Population: 23.4 million

Youth population: 9.8% aged 15–24, but the population is ageing

Youth unemployment rate: 11.71% (June 2025 estimate)

Currency: New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)

GDP: Nominal GDP = USD$788 billion in 2025; PPP GDP = USD$1.7 trillion

Main economic sectors: Semiconductors, technology and electronics, services, and manufacturing

Official language: Mandarin

Language of instruction: Mandarin, but Taiwan’s “Bilingual 2030” policy seeks to expand English-medium instruction at the primary and secondary levels

Tertiary enrolment: 1.09 million (as of 2023) but many universities in Taiwan are reporting declining enrolments due to the ageing population

Literacy rate: 98.5%

English-language proficiency: Low to moderate, with proficiency generally higher in Taipei

Religion: Buddhism, Taoism

Main student cities: Taipei, Taichung, Kaohsiung

Economy: Taiwan is in many respects a high-tech manufacturing economy. GDP growth is projected at 3.1% for 2025, reflecting a dampening outlook related to US tariff policies and other trade disruptions. Still, the projected growth for 2025 will outpace most other Asian economies, with the exceptions of China and India.

Taiwan is a well-established student sending market and has long played an important part in shaping global patterns of student mobility, especially with respect to major study destinations such as the United States, Australia, and Canada.

It is, however, a market in flux. The college-aged population is declining, to the point that a number of universities in Taiwan are reporting falling enrolments. In response, the government has moved to establish a national strategy to expand the country’s foreign enrolment to 320,000 students by 2030 (up from just over 123,000 students in 2024).

Taiwan is now taking steps to align its immigration policies and other supports with that long-term growth goal, and has a supporting target to see roughly two-thirds of foreign graduates staying on in the country to work after their studies.

The driving force behind those goals is the country’s rapidly ageing population. Taiwan has one of the lowest fertility rates in the world, and demographers expect that, as of this year, Taiwan will be a “super-aged” society, with those aged 65 and older composing more than 20% of the population. This is, of course, high on the government’s radar already and it is going to be a major societal and economic challenge going forward, including for maintaining the enrolment base and current capacity of Taiwan’s higher education system.

Taiwan has some strengths to bring to bear, however, not the least of which is a resilient and growing economy. The island is home to a high-tech manufacturing economy, a noted centre for semi-conductor production among other text exports, and its GDP growth tends to outpace all regional neighbours, with the exception of China and India. The underlying strength of Taiwan’s economy is reflected across a range of economic indicators, including its recent elevation to 6th place – among 69 nations in the annual survey – in the .

A stable and growing outbound market

Taiwan has consistently been an important market in terms of outbound mobility, with students historically focused on major English-speaking destinations such as the United States, Australia, and Canada. As with many other sending markets, that focus is shifting a bit in recent years, with students showing more interest in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and other destinations in Europe and Asia.

In particular, the Philippines has emerged as an important destination for English language studies. Danny Chang is the president of the International Education Consultants Association (IECA), the peak body for Taiwanese agents, and also the general manager of the education agency Global Education Services. He explains: “The biggest language travel market is the Philippines. The number we expected is about 15,000 students in 2024 – ten years ago, we were never expected that this market will become the number one [choice] for language travel.” More broadly, the Philippines has emerged, both before and after the pandemic, as a key regional destination for English language study, offering not only proximity but lower study and travel costs for students coming from elsewhere in Asia.

Mr Chang notes as well the growing popularity of Canada for secondary school studies, while the US remains the top choice of students from Taiwan for undergraduate and post-graduate programmes. He also highlights Japan as a destination of growing importance, and especially for shorter-duration studies.

There is limited data on overall outbound volumes in the years after the pandemic, but Taiwan’s Ministry of Education reports that a total of 53,051 Taiwan students traveled abroad to study or work in 2022.

The Institute of International Education’s (IIE) indicates that there were 23,157 Taiwanese students in the United States in the 2023/24 academic year, a 6.1% increase over the previous year. Nearly a quarter of that total (24.1%) were enrolled in undergraduate programmes. Another 43.1% were in graduate studies, with 28.3% engaged in Optional Practical Training (OPT) placements.

That level of enrolment makes Taiwan the fifth-largest sending market for the US, after only India, China, South Korea, and Canada. It also means that the United States remains far and away the leading destination for students coming out of Taiwan.

Australia is the #2 destination for Taiwanese students. There were 11,480 students from Taiwan studying in Australia in 2024 – representing a nearly 18% increase from the year before and making Taiwan the 18th-largest sending market for Australian institutions and schools.

Meanwhile, Taiwan is also the seventh-largest sending market within Japan’s surging foreign student numbers, with year-over-year growth of 9.3% in 2024 and a total enrolment of 7,998.

Other destinations of note include:

• Canada, which hosted 5,080 students from Taiwan in 2024, up 4% over 2023.
• The United Kingdom, which enrolled 4,380 students from Taiwan in 2024, another 4% increase over the year before.
• There were 2,868 Taiwanese students in Germany in 2024, representing roughly a 3% increase on 2023 levels.

Add to those the roughly 15,000 language students in the Philippines and that would suggest the total outbound from Taiwan was 55,000 students (or more) in 2024. The steady growth from this traditional sending market is a factor the increasing recruitment efforts of a number of destinations, as outlined above, but it also reflects a persistent concern on the part of parents for the prospects of their children in Taiwan in terms of both the quality of higher education available and the career opportunities, the latter being especially relevant against a trend of high (and rising) youth unemployment.

Becoming a bilingual society

The US International Trade Administration (ITA) reports that, “In late 2018, Taiwan launched an initiative to become a bilingual English-Mandarin society by 2030, with a particular focus on K-12 students and civil service personnel. While English is the main foreign language taught in Taiwan schools, Taiwan’s Ministry of Education has identified oral proficiency as an area for improvement, relative to reading and writing.

Local regulations limit the number of foreign teachers in Taiwan’s public school system. Consequently, Taiwan sees online and education technology as a way to connect students with skilled bilingual educators. Simultaneously, Taiwan is increasing its budget to the public sector, schools, and libraries to improve the public’s English proficiency. To achieve its Bilingual 2030 plan, Taiwan allocated a total of US$361 million for the period 2021 to 2024. The leading focus areas by budget allocation are the K-12 sector (US$234.26 million) and the higher education sector (US$90.1 million).

Market entry

The ITA adds, “Partnering with local schools is an effective strategy for schools interested in recruiting Taiwan students to joint-degree or short-term summer programmes…Partnering with local student recruiting agents also provides year-round exposure in the Taiwan market. Recruiting agents are a primary resource used by Taiwan students and parents when planning study abroad activities.”

And finally: “Participation in education fairs is another effective method for recruiting Taiwan students. Fair organizers have a deep knowledge of the market and can greatly reduce marketing expenses. Local fair organisers also counsel students throughout the year and can follow up with prospective students.”

Notable education fairs in Taiwan include: the , the , and IDP Taiwan’s .

For additional background, please see:

• Attend to connect with quality student recruitment agencies from Taiwan, and for the latest market intelligence on this key sending market.

• “Taiwan is close to reaching its pre-pandemic benchmark for international enrolment“
• “Taiwan adds expanded post-study work rights to its international recruitment strategy“
• “Closer to home: Intra-regional mobility in Asia“

The post Recruiting in Taiwan: An established student market adapting to demographic change appeared first on ���Ϲ��� Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

Official name: Republic of Cameroon

Geography: Cameroon is in Central Africa on the Gulf of Guinea. It shares borders with Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Nigeria, Chad, the Central African Republic, and the Republic of the Congo.

Capital: �۲��dzܲԻ�é

Population: 30 million (2025) and rapidly growing (14th in the world).

Youth population: Over 60% of the population is under 25

Median age: 18

GDP: US$56 billion (projected 2025)

Currency: Central African Franc (CFA franc)

Official languages: English and French (but more than 24 other African languages are spoken in the country). Many Cameroonians speak an African language first, and either English or French second. The ratio of French to English proficiency is estimated at 80%–20%, and this stems back to post-WWI when the League of Nations stripped Germany of its claim on Cameroon and accorded four-fifths of Cameroon to France and one-fifth to Britain for governance.

Main language of instruction: French in some regions, English in others, and bilingual instruction in some cases. For decades, the aim has been for bilingualism throughout the country, but most Cameroonians are not functionally proficient in both languages. The language of instruction follows regional lines, echoes colonial legacies, and reflects ethnic divisions in some cases.

