higher education will get a boost this year from South Asia and the ‘Trump effect’“

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That combination of factors is pressuring the return on investment (ROI) calculations of prospective students, and encouraging them to consider alternate destinations outside of the Big Four (US, UK, Canada, Australia), and/or to stay in their home countries to study.

Those are the key findings of two recent surveys of prospective graduate management education (GME) students.

The first is from CarringtonCrisp. The latest edition of this long-running survey (which has operated on an annual cycle since 2009) gathers responses from 1,646 prospective students from 35 countries.

The 2026 survey finds that 31% of prospective students now plan to pursue an MBA outside their home country. That compares to the 35% who intended to do so last year, and the 39% who indicated their interest in study abroad two years ago. The overall pattern, at least within the CarringtonCrisp sample, is one of weakening demand for MBA study abroad over time.

“Getting a visa for study has become more difficult in many of the previously leading study destinations, but it has also become more difficult to get a post-study work visa, impacting the potential ROI of an MBA,” says the report.

Aside from those ROI projections for study abroad, the survey found that half of the respondents who said they would not go abroad to study felt that there were good quality business schools in their home countries. This reflects in part the rapid and continuing expansion of transnational education programmes in a number of major sending markets over the last two years, including China and India.

Those findings are reflected as well in a second study released just this week: the , which draws on a larger sample of 4,253 respondents from 145 countries.

“The direction of the future candidate pipeline is being reshaped by what, how, and increasingly where prospective students choose to study. When building new strategies, business schools should factor in the elasticity of evolving patterns in global student mobility as candidates explore a broader array of study destinations worldwide,” says GMAC CEO Joy Jones. “At the same time, candidates are becoming ever more disciplined in how they assess return on investment, challenging programs to demonstrate clear relevance and concrete outcomes. Insights from the GMAC Prospective Students Survey suggest that success in this environment will hinge on how effectively schools communicate measurable value and build trust with prospective students navigating an increasingly complex global landscape.”

Both studies cite the cost of GME study abroad as a major factor in student decision making. The GMAC survey highlights a declining in interest in study in the United States between 2024 and 2025, in favour of destinations in Europe and Asia. The report adds that, “Where prospective students choose to study is shaped by far more than academic preference. It reflects perceptions of opportunity, risk, affordability, career access, and broader social and political contexts.”

Of the declining interest in graduate business study in the United States in particular, GMAC says:

“Following the inauguration of President Donald Trump in January of 2025, non-US candidates have increasingly reported they are less likely to pursue GME in the United States under this government. Notably, a plurality of candidates are still neutral about the impact of this administration’s policies and practices on their study plans –��though decidedly less than the months immediately following President Trump’s inauguration, and especially compared to the months after we first added the question prior to the election in May of 2024. Announcements related to global tariffs, potential changes to the H1-B visa program, and other economic and immigration policies –��along with the informal chilling effects that accompany these formal policy positions –��have had ripple effects on the global economy and migration to the United States, resulting in non-US GME candidates increasingly wanting to study elsewhere.”

The GMAC report advises that recruitment teams adjust to this shifting student demand by:

• Creating region-specific messaging that “speaks directly to why studying in your country and institution delivers distinct academic, career, and lifestyle value.”

• Addressing mobility concerns directly and early, especially as they relate to visas, work authorisations, and career transitions after study.

• Rebalancing recruitment targets and yield strategies toward markets where demand is rising “rather than relying on historical sending markets.”

For additional background, please see:

• “From the Big Four to the Big Fourteen“
• “The changing face of international student mobility“
• “What students want: The top decision factors for study abroad“

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India, like China, has cultivated an eclectic mix of political and economic alliances across multiple regions. It is as likely to partner with the US as with Russia, and it works closely with France, Germany, Japan, and Australia on joint goals in the spheres of military, technology, and trade. In 2026, India has renewed ties with Canada under Prime Minister Mark Carney after a years-long diplomatic rift.

Higher education has become another area of strength: the number of top-ranked Indian higher education institutions is growing. In the 2026 QS world ranking, 54 Indian institutions were featured. This is five times as many as in 2015.

