Bis research paper number 128 The wider benefits of international higher education in the uk

6.3 Individuality 
While a number of broad trends have been identified, the absence of other systematic 
variations that might have been expected is perhaps as noteworthy, although the sample 
was of modest size. There appeared to be relatively little difference, for example, between 
the positive benefits perceived by those who attended research-intensive universities or 
institutions in other mission groups.
Investigating HE benefits through the experiences of alumni some years after they have 
left UK HE offered insights into their evolving personal circumstances as well as individual 
backgrounds. This confirmed the importance of individual circumstances as a major factor,
as the impact of HE experience is perceived in the context of alumni’s lives in their chosen 
or home countries. In the same way that their motivations will have been a highly individual 
combination of career aspirations and other factors, the benefits and impact from their UK 
HE experience are highly dependent on their individual circumstances.
So while we could categorise alumni by nationality, level of study or other grouping, we 
tried to look at them as individuals. This meant considering not only their career trajectory 
and motivations for study, but also their social background and mobility capital (i.e. were 
they well-prepared for study overseas) as well as current family circumstances. All these 
factors and more contextualise and affect experiences as students and memories and 
perceptions as alumni. 
Some alumni have chosen to progress along conventional linear career paths, and make 
use of certain benefits that support that trajectory, while others have been either inspired 
or assisted to make changes of direction, often towards running their own business or, 
especially, working in societal development. The benefits that they gain, and those that 
may accrue to their home country and the UK, will be very different depending on which 
path they pursue. However, despite different motivations and expectations, UK HE 
seemed to have provided a transformative experience for almost all. 
5
 See 
http://www.jica.go.jp/bangladesh/english/office/others/alumni.html
 and 
http://www.jicaalumni-
eg.com/about-us/
93 

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The Wider Benefits of International Higher Education in the UK 
Any quantitative estimate of impact or benefits of studying HE in the UK is made much 
more complex by these individual differences and evolving circumstances, as the benefits 
are overlaid upon a highly uneven base. Recognition of the importance of individual 
circumstances also suggests that any analysis of impact has to take this major factor into 
account, otherwise any conclusions may be invalid within many groups and certainly in 
relation to individuals.