English proficiency: “” according to the EF Proficiency Index.

Religion: Christianity is predominant, but Islam is followed by 30%.

Outbound students: About 30,000. Cameroon is the second largest African sender of students abroad after Nigeria.

Main student cities: �۲��dzܲԻ�é, Douala, Buea, and Bamenda.

Main destination countries for Cameroonian students: France, Canada, Germany, China, Morocco, Tunisia, South Africa.

The Republic of Cameroon is one of the few countries in the world containing significant demand for both French and English higher education programmes. The country’s development is highly influenced by German, French, and British colonial legacies and the languages associated with them.

After WWI, Cameroon’s governance was divided between France and Britain. Most of Cameroon was put under French influence, while Britain was left with about a fifth of the country in the Northwest and Southwest regions. That political and geographic division was arbitrary, and it divided cultures and ethnic groups that had once been very similar. What’s more, as a colonial power, France invested more in the economic and education systems of Cameroon relative to the British, who focused their interest on Cameroon’s larger neighbour, Nigeria.

Cameroon achieved independence in 1960, but resentment is high among English-speaking Cameroonians about the advantages their French-speaking compatriots enjoyed in colonial times and now. Francophone-majority regions are treated much more favourably by the country’s present-day, independent government.

About 25% of Cameroon’s population speaks English (close to 3 million people), while 58% (about 6.5 million) speak French. Drilling down further, roughly a fifth of English-speakers speak English and not French (but may speak African languages in addition to English), while almost half speak only French (and possibly other African languages) and not English. On average, a Cameroonian speaks three languages a day.

A bitter civil war has been ongoing for seven years, and it is often called “the Anglophone crisis” given the conflict’s roots in English-speakers’ anger about lack of economic opportunity, educational access and quality, and benevolent governance.

explains:

“Opportunities for higher education in English are minimal. Though the University of �۲��dzܲԻ�é is officially bilingual, a 2020 study found that 80% of lectures are conducted in French. Textbooks in English are usually poorly translated. Key laws, including systems of corporate regulations, often lack English translations. Civil servants are overwhelmingly Francophone and conduct their services in French. In 2017, out of 36 political ministers with a portfolio, only one was Anglophone. Francophone lawyers, judges, and teachers are frequently given positions in the Anglophone regions. Poverty levels in the Anglophone regions are among the highest in the country. Political discrimination is rampant. Since the 1990s, the government has issued restrictions on Anglophone advocacy groups ranging from restricting gatherings in public buildings to banning books and media examining the crisis.”

(WENR) notes that 2017 was a flash point of the tensions around language instruction in Cameroon:

“[In 2017], the Anglophone-based Cameroon Teachers Trade Union (CATTU) presented the central government with a list of grievances, including higher rates of admission of Francophone students into professional and technical schools, accusations of doctoring admissions conducted in �۲��dzܲԻ�é for Francophone students applying to the Anglophone region’s two main universities, and the appointment of Francophone teachers lacking a command of English to Anglophone schools.

Even at the country’s two Anglophone universities, Bamenda and Buea, Francophone students outnumber Anglophone students in professional departments by a ratio of nine to one. Some university entrance examinations have even been offered exclusively in French or in poorly translated English, putting Anglophone applicants at a severe disadvantage.”

The tensions escalated to armed conflict, shuttering schools and closing off educational opportunities for Anglophone students in the Northwest and Southwest regions. Since then, some schools have reopened but educational quality for Anglophone students continues to suffer. Many Anglophone teachers have reported being forced to teach in French to English-speaking students. And students in the Northwest and Southwest regions are living amidst a violent insurgency by Anglophone separatists striving for independence from Cameroon.

Across all regions, the Cameroonian government allocates only 13% of total annual budget to education. By comparison, the education budget line is 24% of the total in Morocco.

How do language tensions influence outbound mobility from Cameroon?

There is great demand for study abroad in all regions of Cameroon and from Anglophone and Francophone students. However, Francophone students are often privy to higher quality primary and secondary education than their Anglophone counterparts, and their numbers are far greater. Because of regional economic disparities, Anglophone families are often less able to fund their children’s education abroad. Institutions recruiting Anglophone Cameroonians should have robust financial, language, and academic supports/pathways in place in order for those students to succeed.

Official data show that Cameroonians (of whom most are Francophone) currently favour the overseas destinations of France (10,880 Cameroonians in 2023/24, +11% y-o-y), Canada: 8,095 in 2023/24, +100% y-o-y), and Germany: 6,780 (+3% y-o-y). But there are many Cameroonians in other places as well, including Morocco (where 19,000 students out of a total of 23,500 international students are African), South Africa, Tunisia, and China.

Strong moves by China and Morocco

Cameroon is part of China’s Belt and Road soft power initiative, and given the economic opportunities opened by Chinese investment in their country, increasing numbers of Cameroonian students are learning Mandarin. is also offering robust scholarships to Cameroonian students.

Morocco, too, is flexing its soft power in sub-Saharan Africa and invests the most of any African country in the Economic and Monetary Community of Central African States (CEMAC). Pierre Oyonomvogo and Sanae Kasmi, scholars at the Euromed University of Fès, :

“The president of the Association of Cameroonian Students in Morocco reports that there are approximately 300 Cameroonian students with scholarships, and 150 students in private universities in Morocco. To allow Cameroonian students to migrate, Morocco through the Ministry of Higher Education of Cameroon, has for years been launching a call for applications for scholarships.”

Economic growth and inequities

The UN considers Cameroon a lower-middle-income economy with “rich natural resources, including oil and gas, mineral ores, and high-value species of timber and agricultural products, such as coffee, cotton, cocoa, maize, and cassava.” These natural resources are naturally a draw for foreign investors and represent incredible potential for Cameroon’s development. The economy by 4.4% in 2025, an expected expansion tied to rising global commodity prices.

However, corruption is rife in the country (the 2024 Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index ranked Cameroon 140th of 180 countries, where #1 is the least corrupt and #180 is the most) and income disparities are significant. notes:

“Poverty reduction in Cameroon has stagnated over the past 20 years, with approximately 4 in 10 Cameroonians living below the national poverty line. The household survey data from 2021-2022 suggests that 23.0% of the population lives below the extreme international poverty line with only $2.15 per person per day, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP).”

The drive to emigrate is strong, and a very large proportion of Cameroonian students want to emigrate after studying abroad to increase their opportunities for decent salary and for the chance to send money home to their families. Immigration pathways are a main reason that Canada has risen steeply as a popular destination among Cameroonians up to 2023. Canada’s immigration settings have tightened since 2024 for most international students, but the Canadian government continues to encourage Francophone international students to come to the country to study and immigrate.

Cameroon is a hotly contested student market, and institutions in many destinations are offering scholarships to establish a solid presence in the country.

Higher education

Access to higher education is low in Cameroon (14% in 2018) relative to the rest of the world, but high in the context of Central Africa (where the average is closer to 9%).

Most Cameroonians who attend one of the eight domestic universities choose French-language programmes. The two Anglophone universities are the University of Buea in the Southwest, and the University of Bamenda in the Northwest.

The private sector is expanding quickly (over 200 institutions today), and as in many other emerging markets, it is doing so in response to low access to public universities. The following chart from WENR shows this rise over the years. Enrolments are surging despite higher fees at private institutions, underlining the demand for higher education in Cameroon.

For additional background, please see:

• “Both Russia and Japan moving to intensify international student recruitment in Africa”
• “East African student mobility: Current trends and future possibilities”
• “New white paper offers unique insights on recruiting in Africa”

The post Recruiting international students in Cameroon appeared first on ���Ϲ��� Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

Population: 130.7 million

Youth population: 25% of Mexicans are aged 15-29, but the population is ageing

Youth unemployment rate: 6.1% (2023 estimate)

GDP: US$1.8 trillion (2023)

Main economic sectors: Food and beverages, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel, petroleum, mining, textiles, clothing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, tourism.

Geography: Mexico is part of North America, south of the US.

Official language: Spanish

Language of instruction: Spanish, but English as a medium of instruction is

Tertiary enrolment rate: 46%, compared to a world average of 55%

Literacy rate: 95%

English-language proficiency: Low, according to the (87th out of 116 countries ranked)

Religion: Christian and predominantly Roman Catholic

Main student cities: Mexico City, Puebla, Guadalajara, Monterrey, and another 11 cities have populations exceeding 1 million.