For all these reasons – as well as US President Trump’s dismantling of the post-WWII world order of alliances – India is an increasingly coveted trade and education partner. It is now negotiating from a very different position than it has historically: a position of strength, as an equal partner.

This is nowhere more evident than in international education. India is no longer just a source of students for the Big Four (Australia, Canada, UK, and US) – it is ever more a country with which the Big Four partner under mutually beneficial terms.

This reality is well illustrated by the warming India-Canada relationship in 2026.

The Canada–India Talent and Innovation Strategy

In February 2026, representatives from 20 top Canadian institutions travelled to India to explore partnerships centred on common areas of interest and specialisation with Indian counterparts. There, the was launched by Universities Canada and Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan). Notably, Prime Minister Carney as well as Foreign Minister Anita Anand were present in Mumbai for the official launch, signalling the importance of the Strategy to Canada.

Out of that event alone, 13 new MOUs were signed (see ). Collectively, the MOUs cover student and faculty exchanges; joint academic programming; dual credentials; embedded work experience; post-study progressions into jobs; research collaboration including potential TNE arrangements and STEM projects such as clean energy and AI; and pathways from Indian programmes to Canadian programmes.

The collaborative approach signalled by the new Strategy is more than evident in the statements prepared by Minister Anand and Universities Canada President Gabriel Miller. Count the number of times “partner” or “partnership” appear in their quotes:

Minister Anand: “Canada and India are natural partners in education, innovation and research. Canada welcomes the new Canada–India Talent and Innovation Strategy that will create opportunities for students and researchers, drive economic growth, and reinforce the strong people-to-people ties that connect our two countries.”

Mr Miller: “This is a new chapter in a very important relationship, and it demands a new partnership on higher education and research, which is vital to the future of both our countries. We are building the foundations of a long-term partnership that will create good jobs, better incomes and communities that can thrive in a highly competitive global economy.”

An invitation to ambassadors

Also in February, Indian Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan addressed the Study in India Edu-Diplomatic Conclave 2026 in New Delhi. In attendance were ambassadors, high commissioners, and diplomats from over 50 countries. With Indian officials, participants discussed strengthening international cooperation in higher education.

As per an article in The Hindustan Times: “[Minister Pradhan] called upon the Excellencies to collaborate with India’s fast-growing, innovation-driven, multidisciplinary and access-friendly education system.”

Minister Pradhan told the assembly that “Indian institutions are deepening global engagement through joint, dual and twinning programmes, while premier universities are expanding their international footprint.” He made particular mention of the Global South and distanced it from its colonialist interpretation: “From artificial intelligence, biotechnology and semiconductors to sustainable energy, India is emerging as a trusted innovation partner, advancing a Global South model rooted in collaboration, capacity-building and shared knowledge.”

The foreign diplomats were told that India’s previously unstructured and unregulated environment for branch campuses has been replaced with “a transparent and time-bound regulatory framework” that has seen top institutions in Australia, Italy, the UK, and the US cleared within a month.

A redefinition of India

Canada’s flurry of education and research agreements with India are but an example of momentum in the Big Four to move from a purely recruitment-focused model – i.e., enrolling Indian students at home – to a partnership model. In recent months, the UK, Spain, and Australia have all sent similar delegations to build new partnerships in India.

The shift happens as:

• The number of Indian students studying abroad in 2025 fell by -5.7% compared with 2024, according to India’s Ministry of External Affairs;
• The number of first-time Indian students in UK institutions fell -12% in 2024/25, the second year of decline;
• In Australia, Indian commencements were down -8% in January–September 2025;
• In the first half of 2025, Canada granted 9,995 study permits to Indian students – down from 76,930 in the same period in 2024 and 149,875 in 2023;
• In the US, F-1 visas issued to Indian students fell by -44% in the first half of 2025 versus the first half of 2024.

For additional background, please see:

• “The number of Indian students abroad fell in 2025“
• “The UK is quickly expanding its TNE footprint in India”

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As a result, the government is pursuing international research collaborations, opening branch campuses, and establishing joint programmes with foreign institutions as much as it is trying to attract more students to study in China. A new goal is to see 8 million Chinese students enrolled in transnational education programmes (TNE); the current number is 800,000. No timeline has been specified, but China tends to achieve targets with exceptional speed.

