University-level study abroad in post-Brexit UK
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Warwick
Department Name: Centre for Education Studies
Abstract
The project 'University-level study abroad in post-Brexit UK' will seek to advance current understanding of the phenomenon of study abroad and to inform relevant policy in the UK. Study abroad is important because it has been linked to positive outcomes for individuals and because it is seen to be of economic and geopolitical significance. The project will use multiple data sources and multiple perspectives. It will tell us who studies abroad and with what benefits, how institutions manage and deliver study abroad, and what is the state of study abroad policy in the UK, Canada, Australia, and at the EU level. This triangulated and rigorous approach is the strength and innovation of this project, and it will allow the project to deliver an authoritative overview of study abroad in the UK with relevance for students, higher education institutions (HEIs), study abroad stakeholders, and the national government.
Researching study abroad is timely for the UK. Following Brexit and after leaving Erasmus+, the UK Government has created the Turing Scheme to provide funding for?international opportunities in education and training. In 2022-2023, the Turing Scheme had a budget of £100 million. Funding for the Turing Scheme is confirmed until 2025 and independent outputs from this project will be published in time to contribute to public debates about the future of the scheme and further national policies on study abroad.
To understand who studies abroad and with what benefits, this three-year project will use nationally representative longitudinal secondary data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (starting with 2013/14) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes dataset (starting with 2014/15 graduates). With relevance for widening participation efforts, the project will document the socio-economic characteristics of students who go abroad, both before and after Brexit, and how representative these students are of the wider student population. The project will also document the academic and post-graduation outcomes of study abroad participants. It will look at graduation rate, degree classification, employment status, earnings, and wellbeing and if these outcomes vary between those who studied abroad and those who did not. The project will provide a first of its kind overview on the association between study abroad and future earnings among students enrolled at UK HEIs and will make multiple contributions to the international literature on study abroad.
Case study data from four anonymous UK universities, one from each nation, will be collected and analysed to understand how institutions manage and deliver study abroad post-Brexit. Students and staff at these institutions will be invited to offer their views on aspects such as widening participation, the student experience, and the Turing Scheme.
Supported by interviews and documentary analysis, the project will also deliver an in-depth overview of UK's policy on study and work abroad and compare it with equivalent policies in two peer countries, Australia and Canada, and also with EU-level study abroad policies. This approach will ensure that policy recommendations made throughout this project are context relevant, internationally informed, and feasible.
Through the rigorous analysis of longitudinal nationally representative administrative data, analysis of case study data from four universities, and comparative national policy reviews in three countries and at the EU level, this project offers an independent, comprehensive, and impactful approach to understanding study abroad in the UK, with relevance for multiple stakeholders, at a moment of national policy significance.
Researching study abroad is timely for the UK. Following Brexit and after leaving Erasmus+, the UK Government has created the Turing Scheme to provide funding for?international opportunities in education and training. In 2022-2023, the Turing Scheme had a budget of £100 million. Funding for the Turing Scheme is confirmed until 2025 and independent outputs from this project will be published in time to contribute to public debates about the future of the scheme and further national policies on study abroad.
To understand who studies abroad and with what benefits, this three-year project will use nationally representative longitudinal secondary data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (starting with 2013/14) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes dataset (starting with 2014/15 graduates). With relevance for widening participation efforts, the project will document the socio-economic characteristics of students who go abroad, both before and after Brexit, and how representative these students are of the wider student population. The project will also document the academic and post-graduation outcomes of study abroad participants. It will look at graduation rate, degree classification, employment status, earnings, and wellbeing and if these outcomes vary between those who studied abroad and those who did not. The project will provide a first of its kind overview on the association between study abroad and future earnings among students enrolled at UK HEIs and will make multiple contributions to the international literature on study abroad.
Case study data from four anonymous UK universities, one from each nation, will be collected and analysed to understand how institutions manage and deliver study abroad post-Brexit. Students and staff at these institutions will be invited to offer their views on aspects such as widening participation, the student experience, and the Turing Scheme.
Supported by interviews and documentary analysis, the project will also deliver an in-depth overview of UK's policy on study and work abroad and compare it with equivalent policies in two peer countries, Australia and Canada, and also with EU-level study abroad policies. This approach will ensure that policy recommendations made throughout this project are context relevant, internationally informed, and feasible.
Through the rigorous analysis of longitudinal nationally representative administrative data, analysis of case study data from four universities, and comparative national policy reviews in three countries and at the EU level, this project offers an independent, comprehensive, and impactful approach to understanding study abroad in the UK, with relevance for multiple stakeholders, at a moment of national policy significance.