Economy: The upper-middle-income-classed economy grew by 1.6% in 2024 – a slowdown from the previous two years. The new Trump administration’s policy direction may cause significant economic turmoil in Mexico this year, not least because of the US President’s tariff threats and intent to revise North American trade policies.

The most recent UNESCO data (2022) counts 36,922 Mexican students abroad in higher education, and this number has been rising in tandem with the growing number of college-aged Mexicans (4 million today compared with under 2 million in 2000).

That said, more than 4 in 10 (45%) Mexican youth aged 15–24 are not enrolled in education, hampering economic development in the country. This statistic reflects incredibly unequal access to education in Mexico depending on region and class. Only 24% of the Mexican population has a higher education degree, compared with the OECD average of 44%.

Mexicans tend to choose the US, Spain, Germany, Canada, France, Australia, and the UK for higher education studies. Though the number of students leaving Mexico for higher education is growing, the number going abroad for English-language training is much larger. Mexican ELT enrolments in foreign institutions grew by 35% between 2016 and 2020, and in 2023, Mexico became one of the top 10 ELT markets in the world according to research firm BONARD.

Top destinations for Mexican students

The number of Mexican enrolments in top destinations has not been growing as robustly as enrolments from many other top source countries. Opportunities are there, however, for institutions that can accommodate Mexicans’ price sensitivity and for alternative destinations with relatively more open student visa settings.

Here is a summary of growth trends and declines in major destinations for Mexican students:

Canada: 16,980 Mexicans in study-permit-required programmes of over 6 months in 2023 (+14%) and an additional 14,000 in short-term language programmes (that do not require a study permit). Mexico is the largest market for Canada’s French-language programmes, and year-over-year growth from Mexico for these programmes was 59% in 2023, higher than the 13% growth recorded by English-language providers. The Canadian government says, “There are over 300 MOUs between Canadian and Mexican higher education institutions as well as a number of MOUs between Canadian education associations and Mexican government bodies.”

United States: 15,400 in higher education in 2023 (+7%), and 1,750 in Intensive English Programs (IEPs), down 16%. The number of Mexican students in undergraduate programmes in the US is almost double the number in graduate programmes.

Spain: 5,540 in 2022/23 in higher education, up 13%.

Australia: 3,620 Mexicans in 2024, which is stable from 2023. While Brazil and Colombia are in the top 10 markets for Australia’s English-language teaching sector (ELICOS), Mexico is not.

Germany: 3,600 in 2023, and the German government “there are almost 500 cooperation agreements between German and Mexican universities.”

France: France is the fifth most popular destination for Mexican students, according to the government (without citing enrolment figures). An official statement says, “progress is being made in French-language teaching based on agreements signed with 12 Mexican states via the work of the French Institute of Latin America (IFAL) based in Mexico City, as well as a network of 32 Alliances Françaises.”

United Kingdom: There were about 1,500 Mexicans in UK higher education in 2022 (-18% from 2019). Mexico is not a top 10 market for UK ELT. The UK government is exploring transnational education opportunities in Mexico, noting that the cost of studying in the UK is a major barrier for Mexican students. Though there may not be many Mexican students in the UK, academic collaboration is robust: Universities UK notes that “the UK is Mexico’s fourth most frequent collaborator globally and third in Europe (after Spain and France), with 1,528 co-authored publications by Mexico and the UK (with 10 or fewer co-authors) between 2015 and 2017. The most significant research areas are physics and astronomy, medicine, agricultural and biological science, earth and planetary sciences, biochemistry, genetics and molecular biology and engineering.”

Interest is strong, but following through on study abroad plans may be weaker

A global Flywire study found that , “Mexico has the second highest percentage (vs. Peru at 73%) of students planning to study internationally (57%).” The global average was 42%. However, only 13% of those surveyed were actually studying abroad compared to a global average of 27%. Cost is the major barrier for Mexican students:

“Students from Mexico cite more sensitivity about their education payments than most other countries. 90% say they need help affording their education expenses, and 79% say the process of making tuition payments has been a significant stressor for them and their families.”

Alternative study destinations may grow more popular

Mexican students now face significant challenges in studying abroad in traditional destinations. Canada has imposed caps on international student numbers, the Trump administration is casting a suspicious eye on both Mexico and Canada, and the UK is expensive. Spain is one of the only destinations experiencing significant growth in Mexican enrolments (+13% in 2022/23).

UK educators are exploring transnational education opportunities in Mexico given the cost barrier, but even then, tuition fees may be an issue given the Mexican government’s commitment to free higher education for its citizens.

Despite challenges in 2025, Mexico remains an important source market for foreign English-language providers. BONARD notes that in 2023, “Mexico achieved a 45% y-o-y growth and reached a 135% recovery rate, becoming the seventh biggest market globally (up from twelfth in 2019).”

BONARD anticipates that because it will be harder for many language students (and not just Mexicans) to obtain visas for traditional destinations, demand will increase for Ireland, Malta, New Zealand, and South Africa. They add: “Moreover, a stronger language education provision in alternative destinations such as Dubai and intra-regional destinations – particularly within the Asia-Pacific region – is increasing competition and diverting students from traditional markets.”

For additional background, please see:

• “Outbound mobility trends for key Latin markets: Brazil, Colombia, Mexico”

The post International student recruitment in Mexico: Demand for language study still leading the way appeared first on ���Ϲ��� Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

Fast facts

Population: Over 13.2 million, with 1.8 million in the capital city of Kigali.

Youth: Three-quarters of the population is under 35, and the median age is 19.

Geography: Rwanda is in central/eastern Africa, bordered Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Unemployment: The youth unemployment rate was 18% in 2023.

Languages: notes that “99% of Rwandans speak Kinyarwanda – a Bantu language and the country’s mother-tongue – and Rwanda has three other official languages: French, English and Swahili.” Rwandans used to favour French over English, but after the genocide of Tutsis in the late-90s and a popular perception that France did not do enough to stop it, there was a quick transition to English.

English: The EF Proficiency Index ranks Rwanda 22nd of 24 countries in Africa for English proficiency. The language of instruction is English and improving English-language proficiency is .

Religion: Christianity dominates, and the Muslim population makes up only 1% of the total.

Outbound: UNESCO counted 6,900 students from Rwanda abroad for tertiary education in 2022. That is a relatively small number, but it is growing, albeit relatively slowly. In 2023/24, the US down 4.5% from the previous year. Canada hosted 2,785 – a doubling over the previous year. Smaller numbers of Rwandan students are in India, France, DRC, Uganda, and South Africa.

Inbound: 9,000 students in 2024, up from 1,400 in 2017.

Rwanda is one of the most interesting countries in Africa – in general, but also in terms of education. Increasing the enrolment rate at all school levels, improving quality, moving towards sustainability, and digitisation have been goals of the government for years. President Paul Kagame, who has been in power since 2000, has had a longtime aim of making Rwanda a knowledge economy and an education hub in Africa. Since 2017, the country has moved from attracting 1,400 international students to .

The government has articulated key goals in its to improve the access, quality, and relevance of education. That plan intends to transform Rwanda from a “predominantly agrarian-based, low-income economy to an industrial upper middle-income nation by 2035.”

The strategy prioritises improvements in the secondary system (especially literacy and numeracy) and vocational training sector (TVET). At the higher education level, it pinpoints STEM fields, manufacturing, construction, health, and education. Across all levels, there is an emphasis on digital delivery models and digital competency.

Challenges in the country’s higher education system include a lack of qualified teachers, a lack of instructors with advanced degrees – affecting the ability of the country to conduct and collaborate internationally on research – and weak links with priority industries and employers. In addition, more than half of higher education institutions are private and not all of them are delivering high quality or relevant education. Private institutions have helped to increase capacity and access, but the government rightly states in its strategy that this is not enough to help the country meet its development goals.