China’s attraction for international students

The number of Chinese universities placing in ranking systems such as Times Higher Education (THE), QS, and Shanghai (also known as the Academic Ranking of World Universities, or ARWU) continues to rise. In 2025, 108 Chinese institutions made ARWU’s top 500, just behind the 111 American institutions in that tier. This was a +10% year-over-year rise for China, compared to +2% for the US. Over the past decade, the pattern is even more striking, as shown in the following chart from Higher Education Strategy Associates. In this chart showing the changed position of 9 countries over 10 years, only Australia joined China in improved performance over time, and that was minimal. The US was the country with the greatest contraction in the ARWU rankings from 2015–25.

There is a similar 10-year contrast between the number of Chinese and US institutions placing in the top 500 on : China is way up with fewer US institutions ranked.

Ascent up the rankings is a major draw for international students considering China for study abroad, but there are also other benefits. Among them are ample scholarships offered by the Chinese government (especially at the postgraduate level) as well as relatively low tuition fees and costs of living. At the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Summit, for example, China announced 60,000 new scholarships for African students.

What’s more, for students from over 100 Belt and Road (BRI) countries, the presence of Chinese companies in their home region offers opportunities for post-study employment. Over the past decade, Chinese companies have created millions of jobs in Africa, and China is the continent’s top trading partner.

The extensive range of the Belt and Road initiative – stretching across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America and the Caribbean – has also fuelled the diversity of nationalities on Chinese campuses. : “No one nationality is over-represented among China’s international cohorts – an aim many institutions globally are attempting to replicate.”

QS expects international enrolments in China to increase by +2.5% annually till 2030 to about 550,000 – a lower growth rate than European countries as well as New Zealand, Malaysia, South Korea, and Vietnam, but a greater expansion than in the US, Australia, and Canada. Any growth will be thanks in no small part to China’s growing supply of English-taught programmes (ETPs). There are now as many ETPs in China as in many leading European destinations (close to 3,000), especially in STEM programmes and at the postgraduate level.

Language and cultural barriers an issue

The diversity of international students in Chinese universities is impressive, but QS notes that there is a downside: “[It] cushions against single-market volatility but also complicates recruitment strategies and programme design.” With top nationalities including Thailand, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Russia – and growing numbers of African students – it is not a simple task to support all students in terms of language and cultural integration.

Integration can also be complicated because international students are often housed in separate, more well-equipped student residences than domestic students – another point of tension for Chinese families. Vietnamese study abroad consultancy notes:

“Rooms are usually more spacious, fully equipped with private bathrooms/showers, air conditioning, mini-fridges, and even balconies. Compared to dormitories for Chinese students (often 4-6 person rooms, shared bathrooms, no or limited air conditioning), the conditions for international students are clearly prioritised.”

Growing resistance to inbound student mobility

Continuing a pattern that can be observed in other major study destinations, there is mounting frustration among some segments of the Chinese public about growing numbers of foreign students in in the country, especially against a backdrop of persistently high youth unemployment rates.

That frustration is in large part driven by intense competition for well-paid jobs in the country. In published by the University of Oxford, authors Wen Wen and Die Hu pointed out that:

“China is a non-immigrant nation with a surplus of domestic college graduates … its ability to absorb foreign graduates into the labour force is low and the legal limitations for foreign students to stay are valid.”

Since that paper’s publication, China launched the K Visa in 2025 in a bid to attract more STEM researchers to the country. Those eligible for the K Visa do not need a job offer from a Chinese employer, and the visa offers considerably more flexibility regarding entry frequency, validity period, and duration of stay than other Chinese visas.

The K Visa was launched the same year that China’s graduating class numbered 12.2 million, up more than +4% over 2024 and the largest increase ever. When the new visa was announced, voicing upset, some of them xenophobic. Canada’s newspaper interviewed Zheng Yifan, a 33-year-old tech worker from Chengdu, who said:

“I feel this visa doesn’t sound wise, and many in my industry share similar views. This whole thing leaves a bitter taste in the mouths of people like me who have climbed the ladder through sheer effort. China doesn’t lack talented people – we just lack job opportunities and resources.”

