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

5.2 Emerging trends 
5.2.1 National differences 
Overall, as had been anticipated, alumni’s experiences were strongly shaped by their 
individual contexts, prior to and during their HE study. The same applied to understanding 
their perceptions of benefits and predictions of future impact of their UK HE experience. As 
a result, there were substantial differences in the extent of some perceptions held as well 
as activities reported by different alumni, which means trends, generalisations and 
conclusions have to be drawn cautiously. 
That said, the interview results were analysed and compared against certain key 
characteristics, particularly alumni’s nationality, level of study, university type and subject 
of study. From that brief analysis it is possible to propose the existence of some broad 
trends, and the apparent absence of trends relating to other characteristics. 
As expected from anecdotal prior knowledge, most (but not all) of the Chinese alumni 
interviewed had studied for Masters degrees, many in business or finance. They tended to 
be self- or family-funded and chiefly motivated by career enhancement potential; none had 
had any prior family history of HE study in the UK. 
Graduates from India, in particular, and to some extent SE Asian nations tended to be 
somewhat similar in motivation and funding to the Chinese group, but a substantial 
minority were now working in their families’ businesses. However, notably more of them 
had parents or siblings with experiences of UK HE. 
It has been noted already that some alumni had rather ‘narrow’ experiences during their 
UK HE study, as they had tended to socialise mostly within their national or regional 
student groups, where they were perhaps culturally more comfortable. These were almost 
exclusively from China, Taiwan and SE Asia, while others who had ‘narrow’ experiences 
due to living with a partner or in their family unit encompassed many other nationalities.
86 

---

The Wider Benefits of International Higher Education in the UK 
There were many very positive stories from alumni from low-income Commonwealth 
countries, most of whom had been in receipt of UK-funded scholarships. Several of these 
were powerful personal articulations of the stated aims of the scholarship schemes – that 
is to say highly talented students, some from rather humble backgrounds, who had now 
returned to their countries and either very rapidly climbing to influential career positions or 
were dedicating themselves to improving their country and the lives of their fellow people, 
often changing careers to do so. However, such zeal was not confined only to those with 
Chevening and Commonwealth scholarships, but could be seen in alumni with other forms 
of funding too, albeit usually to a somewhat lesser extent. 
Those from South America comprised a wide range, from a number who used an arts or 
fashion degree in London to kick-start an art or design career, to others reshaping their 
careers and dedicated to ‘improving’ their country on return working in areas like health or 
civil engineering. The small group from the Middle East and Turkey were mostly career-
motivated Masters students, although with one or two notable exceptions.
Alumni from our ‘high income’ group of nations were also very mixed, with some mature 
graduates studying liberal arts degrees, including at research level, but others who for a 
whole variety of personal reasons chose UK HE over opportunities in their own country.
Although these broad trends were evident, and several of them seemed to support 
anecdotal national group characteristics or stereotypes, the range of stories within any 
single nationality grouping was generally greater than their similarities. This confirmed the 
importance of individual circumstances in shaping the alumni’s experiences and 
perceptions of impact. However, a much larger sample would be required to confirm this 
statistically, as the sample was modest in size and somewhat purposive in nature.