Goal: To become “the Singapore of Africa”

Despite its challenges, Rwanda’s higher education system has improved steadily and on par with the country’s aspirations to be “the Singapore of Africa”– i.e., a regional education hub. The aim for the system is to be relevant to local and regional needs yet also globally connected and competitive – and students from other African countries are clearly impressed. Speaking with the Somalian student Rahma Ahmed, an IT and entrepreneurship student at (founded according to an international partnership) said:

“I was thrilled the moment I got an opportunity to come to Rwanda. Because the other international students shared interesting study experiences, the hospitality of the students was also good, and diversity of the nationalities in the institutions was a bonus among others. And then there’s the money issue. Higher education in Rwanda has long been a lot cheaper than it is in most regions that I have checked out. In fact, almost free, for international students and nationals alike.”

Drice Michaella Ingabire, a Burundian former student at (a high school, and again a Rwanda-foreign country collaboration), said:

“Rwanda is a country that gives everyone an equal chance. That includes the children of farmers from the remotest corners of low-income countries, who couldn’t possibly think of studying at IVY League universities.”

Open to foreign agreements

The government is open to international collaborations to help it achieve its regional hub ambitions. For example, to address Rwanda’s shortage of qualified teachers, INTO and the British Council joined forces with local providers to deliver a . Students took digital tablets home throughout the course to receive the training virtually.

INTO’s Mike Riley said the project was hugely successful and that Rwandan trainer graduates now pass on their learning to Rwandan teachers.

“It has been inspiring working with teachers across the whole of Rwanda and supporting efforts to achieve a sustainable change in the Rwandan education system. We wish the local English teachers the very best as they deliver ongoing training to local secondary teachers in Rwanda, who we know are excited to put their new skills into practice.”

INTO and the British Council have been involved in training thousands of Rwandan teachers in English in the past few years through various partnerships, including with the Mastercard Foundation.

Countries with universities currently working in higher education partnerships with Rwanda include (click on the hyperlinks to read about them):

• Belgium
• And many more.

In all these cases, the goal is to forge mutually beneficial arrangements that meet Rwanda’s labour market and research needs, and to have more PhD graduates in the country (see this . The Rwandan government is interested in educational exchanges more than pure outbound mobility, as explained by Dr Robert Ibo Hinson in

In short, Rwanda is following the “smart internationalisation” pathway coined by Professor Damtew Tefera and advocated in Tibelius Amutuhaire’s Internationalization and Student Mobility: Exploring the Mobility of Higher Education Students in East Africa, which we covered last week on ���Ϲ��� Monitor. Professor Tefera argues that traditional concepts of internationalisation are Eurocentric/Western and do not benefit the Global South because they are not relevant to the economic and cultural contexts in Africa. He proposes that “smart internationalisation strategies make the process locally focused, though with an international flavour.”

Rwanda offers a fascinating example of the future of internationalisation – more balance between inbound and outbound, and heavily geared towards the needs of the sending country.

For additional background, please see:

• “East African student mobility: Current trends and future possibilities”
• “International scholarships aimed at encouraging a more equitable world“

The post Rwanda: A prime example of “smart internationalisation” appeared first on ���Ϲ��� Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

Population: 22 million

Youth population: 24% of the total

Youth unemployment rate: 25% (2023 estimate)

GDP: US$84.3 billion (2023)

Main economic sectors: Rubber processing; cultivation of tea, coconuts, tobacco, and other agricultural products; tourism; clothing and textiles; and mining.

Geography: Sri Lanka is an island nation in South Asia, south of India.

Official languages: Sinhala (spoken in the southern, western and central parts of the country), and Tamil (northern and eastern parts of the island).

Language of instruction: English is introduced alongside official Sri Lankan languages at kindergarten level and then incorporated consistently from Grade 1 in the state school system. In international schools it is the main medium of instruction. The Ministry of Education considers schools that offer all subjects in English to be “English-medium schools.” Those that offer only some subjects in English are termed “bilingual schools.” At the university level, about 80% of courses – especially in STEM – are only taught in English.

Tertiary enrolment rate: 21% (2023)

Literacy rate: 92%, one of the highest in Asia

English language proficiency: Low, according to the

Religions: Majority Buddhist, with 13% percent Hindu, 10% Muslim, and 7% Christian.

Main student cities: Colombo, Kandy, Galle, Jaffna, Trincomalee, Peradeniya, Nugegoda, Moratuwa, Kelaniya, Matara.

Economy: The economy grew by 5% in 2024 – the highest rate in seven years – following a prolonged economic crisis. That expansion beat an Asian Development Bank forecast of 2.4% growth for 2024, helped along by a debt restructuring plan with the International Monetary Fund. Growth was driven by a rebound in the industrial sector – particularly in construction, food and beverage manufacturing, and tourism. Inflation decreased to negative territory. While consumer confidence has been rising, food insecurity is still an issue for many families.

Outbound mobility

Sri Lanka is an increasingly important source of students for institutions all over the world, and it stands out as a hotspot of transnational partnerships, especially with UK universities.

In terms of outbound mobility, the number of Sri Lankan students in Australia grew by 41% between 2019 and 2024 to 19,000. Canada saw a massive jump – 443% more Sri Lankans were studying in Canadian programmes in 2023 than in 2019, for a total of 8,075.

The UK welcomed 5,500 Sri Lankan students in 2022/23 – up by 84% over the previous year and placing Sri Lanka just outside the Top 10 markets for UK universities (#11). Sri Lanka was for the UK in 2022/23.

Growth has been more moderate in the US. The 3,420 Sri Lankans in US higher education in 2023/24 represents a 7% increase over 2019.

Japan and Malaysia also host several thousand Sri Lankan students, and China is a major player as well. In April 2024, Chinese ambassador to Sri Lanka, Mr Qi Zhenhong, spoke at a ceremony awarding scholarships to Sri Lankan students at the Chinese embassy in Colombo: “Currently, over 1,200 Sri Lankan students go to China to study with full scholarships, one-time scholarships, and participate in short-term trainings every year.”

Sri Lankan governments are perennially challenged to balance relations with regional powerhouses India and China. There has been growing concern in the country about the scale of Chinese investments and loans to Sri Lanka, leaving the country vulnerable to Chinese influence and power.

Government supports transnational education

Higher education capacity in Sri Lanka is very limited. There are that offer free tuition and residence, and over 350,000 Sri Lankan students participate in A/Level examinations to try to gain entrance. In 2022, of the 172,000 students eligible for acceptance to a state university, only 42,000 students secured admission.

Overcapacity in the public system has led to the rise of private universities. There are now 27 private universities awarding degrees. They can enrol up to 60,000 students – which represents a good deal more capacity than state universities.

The government has made it a priority to expand tertiary access to Sri Lankans – and to encourage more Sri Lankans to remain at home for university studies to avoid brain drain. It actively invites foreign institutions to partner with Sri Lankan universities in offering joint degrees and other collaborative activities. Of the thousands of Sri Lankans enrolled in private universities in their country, a large proportion are studying under a transnational education (TNE) model.

The Sri Lankan government is especially open to foreign universities offering medicine, engineering, business, finance, IT, and AI programmes.

Branch campuses just getting going

The UK is a major player in TNE in Sri Lanka – as it is in so many other countries. Sri Lankan students make up 10% of all UK TNE enrolments, making Sri Lanka the UK’s second largest TNE market. Interestingly, those enrolments are through UK/Sri Lankan partnerships, not through branch campuses. Of Sri Lankans enrolled in UK TNE, 92% are studying through collaborative provision and 8% are studying via distance/online, according to .

Forty-four UK institutions have TNE agreements with Sri Lankan universities, as do 22 Australian universities. The UK enrols many more Sri Lankan students than Australia via TNE (over 50,000 versus just over 3,000 in 2022/23, respectively).

As for branch campuses, there are less than a handful in Sri Lanka – so far. At the end of 2024, Perth-based Curtin University launched a campus in Colombo, consisting of purpose-built facilities at the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT). Curtin plans to expand the programmes it has been offering for years to Sri Lankan students through other forms of TNE (engineering, computer science, and business studies) to include artificial intelligence, health, and humanities-related subjects.

Curtin University Colombo will also recruit students from , and it is set up to allow its students to transfer to Curtin’s other campuses in Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, UAE, and Mauritius.

Curtin is the second Perth-based university to open a branch campus in Colombo. Edith Cowan University launched its campus in 2023 and offers programmes in biomedical science, cyber security, commerce, and more.

India and Sri Lanka have close economic and security ties, and India’s top-ranked engineering institute, the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras), was approved to open a branch campus in Kandy in 2024 (it hasn’t opened yet).