Similarly, Jakky Yang, a 27-year-old investment adviser in Shenzhen, said: “The fundamental reason many people like me oppose this visa is because our own domestic needs still need to be addressed. Many people in China are caught in a cutthroat competition, struggling to survive, while foreigners can easily access the benefits we have to fight so hard for.”

“Pretending to work”

If anything suggests just how dire many Chinese youth feel about their job prospects, it is the “pretending to work” phenomenon, which dovetails with the “lying flat” trend. Essentially:

• “Lying flat” describes Chinese youth who have simply stopped looking for jobs due to dismay over limited opportunities, choosing instead to stay at home, adopt a minimalist lifestyle, and sometimes be paid to take care of ageing parents or household chores.

• “Pretending to work” is a nationwide trend in which jobless young people pay a company for office space. One example is the aptly branded Pretend To Work Company in Dongguan, which asks for US$5 a day in return for access to an equipped office where clients socialise and/or conduct job searches. In 2025, the interviewed Pretend To Work Company clients, who reported feeling less alone and less pressured by anxious parents in their rented office space.

Both “lying flat” and “pretending to work” are stark illustrations of the tension between the needs of the Chinese economy and the needs of Chinese students and workers facing barriers to landing good jobs in that economy.

Students returning in greater numbers

The situation becomes even more complicated because of the huge numbers of foreign-educated Chinese students returning home. About 495,000 students returned after studying abroad in 2024, nearly 20% more than in 2025, according to the Chinese Ministry of Education. The influx is partly fuelled by unfavourable visa and political climates in some host countries. The numbers have become so large that the government has set up an online job search and start-up assistance platform just for returnees. It has done so in partnership with 50 organisations to add a talent-matching component to the service – particularly in the fields of AI and advanced materials.

As with international students, there is some resentment around the influx, as domestic students and workers worry returnees will take all the most desirable jobs. The reality is more complicated.

Ba Ran, a vice president at the online recruiting firm Liepin Group, told China’s that the swell of returnees has reduced the scarcity premium of a foreign degree. He noted: “The rise of Chinese tech giants has created a demand for locally trained talent with a strong grasp of the domestic market, an area where freshly returned graduates can be at a disadvantage.” Over the past seven years, recruitment platform Zhaopin has seen a drop in Chinese job listings asking for overseas-educated talent.

While returnees with highly specialised STEM skills continue to fare well in the labour market, those with less remarkable credentials are commanding lower salaries in the past. Ba Ran says that HR departments “are no longer dazzled by an overseas degree … now they are more focused on concrete skills and a willingness to work diligently.”

Beyond inbound

Clearly, and as in so many other countries, there are limits to how many international students and researchers China can host without jeopardising social harmony. Jobs are a hot-button issue, and many a country can trace civic unrest or even revolution to perceived injustice around who can and cannot access good job opportunities.

The Chinese government seems to have foreseen this breaking point by investing heavily in transnational education (TNE). There are now more than 1,000 Chinese-foreign joint ventures or international branch campuses (IBCs) in various regions, including China. In fact, China’s “education blueprint” explicitly states a goal of attracting foreign science and engineering universities to set up shop in China. Hongqing Yang, chief executive of the Educationist Group, a Hong-Kong based consultancy, told Times Higher Education: “China seeks to cultivate talent domestically by opening up to foreign universities, especially as it faces challenges in sending its students abroad for education, particularly STEM education.”

Evolving approach

In the first 20 years of this century, the Chinese government invested heavily in the capacity and quality of China’s higher education system even as millions of Chinese students continued to go abroad. Three factors are fuelling a further evolution of China’s approach going forward:

1. China’s emerging superpower status, massive investments in research, and well-cultivated alliances and agreements with countries all over the world now allow its universities to partner equally with top foreign universities, which is a new source of innovation.
   
   
2. More restrictive visa regimes in the Big Four study destinations, tensions with the US, and a lower premium for foreign-earned degrees are prompting Chinese families to question the return on investment of study abroad.
   
   
3. The public mood suggests that there are limits to the social licence for attracting more international students to China (a development we have seen in Canada, Australia, the UK, and the US to various extents).

