The value of studying abroad and gaining an international experience is well recognized nowadays. It is because of the several benefits it offers to the students including cultural exchange and international exposure. The universities are focusing on sending students on semesters abroad, travel-study programs and internship opportunities. This helps students to travel to other parts of the world, meet different people and learn something new in their lives. The students can also take benefits of studying in some of the countries which are offering affordable education such as the Nordics.
Students from different nations bring in varied perspectives and different ways of thinking to the same classroom. They bring forward examples from their own countries. This helps to analyze various case studies from a multicultural perspective and thus providing balanced solutions to different problems. In the United States, the incoming students have also provided some key economic benefits to the communities and universities. It is particularly important for the US at a time when it is able to generate few students who are of college age.
Internationalization & Business Success
Global adjustment of any business is a key factor for its success. Both a cultural and a geographical perspective are important to evaluate it. Many of the firms are in fact looking for people now who have prior international experience at work or student exchange. This helps them in the right selection of expatriates as these people can easily adjust themselves in any environment and in any culture.
Immigration abroad has become an increasingly hot topic nowadays. It makes the company think about recruiting candidates who not only have the right skills and knowledge but also have the ability to work globally. Thus, the institutions now look forward to creating truly international campuses and campus environments.
The Internationalization of Higher Education
The internationalization of higher education cannot be simplified to granting student visas. It is more than that. There is requirement of looking at faculties, curriculum, networking opportunities and other support activities. It requires a big investment of time, money, energy and resources. Students receive a better quality of education, both inside and outside the classrooms helping them to gain the most out of their international experience. Studying in Canada can provide an opportunity to network with employers along with studies to get a decent job once the students graduate.
Likewise, studying in Australia helps students to work for 20 hours a week for any company along with their studies. So, they have already got some local experience before they start pitching up to employers for full-time jobs. The students also get an opportunity to interact with top-notch faculties coming to teach from world-renowned universities. They can make use of these networks to enter into a research field or industry in that country. This can help create ties between professors and students, leading to social, political and business opportunities that can last a lifetime. This can help the education consultants to capture the right customers and track them on a regular basis.
Relevance of Internationalization in a Globalized World
In the globalized world of today, more people are willing to leave their comfort zones. They are willing to work abroad and live in different cultures for better career prospects. They are also willing to study abroad, learn new languages and gain diverse experiences. More and more people are now looking for overseas consultancy to look for better opportunities for themselves. This trend actually seems to be quite productive for people. As per a recent research done, international experience can promote careers success, decrease inter-group bias and enhance creativity.
How Living Abroad Helps You Develop a Clear Sense of Self
Not only this, internationalization can also lead to better understanding of self. The people who have lived abroad at some point of their lives found a better understanding of who they are as a result. Therefore, people are looking to even become permanent residents of some of the developed nations. Some of the popular ones include the Australia PR and Canada PR. However, immigration to the US has been hampered by the nationalist policies of the US government in the last 3 years. Similarly, immigration to Australia has decreased as the government has decreased the grant of permanent visas in the last 2 years.
The theory is quite clear in this regard. When people live in their home countries, they live with people of similar tastes and interests. So, they are never in a situation to ask themselves questions on their behavior. They can answer whether their behavior represents their core values or values of their culture in which they grew up. On the other hand, living abroad can be completely different. The people will be getting an immense exposure as to novel culture values and norms. This can prompt them to repeatedly engage with their individual beliefs and values. It is the depth, not the breadth which matters a lot while living abroad. So, in this way, they will have more opportunities to involve in self-discerning reflections.
What implications do these findings have for the corporate world ?
A clear understanding of self can produce a better alignment of how people see themselves and how other people judge them. This can be captured in a 360-degree feedback system. These kinds of systems are now predominantly used by 90% of the organizations. The mismatch ratings can be related to various negative job-linked outcomes.
Our work has direct implications for career management. Having a clear understanding of one’s self can assist them in understanding about their career options. It will also assist them in deciding their career paths after they graduate. So, this can help students to be more clear and confident regarding their career decisions.
Conclusion
All in all, an international experience is really beneficial for everyone in an extremely globalized environment. It can guide you to make better decisions both for your personal and professional lives. A decision to work or study outside your comfort zone demands a lot but is extremely fruitful in the long run to capture new experiences and to meet new people. It can help to make yourselves a future-ready individual. It also opens a new set of opportunities for the individuals future. This experience can tremendously help to improve an individual’s communication and networking skills. And it can definitely give you a competitive edge over others later on in your careers. There will also be an opportunity to create a new global network. This can enhance opportunities to work at a global scale.