The growing importance of TNE

Sri Lanka has struggled for years with brain drain. It offers free education until the end of high school, but capacity issues in the tertiary system means the Sri Lankan government is not reaping ROI from its students given that so many either fail to gain entrance to a domestic university or leave the country for study abroad, often with a goal of permanent residency in the host country. According to a 2021 Institute for Health Policy Opinion Tracker Survey, 1 in 16 Sri Lankans had plans to migrate, and most of those wanting to leave are young people.

As Sri Lanka’s reports:

“While about 48 percent of the age group of 18-29 years want to leave the country, about 53 percent of degree holders and 45 percent of A/Level qualification holders desire to migrate. Since the ‘educated youth’ represent the future workforce of a country and are crucial for its long-term progress, increased labour migration has posed a new threat to the country’s development.”

Push factors for Sri Lankan students include corruption, poor job prospects, and low wages.

TNE is an exciting prospect for many Sri Lankan students because it is more affordable and confers a high-quality degree. But a fractured political environment in Sri Lanka and still-fragile economic conditions must greatly improve if more Sri Lankan graduates are to decide to stay in their country to work.

For now, Sri Lankans are tempted by the prospect they see every day on billboards in their city to start their studies at home then move abroad. Last year, in Canada’s . author Randy Boyagoda wrote:

“’Start in Sri Lanka, finish in Australia!’ These were phrases from just two of the many, many billboards advertising opportunities for international higher education that I saw on Sri Lankan highways and throughout Colombo. I also drove past buildings that housed local offices for overseas universities, and for international university consortiums with local campuses, and for professional agencies promising assistance for students hoping to study in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, the U.K., Belarus, and yes, Canada. While not nearly as large a source country for international university students as India or China, Sri Lanka clearly was a place of interest in this massive global business.”

For additional background, please see:

• “Continued growth reported for UK transnational education enrolments”
• “Higher education demand/supply gap a major driver of Sri Lankan outbound student mobility”

The post Recruiting in Sri Lanka: Demand for study abroad remains high; TNE poised for further growth appeared first on ���Ϲ��� Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

The trend is especially visible in new migrant policies in Australia, Canada, and the UK; in far-right gains in France; and in the victory of Donald Trump in the November 2024 US presidential election.

International educators in those countries are naturally affected given their vulnerability to immigration policy changes. As , professor of higher education at the University of Oxford has observed: “The higher education sector [in the UK] is caught trying to be global while national politics push hard in the other direction.”

By contrast, national politics are not an issue for institutions in key Asian countries such as Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea. These countries are both:

• Important student sending markets;
• Increasingly attractive destinations for international students.

Demographics are a main reason that the governments of Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea are embracing more international linkages. In Taiwan, the share of the population aged 65 and above will increase to 35% by 2050, and it will rise to 37% and 38% in Japan and South Korea, respectively. Of the three, Japan’s population is currently the oldest: 29% of Japanese are currently over the age of 65.

This – along with a need to strengthen geopolitical partnerships in the face of Chinese and Russian alignment – is behind the urgency of the three destinations to increase the internationalisation of their higher education sectors. Today, we’ll focus on Japan as both a sending and receiving market.

Major goals

In Japan, official goals are to increase inbound mobility, outbound mobility, and partnerships with foreign institutions.

Specifically, according to the J-MIRAI strategy () created by the government-backed Council for the Creation of Future Education in 2023, Japan’s goals for 2033 are to:

• Send 500,000 Japanese students abroad (150,000 for degrees, 230,000 for shorter programmes, and 110,000 for high school via overseas study tours);
• Welcome 400,000 international students;
• Double English-only undergraduate programmes, and nearly double English-only graduate programmes;
• Nearly double the number of joint degree programmes and exchange programmes;
• More than double the number of dual degree programmes;
• Triple the number of Japanese high schools where students can take multiple subjects in English;
• More than triple the number of international students in Japanese high schools;
• Increase the post-graduation employment rate of international students in Japan by 25%.

Those are ambitious goals, but the fact that former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida himself chaired the Council for the Creation of Future Education is an indication of how seriously the government is approaching the targets.

The role of language supports

In 2023, there were about 280,000 international students in Japan. The 2023 tally represents a 21% increase over 2022, and growth was driven mostly by students coming to the country to study Japanese. Building on that success, Japan hosted more than 336,000 students in 2024, exceeding pre-pandemic numbers, representing a historic high, and reflecting year-over-year growth of 21%

Even so, Japan needs more international degree students to work in Japan after graduating – ideally with a good grasp of both English and Japanese. We can assume that there is a significant effort afoot to encourage language students to progress to university studies in the country. A survey conducted in 2019 by the Institute for International Business Communication found that 40% of Japanese companies now insist on English-language skills in their hiring.

J-MIRAI includes a focus on attaching Japanese language and cultural supports to degree programmes to encourage university students to complement their English-language skills with proficiency in Japanese. This dovetails with the government’s aim to ease the integration of international graduates into the domestic labour force.

In addition, J-MIRAI’s ambitious target of tripling international students in elementary and high schools is being supported by improved Japanese language supports at those levels (see graphic below).

The need to diversify

China is by far the largest market for Japanese universities (115,495 students in 2023, +11% year-on-year), but Chinese students have always been more likely to return home after study abroad than students from other countries. This tendency does not align with Japan’s goal of encouraging top international graduates to stay and contribute to the Japanese economy. Chinese students compose 60% of the student population in Japanese graduate and postgraduate programmes, and it would be healthy for Japan’s workforce needs to increase recruitment from other countries where students are more eager to stay after finishing their advanced degrees.

Other major senders for Japan are Nepal (37,875), Vietnam (36,340), South Korea (14,945), and Myanmar (7,775). Nepali numbers were up by 56%, Vietnamese numbers fell by 3%, and South Korean numbers grew by by 9% in 2023 versus 2022. The number of students going to Japan from Myanmar skyrocketed by a massive 104% over that one year alone.

Professor Yonezawa, vice-director, International Strategy Office at Tohoku University, told QS that Australia, South Asia, and Africa are new target regions for Japanese universities.

The aim for 500,000 Japanese students to study abroad

In 2023, there were about 200,000 Japanese students abroad, with about 60,000 of that total pursuing degree programmes. The aim is to more than double total outbound by 2033. “The growth and success of young people, who are the bearers of the future, through studying abroad is the key to transforming society,” former Prime Minister Kishida said at the launch of J-MIRAI in April 2023.

The 500,000 target will be challenging to achieve, as there are several factors that make Japanese students hesitant to study abroad.

As reported in , students worry about job prospects upon their return to Japan because the Japanese academic calendar is not aligned with the calendar in top Western destinations. Japan’s academic year ends in March, while in the West, the last month is July. What’s more, Japanese students tend to begin their job hunting in their third year of a four-year degree programme at a Japanese university. Students returning from study abroad therefore lose precious months to compete for jobs with their peers who have studied in Japan.

“Not being able to compete in the job market is cited by Japanese students if they study abroad,” said Hiroshi Ota, professor and director of the Global Education Programme at Hitotsubashi University to University World News.

Japanese students are also known to be quite content to study at home, especially since the employment rate for graduates from Japanese universities is very high. A survey conducted in 2019 by Japan’s Cabinet Office in 2019 with 13–29-year-olds in seven countries found that in only one country, more than half of respondents said they have “no intention of ever studying abroad.” That country was Japan.

Financial and language barriers are other reasons that Japanese students shy away from study abroad. In 2024, the EF English-language Proficiency Index ranked Japan 92nd of 116 countries where English is not the native language – the lowest ranking ever for Japan. The EF score for Japanese aged 18 to 25 was especially low compared with the overall average, and analysts believe this may be due to a decrease in motivation to communicate and learn English during the COVID-19 pandemic. Japan’s borders were closed for longer than almost any other country during the pandemic.

Western institutions will face fierce competition in Japan from Asian destinations, as Japanese are increasingly favouring intra-regional study abroad for cultural and financial reasons – and to be closer to home. Malaysia, China, Taiwan, South Korea, the Philippines, and UAE are alternative destinations that are becoming more popular.

Mr Ota told University World News:

“Most Japanese students cannot afford the high tuition fees that now reach almost US$50,000 annually to obtain a degree at American universities. Cheaper Asian destinations for non-degree study are growing attractive for Japanese students, avoiding high costs for studying in English-speaking countries.”