The UK has always been the leader in transnational education provision. In 2026, it faces far more competition in this area. Institutions in other destinations are rushing to set up branch campuses and joint programmes – often in response to government policies limiting their recruitment of students to home campuses. China is at the forefront of this race. The Chinese Ministry of Education approved a record 285 new joint education institutes and programmes at the degree level in 2025. There are now 1,589 active TNE partnerships involving China and another country.

As QS noted in its Global Flows report, China is steadily “positioning its universities as more credible partners in shaping the future of global education.”

For more information, please see:

• “China: Two-thirds of new TNE partnerships are with countries outside the Big Four”
• “China opens up to global STEM talent with new visa class”
• “Market snapshot: International student recruitment in China today”
• “Youth unemployment reaches record high in China”

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The “push” factors driving American interest in study abroad

Nearly 300,000 American students went abroad for exchanges and degrees in 2023/24, according to IIE Open Doors data, a +6% y-o-y increase. There isn’t yet more recent public data, but there are signals that many American students are applying to foreign universities due to the Trump administration’s historic defunding of research initiatives and battles with elite higher education institutions. magazine summarised the cuts in January 2026: “More than 7,800 research grants terminated or frozen. Some 25,000 scientists and personnel gone from agencies that oversee research. Proposed budget cuts of 35% – amounting to US$32 billion.”

Even before the cuts, American student demand for study abroad reached an all-time high. For example, Studyportals recorded nearly five times as many opportunities just after President Trump won the 2024 election as before it. Searches for Australia rose 467%, and they were even higher for Canada (+826%) and Ireland (+1299%) according to Studyportals CEO Edwin van Rest. The surge has since ebbed, but American search traffic is still considerably higher than before the election.

The expense of American higher education is another factor. The number of highly ranked universities outside of the US is growing, and Asia is especially notable in this respect. There are now many options for Americans who want a world-class education overseas – at much lower price point than at home. An article on included this illustrative anecdote:

“One family compared their daughter’s education at NC State to their son’s degree in Prague. Their takeaway? A $29,000 savings per year by choosing Europe. That’s not a typo. And their son still got a quality education, just without the $1,296-per-semester mandatory fees, the overpriced health insurance, and the meal plans tied to subpar dorms. In Prague, he paid a single €192 admin fee per semester—and nothing out-of-pocket for surgery, thanks to affordable health coverage.”

Data shows the shift

Recruitment agencies are noticing the uptick in American demand for study abroad. In September 2025, CBS News interviewed James Edge, owner of Beyond the States, a consultancy that helps American students to study in other countries. : “The shift is striking both in volume and in the kinds of families reaching out. From November 2024 through July 2025, [our] website visits went from 600,990 to 1,534,929 and strategy calls went from 2,215 to 29,373.”

The list of countries and institutions experiencing more demand from the US is long. Here are just a few examples:

• In 2024, American enrolments in UK universities rose to 23,500 – up from 17,000 in 2019. And in 2025, a +14% rise in American applications for study in the UK, the highest number ever.
  
• In 2025, the US was one of only three source markets in the top 25 that grew for Australia, with . This was the second-highest growth after Bangladesh.
  
• American applications to universities in the Netherlands have in the past five years.
  
• In Spain, IE University, known for its graduate programmes in business, has seen American enrolments over four years.
  
• Canada’s University of British Columbia (UBC) received +27% more graduate applications from Americans from January to March 2025 than in all of 2024. The University of Toronto and University of Waterloo also recorded spikes in interest.

Many governments stepping up recruitment of American students and researchers

It didn’t take long for European and Asian governments to capitalise on the Trump administration’s hostile rhetoric and actions toward elite US universities. In Spain, Norway, and France, governments have positioned their countries as a “refuge” for the world’s top students, researchers and scientists – and have rolled out substantial investments to recruit US talent as part of their strategy.

Over the past year:

Spain created the “EduBridge” initiative aimed at encouraging students in the US to transfer to Spanish universities.

Norway invested US$9.6 million to recruit researchers and has at US institutions including Boston College, Colorado State University, Columbia, NASA, Stanford, and the National Laboratories network. The first set of researchers have been hired the University of Oslo and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, and each receives over US$700,000 to pursue their research.