Skills gaps in the Japanese economy

Foreign educators recruiting in Japan should know that:

• Demand for information technology (IT) and artificial intelligence (AI) skills is skyrocketing. According to the , “65% of employees in Japan choose digital skills as a top skill to acquire … advanced digital skills such as cybersecurity (53.8%), IT support (52.3%), and data analysis and visualisation (50.8%) are also considered must-haves.” The prediction is that by 2030, Japan “will be short of 450,000 IT professionals.”

• Employers told The Economist that one of “the major hindrances to digital transformation is the shortage of high-calibre IT talent with bilingual capabilities (fluency in both Japanese and English).”

• Alternative credentials and modes of study are on the rise: the same study found that “60% of employees report that employers are shifting to new hiring practices such as skills-based hiring while 54% agree that their employers value online certificates.”

• There is an opportunity to recruit older Japanese for short upskilling courses, as more and more older Japanese are staying in the labour force.

Japan is serious about sustainability goals, especially as they relate to its energy and transportation industries. Horton International reports that “investments in transportation networks, digital infrastructure and sustainable energy projects are expected to create numerous job opportunities and support economic growth.” adds: “Japan displays a higher-than-average share of green-driven occupations and a lower-than-average share of greenhouse gas (GHG)-intensive occupations … this suggests potentially high demand for skills relevant to green-driven occupations and lower costs of job replacement from GHG-intensive occupations.”

Ensuring that programmes are tightly connected to global and Japan-specific labour market needs will be crucial for educators recruiting in Japan, where a government push to send students abroad is complicated by Japanese families’ hesitation to do so.

For additional background, please see:

• Join the . An efficient and cost-effective way for international educators to connect with pre-screened, local student recruitment agents from two important outbound markets.
• “Survey of Japanese agents indicates significant recovery in outbound student numbers for 2023”

The post Japan market report: A dual focus on attracting international students and sending more Japanese students abroad appeared first on ���Ϲ��� Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

Capital: Islamabad

Population: More than 250 million (2024)

Youth population: Two-thirds of the population is under 30

Median age: 20.5

GDP: US$375 billion (2024)

Currency: Pakistan rupee (PKR)

Official languages: English and Urdu

Main language of instruction: English (especially in private schools) and Urdu (especially in public schools).

English proficiency: “Low” according to the EF Proficiency Index, and 10th of 23 countries in Asia.

Religion: Islam

Geography: Pakistan is in South Asia. It shares borders with Iran to the west, Afghanistan to the northwest and north, China to the northeast, and India to the east and southeast.

Outbound students: Over 100,000

Preferred destinations: UK, China, UAE, Australia, US, Malaysia

Top student cities: Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, and Peshawar

Pakistan is becoming an increasingly valuable recruiting ground for educators in leading destinations. A large segment of high-school and college-aged Pakistani students are interested in study abroad, and nearly half of Pakistan’s population is under the age of 20.

Market fundamentals

The market fundamentals are in some ways very strong. According to the (UNDP), Pakistan’s youth demographic is the largest in the world. Nearly two-thirds of the population is under the age of 30.

Pakistan is third, after only China and India, in terms of the size of its college-aged population. The British Council expects growth in Pakistani outbound mobility to be among highest in the world over the next decade, along with China, India, Nigeria, and Bangladesh.

Unfortunately, Pakistan is also a country where there is massive income inequality and limited opportunities for youth. The Commonwealth’s Youth Development Index for 2023 found that in South Asia, Pakistan is one of two countries that ranks “low.” WENR has written:

“Failure to integrate the country’s legions of youngsters into the education system and the labour market could turn population growth into what the Washington Post called a ‘disaster in the making … putting catastrophic pressures on water and sanitation systems, swamping health and education services, and leaving tens of millions of people jobless’—trends that would almost inevitably lead to the further destabilisation of Pakistan’s already fragile political system.”

Pakistan’s gross tertiary enrolment (GER) ratio was only 13% in 2023, according to UNESCO. This is much lower than in India, and lower than in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka as well. Of 109 countries UNESCO profiled in 2021, Pakistan’s tertiary GER was 100th. Given Pakistan’s huge college-aged population, there is serious unmet demand for higher education.

There are currently 4.5 million Pakistani students in secondary education (grades 9–10), and 2.5 million in upper-secondary education (grades 11–12). More than 25 million children aged 5–16 are “out-of-school” (36% of the cohort’s total population, a proportion similar to that in Nigeria).

Far more girls than boys do not complete school for a range of factors, including poverty and traditional views about the role of women. The literacy rate is 68% for adult men and 46% for adult women.

Regional disparities and opportunities

A Pakistani student’s access to education depends greatly on their household income, gender, and region. Just over a third (36%) of the population lives in cities, where there is more wealth and literacy, and where more schools are considered “functional.” In the poorest areas, many schools lack running water, plumbing, and electricity.

In an excellent report published in 2024 focused on regional opportunities in Pakistan, considers that, at the city level:

“Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad will continue to provide the bulk of outbound students simply because of their population size. Second-tier cities, however, are proliferating. Faisalabad is large and fast-growing. Peshawar has begun to emerge as the next major city for outbound students….

Second-tier smaller cities are also seeing strong growth in demand for study abroad, especially in the Punjab (Gujranwala, Sialkot, Gujrat, Multan). Their economic growth lies in their connection to the bigger metropolitan areas, with a four or five-hour drive seen as an acceptable connection time. Important and growing industries in these second-tier cities mean that families have money to pay for education. Hence, industry growth has been matched by rapidly growing education provision. Large private school networks are also spreading out from the major cities to the smaller ones. These feed students directly into higher education.”

Further, students prefer certain destinations depending on where they live in the country:

• “Punjab, the largest and most populated region in Pakistan, is the largest contributor to student mobility to the UK. The UK has consistently been the top study destination, mainly through strong family connections with many fourth-generation families having well-established businesses in UK cities. Many political and business leaders of Pakistan from the region have also studied in the UK.

• In Islamabad and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, students mainly choose between the UK, North America and Australia. Often, the UK is not the top destination choice.

• Pakistan’s south region has the smallest population and includes Karachi and a few smaller cities. Students from this region mainly choose the US as a study destination.”

Outbound mobility trends

Leading destinations are all recording significant increases in Pakistani enrolments, and demand is especially high for postgraduate studies. Successive governments of Pakistan have slashed educational budgets, and one implication has been the closure of many graduate programmes, which is driving outbound mobility at this level.

Recent data on which destinations are hosting the most Pakistani students include:

• UK: 34,690 in 2022/23 (+50% y-o-y)
• China: 28,000 before the pandemic
• UAE: 24,865 in 2020 according to UNESCO
• Australia: 23,380 in 2023 (+49%)
• US: 10,165 in 2022/23 (+16%)
• Germany: 8,210 in 2022/23 (+22%)
• Kyrgyzstan: 6,000 in 2020 according to UNESCO
• Malaysia: 5,000 in 2023
• Canada: 4,750 in 2023 (+101%)
• Turkey: 2,385 in 2020 according to UNESCO
• Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Sweden, Qatar: At least 4,000 in 2020 according to UNESCO

Malaysian institutions are currently recruiting intensively in Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia has been increasing its scholarships for Pakistani students.

Meanwhile, educators in Canada, the US, and UK understand that while Chinese and Indian demand for study abroad remains high, it can be easily disrupted by immigration policies and geopolitics. It is worth noting that:

• found that January to June 2024, Pakistani student demand for the UK grew by over 30% compared to the same period in 2023.

• found that Pakistan was second only to India in terms of growth in demand for study abroad between 2022 and 2024 and that its share of enrolments, among the top-five student sending markets, is trending upward.

Transnational education

Thousands of Pakistanis are currently pursuing foreign degrees online, and they may soon be able to study for these degrees in-person in Pakistan. Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission (HEC) launched a revised transnational education policy in September 2024 that opens the door for foreign branch campuses. According to :

“Under the policy, foreign institutions can offer degree programmes in Pakistan if they are among the 700 top-ranked universities in the world. There are also specific requirements around local contexts, with institutions required to ‘strictly comply with and respect the constitutional provisions, local laws, and the ideology of Pakistan.’”

reports that “HESA data show that 11,715 students in Pakistan are taking UK qualifications through transnational education, with most choosing distance and online models.”