France rolled out the Lafayette Fellowship, which funds Americans to complete master’s degrees in STEM, humanities, social sciences, and the arts at top French universities. Meanwhile, created a “Safe Place for Science” programme that offered to fund about 20 American researchers for three years. It received 298 applications in one month from researchers at institutions including Johns Hopkins University, NASA, Columbia, Yale, and Stanford.

The EU launched a two-year to attract American experts to relocate to Europe.

Germany launched the with about €600 million (over US$700,000) to support international researchers to come for both short-term and long-term stays. Since its inception in July 2025, it has funded 166 researchers from 25 countries, 16% of whom are American.

Hong Kong’s Education Bureau when President Trump revoked Harvard University’s ability to host international students on 22 May 2025 (this action has since been paused as Harvard fights back in legal courts). The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology was the first to invite Harvard students to transfer their studies to it, setting up “unconditional offers, streamlined admission procedures, and academic support to students.” Several other Hong Kong universities followed suit.

Japan’s��Council for Science, Technology and Innovation – chaired by former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in June 2025 – instructed officials to help institutions recruit researchers seeking to leave the US. One of Japan’s top universities, Tohoku University, has received more funding recently due to its research excellence, and as reported by it plans to “invest JPY30 billion (US$209 million) over the next five years to hire 500 researchers who want to leave the US … The plan does not stipulate a salary cap.”

Brain drain

The “brain drain” phenomenon has been a problem faced by many countries over the years. Usually the exodus of top minds and talents flows from poorer countries or countries with high unemployment, security issues, etc. to advanced economies. But as with seemingly everything else, the Trump administration has ushered in an unprecedented trend: brain drain is now happening from the US to other countries.

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Those topline findings, notes the study report, show that, “Education abroad delivers outcomes that go far beyond employability…For most students, the mindset shift is clear — exposure to new cultures, languages and perspectives helps them see themselves as part of a wider global community, not just visitors in another country.”

The findings come from a new impact study published by sector research specialists . The study is a pilot and the beginning of a wider effort to benchmark the impact of education abroad.

The pilot cohort was made up of more than 4,250 students enrolled at 21 higher education institutions across multiple countries. However, the majority of the study participants were citizens of Australia (36%), the United Kingdom (31%), the United States (10%), or New Zealand (6%).

As we see in the following chart, more than half of the pilot cohort participated in a semester abroad, with another third attending a short international programme. The remaining 14% participated in a varsity of work placements, internships, or volunteer assignments.

When it comes to why they choose an international programme, miXabroad says, “Students are strongly motivated by the chance to step outside the familiar and experience something different.” CEO Emily O’Callaghan adds that study abroad participants, “Seek connection, culture and experience – reminding us that meaning, not just resume building, is at the heart of global learning.”

We see that reflected clearly in the next chart below, which illustrates that that pursuit of a new experience, across cultures and personal networks, is the primary motivator for international programme participants.

The vast majority of respondents (96%) report being satisfied or very satisfied (72%) with their international experience. A similar proportion of(97%) said they would likely recommend their international programme, with 77% indicating they definitely would.

“Our focus is on those who are very satisfied – because that’s when students are most inspired to actively recommend their experience, strengthening institutional reputation and driving future participation,” adds the report. “In short: the higher the satisfaction, the stronger the advocacy. Providers that aim to deliver truly satisfying experiences will see students become champions.”

Based on the research findings, miXabroad offers a number of important takeaways for programme designers and leaders.

• Centre personal growth in program design. “Build in opportunities for cultural immersion, social connection and self-discovery. These are the elements students value most and where they report the greatest personal impact.”

• Share student stories to illustrate those personal benefits.

• Engage with students before they start university. Nearly half of students consider going abroad before beginning their university programmes. Universities can boost student engagement and participation in programmes abroad by exposing prospective or incoming students to international opportunities as early as possible.

• Measure personal and social outcomes. Along with grades, universities are encouraged to track the impact of education abroad on student confidence, adaptability, and cultural awareness.

• Strengthen support at every stage of the student journey. “Pair pre-departure preparation and local orientation with ongoing pastoral and academic support. Students who feel guided, included and connected report the highest satisfaction.”

For additional background, please see:

• “���Ϲ��� Podcast: Beyond the offer letter: The services that drive international student success“
• “Global student satisfaction survey highlights growing attention to career services“
• “How likely are students to recommend your institution?“

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Aiming for balance

For now, the term being used for the new educational mobility agreement under discussion is “a balanced youth experience scheme.” The use of “balanced” alludes to the UK’s intent to control the number of students coming in from Europe to avoid disrupting the operations of universities. Before Brexit, many thought that UK institutions were disadvantaged by intra-European mobility flows, with tens of thousands of European students choosing to study in the UK while paying “home fees” (i.e., the same tuition fees as domestic students). Those lower fees did not add to most universities’ bottom lines, with the cost of hosting EU students often higher than tuition revenues. By contrast, the flow of UK students to other European countries was much weaker for a range of regions including many Britons’ low interest in learning foreign languages.
 
So far, there has been no public mention of how much European students may pay to attend university in the UK. This element of the negotiations is likely contentious, as the university sector will worry about the financial impact and the prospect of losing places for domestic students.  

Looking for improved financial terms

The official UK government announcement :

• “We have agreed that we will work towards a youth experience scheme with the EU, creating new opportunities for cultural exchange between the UK and the EU. Any scheme would give young Brits the opportunity to travel, experience other cultures, as well as work and study abroad.
• We have agreed that any scheme will be time limited, on terms to be mutually agreed, and that the overall number of participants must be acceptable to both sides.
• The exact parameters will be subject to negotiation, but the UK has been clear that any scheme should be in line with the UK’s existing schemes including participants having no access to benefits and no right to bring dependants.
• We have also agreed to work towards association to Erasmus+, on mutually agreed financial terms.
• Erasmus+ association would offer a broad range of opportunities for UK learners and staff across our education, training, youth and sport sectors, from school exchanges, work placements, language courses, and semesters abroad, to international youth work projects and training for grassroots sport staff.
• We are taking forward the next stage of negotiations on the clear mutual understanding that the UK will only associate to Erasmus+ on significantly improved financial terms.”

Majority of Britons in favour of closer ties

Prime Minister Keir Starmer is faced with an interesting dilemma in terms of satisfying the British public when it comes to European negotiations. On the one hand, show that most of the British public wishes Brexit hadn’t happened—only 3 in 10 agree that it was right for the UK to vote to leave the EU, the lowest proportion in years of tracking. Among Britons aged 18-24, that proportion falls to 1 in 10. On the other hand, opinion is more divided about whether the UK should rejoin the EU. Nearly two-thirds (64%) would like to see the UK become closer with the EU without rejoining it, and support for this option is broad-based across various political camps Another 55% would support rejoining the EU, but that average belies significant divisions within the voting public, as shown below.

 
For now, Mr Starmer is referencing partnerships rather than a reunion with the rest of Europe, : “It’s time to look forward. To move on from the stale old debates and political fights to find common sense, practical solutions which get the best for the British people. We’re ready to work with partners if it means we can improve people’s lives here at home.”
 
Mr Starmer couched the wide-ranging trade and defence deal struck this month :
 
“So that’s what this deal is all about – facing out into the world once again, in the great tradition of this nation. Building the relationships we choose, with the partners we choose, and closing deals in the national interest. Because that is what independent, sovereign nations do.”

For additional background, please see:

• “UK government sets out Brexit contingencies for student mobility“
• “New policies, Erasmus+, and booming tourism boost Spain’s international education sector“
• “Erasmus+ funding outlook for 2021 and beyond becomes more clear“
• “A closer look at post-Brexit trends in European student mobility“

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The US government paused funding of all programmes under the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) on 13 February 2025 for 15 days. Instead of ending the pause as expected on 27 February, it kept the freeze in place. Affected programmes include:

Of the students currently affected, more than 3,500 are abroad. Another 7,400 are international students in the US. Funding has also been paused for students planning to go on exchanges in the next six months.

Many students have been left wondering how they will pay their rent, and some are resorting to food banks for meals.