Middle-class pressures

After slowing in 2023 (following devastating floods in 2022), the Pakistani economy has recovered somewhat, and the Pakistani rupee has stabilised a bit relative to the US dollar. The agricultural sector was the main reason for growth, up 6% in 2024 compared with overall GDP growth of 2.5%. But the situation remains difficult, as you can see in the following chart from KPMG comparing economic indicators in Pakistan and India in 2024 versus 2023.

A 2017 estimate by Pakistani market research firm Aftab Associates put 40% of Pakistanis in the middle class, up substantially from previous years. But this proportion may be shrinking.

The middle class is shaky and dynamic due to a lack of internal structural stability in the economy. Pakistan is incredibly dependent on loans and other packages from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and allies such as Saudi Arabia, UAE, and China. For the 24th time, the approved a new loan in September 2024 in an “ongoing effort to strengthen macroeconomic stability, address deep structural challenges, and create conditions for a stronger, more inclusive, and resilient growth.”

In the meantime, Pakistanis are struggling due to persistently high inflation rates and currency fluctuations.

“The lower middle class has been really hit in the last few years,” Javaid Ghani, pro vice chancellor at Karachi’s Al Ghazali University, told the earlier this year. Many households “are struggling to hold on to the markers of a middle-class life as they are buffeted by higher food and energy prices.”

Pakistan’s independent newspaper, , featured an article in August 2024 that explained how current economic trends affect students aiming to study abroad:

“One of the primary challenges Pakistani students face in their quest to study abroad is financial affordability. Tuition fees, living expenses, and currency exchange rates often present insurmountable barriers for many Pakistani families because the value of the Pakistani Rupee has sunk to such depths that a single US dollar (August 7, 2024) costs around Rs278.5. Because of these circumstances, even the wealthiest people in Pakistan are forced to lead modest lives in developed countries. Managing spending becomes extremely challenging as the Pakistani currency’s value has diminished by more than 100%.”

When they undertake a cost analysis, Pakistani students find that overseas university tuition is surprisingly and excessively expensive. The ordinary Pakistani cannot afford the cost of international flights, rent, food, and transportation. In a developed foreign country, one can only purchase a cup of coffee with a monthly wage of Rs12,000 in Pakistan.”

As difficult as study abroad may be to afford, many families remain determined to secure a quality higher education for their children abroad, driven by a sense of hopelessness about opportunities in Pakistan. An Ipsos poll conducted in the summer of 2024 found that only 1 in 10 Pakistanis believe their country is headed in the right direction.

Muhammad Khan, a restaurant manager in the northern city of Rawalpindi who turns his fridge off in the day and works two jobs but who still cannot make ends meet, told the Wall Street Journal:

“The lower middle class, like us, is now just posing as white collar. Honestly, we are in the poor class now. Seeing the political situation, I have no hope.”

Private schools

Where there is hope, however, is in Pakistan’s thousands of private schools. These have ballooned from 3,000 in 1982 to 137,000+ in 2024. Almost half of Pakistani children attend private schools – many of them from lower-income households.

A fascinating study by researchers at Harvard explores what is behind the popularity of Pakistan’s for-profit, non-religious, fully autonomous private schools. It investigates why middle-class and poorer families are able to send their children to these schools, and finds:

“The key element in their rise is their low fees. They hire predominantly local, female, and moderately educated teachers who have limited alternative opportunities outside the village. Hiring these teachers at low cost allows the savings to be passed on to parents through low fees ….

At the time of writing, a typical private school in a village in Pakistan charged a fee of Rs. 1,000 per year (roughly $18). The countrywide data analyzed shows that fees are low for all the provinces in Pakistan, as well as within rural and urban regions within each province. The analysis shows that in rural areas, the median annual fee roughly translates to $1.50 a month, or less than—much less than a dime a day. Thus, these schools’ fees are affordable even for someone living at the dollar-a-day poverty line established as a global benchmark.”

The researchers also note that affordability does not mean lower quality:

“Despite lower levels of education and training, lower salaries in private schools do not imply lower educational quality. Because private schools are held accountable by parents, who may monitor teacher behavior and can withdraw their children if performance is poor, private schools have full incentives to hire the best available teachers who then exert high effort. Indeed, teacher absenteeism rates appear to be lower and student test scores higher in many private schools as compared to government schools.”

Government support for study abroad

The number of universities in Pakistan has been rising quickly, but quality is a major issue, as is government interference and underfunding. There are over 200 universities and 3,000 degree colleges (which are similar to community colleges) across the country.

To counter domestic higher education issues, the government supports study abroad, not least because personal remittances from Pakistanis abroad compose a significant portion of GDP (over 8% in 2022). says. “The substantial share of remittances highlights the importance of the Pakistani migrant community abroad in the economic development and stability of the country.”

Key motivations for students

Pakistani students are first and foremost interested in accessing a high-quality foreign degree to enhance their career prospects. Affordability is a major concern – and so scholarships are much sought-after. Similarly, the ability to work during studies and post-study work opportunities can make the difference in decision-making about where to go.

Recommended reading

We highly recommend checking out the following resources:

(2020), which includes assessment criteria and what official documents are recommended from Pakistani students.

The British Council’s 2023 report, .

The British Council’s 2024 report, .

For additional background, please see:

• Market snapshot: Nepal (2024)
• Market snapshot: Philippines (2024)
• Market snapshot: China (2024)

The post Market snapshot: International student recruitment in Pakistan appeared first on ���Ϲ��� Monitor - Market intelligence for international student recruitment.

Capital: Kathmandu

Population: 29.6 million (2024)

Youth population: 21% of the population is aged 16–25, and more than half are under the age of 25.

Median age: 23.5

GDP: US$44.1 billion (2024)

Currency: Nepalese rupee (NPR)

Language: Nepali is spoken by 78% of the population, and Maithili is the next-most spoken language. However, over 123 languages are spoken, and in some districts, more than half of residents are non-Nepali speakers.

Main language of instruction: In general, students learn in Nepali in public schools and English in private schools. There is controversy around how this impacts students for whom Nepali is the second tongue and English the third.

English proficiency: “Moderate” and climbing according to the EF Proficiency Index.

Religion: The vast majority of Nepalis are Hindu, and a small proportion are Buddhists.

Geography: Nepal is in South Asia. The country is landlocked: China is to the north and India shares borders in the south, east, and west.

Outbound students: Over 100,000. In 2021, the outbound mobility ratio was 19%.

Preferred destinations: Australia, Japan, Canada, US, UK, India.

Top fields of study for Nepalis: Japanese language programmes in Japan, followed by accounting, management, business, information technology, science, computer science, engineering, health, and science and technology, according to the number of No Objection Certificates (NOCs) issued by the government of Nepal between July 2023 and July 2024.

Scale of opportunity

In the past five years, approximately one in every five Nepali students pursuing higher education chose to study abroad. Nepal’s outbound mobility ratio was 19% in 2021, compared with less than 2% for China and India. This provides a clear indication of how high demand is for study abroad in this small South Asian nation.

At home, Nepali students seeking degrees do not have many high-quality tertiary options. None of Nepal’s nine universities and three medical institutions recognised by Nepal’s Ministry of Education make it into the major world university rankings, and erratic quality and delivery of education is a feature of the tertiary education system.

The high outbound student mobility ratio mirrors a workforce trend, which is that hundreds of thousands of Nepalis go abroad to work every year. reports that according to the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), “remittances from migrant workers contributed up to 26.6% of Nepal’s GDP, valued at an estimated $11 billion, in 2023.” In many cases, those remittances are helping families to send their children abroad to earn degrees and training and to receive more career opportunities than Nepal can offer them.

What’s behind the high level of outbound?

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) ranks Nepal on the Human Development Index. The ranking is improving but is still low enough that it suggests why many Nepalis move to the Middle East to work, and increasingly to Europe, which is viewed as more prestigious. reports that four in five Nepali households have a family member abroad.

There is a tension here: Nepalis are moving out of their country, which leads to brain drain, but once abroad, they send money back home that contributes to Nepal’s national GDP and helps families afford costs of living. The average hourly wage in Nepal is less than US$4. The heavy reliance on remittances also means that Nepal is incredibly vulnerable to external shocks, such as tightened immigration settings or economic downturns in preferred destinations.

Private consumption, fuelled by remittances, accounts for 80% of Nepal’s GDP. notes that real GDP growth in 2024 accelerated to 3.9%, compared with 2% in 2023. It says that despite challenges – such as low public infrastructure funding including in the education sector – it is more optimistic about Nepal’s future after successful elections in 2017:

“There is a newfound optimism for greater political stability, inclusion, good governance and sustainable growth. The new federal structure presents unprecedented opportunities for Nepal to reset its development storyline, as outlined in the Systematic Country Diagnostic (SCD).”

Generally low quality of education is also a major reason Nepali students go abroad. Stella Thapa, a student at the Kathmandu University School of Management, explains on :

“Universities of Nepal such as Tribhuvan University (TU) face ongoing issues that affect academic progress and student satisfaction. Problems include delays in publishing exam schedules, irregularities in exams and academic calendars, and extended completion times for degree programmes. Many students who aim to finish their studies in four years often find themselves graduating in five to six years, which can be disheartening and demotivating. However, few universities offer quality and advanced educational programmes. Students often question whether their qualifications will translate into promising job opportunities and successful careers in Nepal.”

Especially scarce in Nepal are high-quality degrees in engineering, medicine, and technology.

Working while studying is important for many Nepali students

The Nepal Economic Forum explains that in addition to remittances, many Nepali students fund study abroad by working overseas:

“It is the students who fund their studies themselves by working. This is evidence worldwide when we see Nepali students working in restaurants across the US, UK, Europe, Japan or Australia.”

The organisation also reports that 85% of Nepali households own their own house. Not paying rent frees up some income for study abroad.

The latest (2022) found that Nepali students are highly price sensitive, especially about accommodation. Price was the top factor for Nepali students looking for accommodation (87% vs 61% for all international students), and “kitchen size and facilities were much more important to these students than most internationals (71% vs 57%).”

Where are Nepali students going?

Nepal’s Ministry of Education issued 112,595 foreign study permits (known as No Objection Certificates, or NOCs) to students in the last fiscal year. Ms Thapa, in her post on LinkedIn, reports that those students went to 66 different destinations, but 80% went to just five countries: Japan, Canada, Australia, UK, and the US. A total of 34,370 NOCs went to students going to Japan, followed by those headed to Canada (15,980), Australia (14,370), the UK (13,340), the US (11,260), and South Korea (6,890).

Other destinations for which more than 1,000 NOCs were granted were India, UAE, Denmark, Finland, France, and New Zealand.

ApplyBoard illustrates the remarkable growth of Nepali students in Canadian and US higher education institutions over the past few years in the charts below (Canada is the first chart, and the US is the second).

ApplyBoard also notes that Nepali students remain interested in the UK despite the inability of most to bring their family due to the dependant’s ban imposed by the previous government. Over 8,500 Nepali students received a main applicant visa for the UK in 2023 (+83% y-o-y). In Q1 2024 alone, 27% more visas were granted to Nepali students compared with Q1 2023. What’s interesting about the 2024 trend is that it contrasts with a 22% decline in visas granted to all international students in the UK.

Australia is the outlier among the Big Four destinations, with policy changes in Nepal and Australia contributing to a big drop in Nepali student numbers (as shown in the chart below), especially in the vocational sector.

Meanwhile in Japan, the number of Nepali students surged to over 45,000 in 2023 according to , making Nepal the second largest sending market after China. The surge also displaced Vietnam as Japan’s number two sending market. Even after Japan raised international student tuition fees in the summer of 2024, the cost of studying in Japan is still much less than in the Big Four destinations. Many Nepali graduates in Japan go on to work in sectors such as hospitality and nursing.

What are projections for growth?

A chart from a new Sinorbis study, Asia Atlas: The future of international student marketing in Asia, is a dramatic illustration of how many Nepali students will head abroad for higher education in the next few years. From 23rd place in 2022 (40,560), Nepal is projected to become the 7th largest sender of students in 2025 (113,395).

Sinorbis presents a similarly impressive graph projecting Nepali higher education enrolments in the US.

Sinorbis data also show that Nepali students are especially drawn to healthcare-related fields in the US.

Popular levels of study

Good graduate programmes are in short supply in Nepal, and so there is strong demand for graduate as well as undergraduate studies. IIE Open Doors data for 2022/23 shows that 42% of Nepali enrolments were undergraduate (+39% y-o-y) and 37% were graduate (+21% y-o-y). reported in 2022 that “mobility is expected to grow particularly at the graduate level—a sector that is underdeveloped in Nepal with less than one percent of university campuses offering Ph.D. programmes.”

In 2023, Nepal’s government stopped issuing NOCs for language and vocational programmes, but a popular backlash forced it to reverse the ruling. It did, however, create a list of eligible foreign institutions for students interested in language or vocational training. Grace International provides a primer on how students must apply for an NOC .

Pre-tertiary education system

The devastating earthquakes in Nepal in 2015 set back the progress the country had made previously on expanding access to education. Many schools were destroyed, more than 9,000 killed, and more than 22,000 injured. In 2022, only 27% of students completed upper secondary schooling, falling to 10% among the poorest households and rising to 59% in the richest households, according to UN���Ϲ���. In a reversal of historical trends, girls now have a higher completion rate at every level of schooling than boys.

In terms of achievement, students who speak Nepali at home have better outcomes than those who speak another language and then go to school to be instructed in Nepali. The dearth of instruction in other native languages of Nepal are a subject of great . Middle class and wealthy Nepali households tend to send their children to schools where English is the main language of instruction.

Free primary and secondary education is meant to be a right for Nepali students, but the reality is that at the secondary level, there are significant fees parents must pay (e.g., books, uniforms), which is part of the reason for the high dropout rate among poorer Nepali students.

Private schools are the preferred option for those who can afford them. The share of private schools is 20%, while public (aka community) schools account for 80%. As for enrolments, 27% are in private schools and 72% in public. explains that:

“The education system has been so privatised that a huge learning gap has opened up between those that can afford private schools and those that can’t. The facilities at private schools are noticeably better. Many families try to live in Kathmandu where they have access to the best schools. Children at these school dress in crisp, clean uniforms and study in English and Nepali.

There is huge discrepancy between private and public schooling a major social injustice. Uttam Sanjel, the founder of Bamboo School’s for the poor told AFP. “There are two kinds of schooling. The public school students do not know how to speak in English even when they leave school. The private school students can send emails to their parents from grade two. This is not how it should be. It is wrong because it will create two kinds of citizen.”

Clearly, lower-income Nepali students will be highly motivated by scholarships because they may not be able to study abroad without them.

There are several international schools, which can be explored .

Many Nepali students will need foundational programmes to set them up for success in higher education due to uneven quality of education at home or language issues.

Tertiary education

Nepali students do not have many high-quality tertiary options in their country. None of Nepal’s nine universities and three medical institutions recognised by Nepal’s Ministry of Education make it onto major world university rankings. However, ranks Tribhuvan University 962nd in the world and considers its clinical medicine, environment/ecology, and public, environmental and occupational health programmes to be worthy of recognition.

The full list of universities is:

• Tribhuvan University
• Nepal Sanskrit University
• Kathmandu University
• Purbanchal University
• Pokhara University
• Lumbini Bauddha University
• Sudur Paschimanchal University
• Madhya Paschimanchal University
• Agriculture and Forestry University

Under the umbrella of those public universities (except for Kathmandu University, which is privately funded and autonomous) are hundreds of colleges and campuses. Many of these are privately owned. The private colleges are considered to offer higher quality education than public ones.

There is also a growing number of foreign-affiliated tertiary programmes in Nepal, with institutions from Scotland, UK, Malaysia, Poland, Switzerland, and Thailand active in this space. A full list can be found .

The outlook

The British Council forecasted outbound mobility patterns in 30 major student sending markets in an early-2024 report. It found that the growth rate will slow in most of those markets. However, Nepal was categorised as having high growth potential along with high market risk, in part because of economic and political volatility in the country.

The top motivations for Nepali students are scholarships and the ability to work during studies. It is worth considering a scholarship programme to solidify a presence in Nepal for many reasons, not least because Nepal has one of the world’s fastest growing populations of 18–22-year-olds – along with limited job prospects. The youth unemployment rate hovers at 20% and is the third highest in South Asia after Bhutan and Sri Lanka. Until the government is able to commit more budget to education, it is likely demand for study abroad will remain very high in Nepal.

For additional background, please see:

• “Outbound mobility trends for five key sending markets in Asia”

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