In addition, the ECA funding normally pays for the international education professionals employed by the scholarship and exchange programmes. Those staff are understandably worried about losing their jobs.

Major international education association band together in protest

This week, international education peak bodies announced a aimed at persuading Congress to intervene to stop the funding freeze.

In a , NAFSA executive director and CEO Dr. Fanta Aw pointed out that the affected programmes have been authorised and appropriated funds by the US Congress, and articulated what is at stake with the funding pause:

“The freeze on State Department grant programs threatens the survival of study abroad and international exchange programs that are essential to U.S. economic and national security. Halting inbound and outbound exchanges shuts the United States off from a vital flow of ideas, innovation, and global understanding and influence, creating a vacuum that could easily be filled by competing nations. We urge Congress to use its authority to intervene. Restoring this funding immediately is absolutely in the country’s national interest.”

Mark Overmann, executive director of the Alliance for International Exchange, emphasised that the funding freeze is not only hurting international students, but also Americans in exchange programmes:

“Paralyzing ECA-funded exchange programs endangers the health, safety, and future of the more than 12,500 Americans who are either abroad right now or soon will be and damages our relationships with current and future leaders from around the world. The many U.S. organizations that support these programs and its participants are now in a dire financial position, putting thousands of American jobs and livelihoods at risk. Approximately 90 percent of the State Department exchanges budget is spent on Americans or in America. ECA exchange programs absolutely fulfill Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s goal of making ‘America safer, stronger, and more prosperous.’ Suspending them would only have the opposite effect.”

Melissa Torres, president and CEO of the Forum on Education Abroad, said:

“Study abroad programs like the Gilman and Fulbright Scholarships provide opportunities for students who might not otherwise have a global education. The Critical Language Scholarship and IDEAS programs build the language skills of U.S. students and broaden their access to destinations where American engagement is particularly important. These experiences help prepare students for a globally connected workforce. Without federal support, the cultural competency of our domestic population and in turn, U.S. global competitiveness, will take a huge step backward.”

Dire effects on students and staff

Karin Fisher, in a column for the Chronicle of Higher Education, detailed the mood at this week’s Association of International Education Administrators conference in Houston, Texas. Dominant themes were fear and stress. Ms Fisher reports that, “One administrator said his campus was scrambling to find money to pay a Fulbright scholar who was the campus’s sole Chinese-language instructor.”

Another attendee, John Sunnygard, associate provost for global learning and international affairs at Western Kentucky University, expressed his concern for his students who had been awarded Gilman scholarships. The Gilman scholarships are merit-based scholarships that allow students with demonstrated financial need to study or intern abroad. As per Ms Fisher’s reporting, Mr Sunnygard said that many of his Gilman recipients “had already purchased nonrefundable plane tickets and paid program deposits for summertime international study.”

Mr Sunnygard said: “They were promised a scholarship and made a financial commitment. These are kids from rural areas who have never been on a plane. We bought their passports.”

The Chronicle of Higher Education was made privy to a message in which international students were told to leave the US because their funding was “subject to an immediate stop.”

At the conference, Ms Fisher listened to an international graduate student explain that she had received “only a quarter of her regular monthly funding stipend … leaving her unable to pay her rent [and] relying on a food bank.” That student said: “I’ve got zero idea how to pay for my apartment. I’ve got zero idea about what to do with my belongings if I get evicted.”

Outside of the conference, as reported in the Fulbright student Nigora Jabarova posted on LinkedIn that her funding organisation, the Institute of International Education (IIE) had received no warning of the funding freeze. Cut off from funding, :

“With just three months left until my graduation, I now find myself in an extremely difficult position, both professionally and personally. As Fulbright participants, we are not permitted to work outside the program, and the stipend we rely on has been abruptly halted. This has left many of us struggling to cover basic necessities such as rent and food.”

Potential brand damage in major student sending markets

Every year, over 2,000 Indian students receive grants from the Fulbright programme. Vietnam’s warns that “Any reduction or delay in funding could limit participation, affecting cultural exchange and academic collaboration between India and the U.S.”

Just last year, former President Biden had made it a priority to forge deeper ties with India through international education.

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