Thesis Format
Integrated Article
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy
Program
Geography and Environment
Collaborative Specialization
Migration and Ethnic Relations
Supervisor
Buzzelli, Michael
Abstract
Migration has become an important and familiar feature of higher education, where students increasingly cross national and regional borders to pursue their studies. This movement is driven by a complex interplay of global and local factors that influence students' migration decisions. In addition to students’ attributes, the most compelling of these factors is the attractiveness of universities, the attributes of students’ migration origins and destinations, and the structures and processes that drive the movements.
In this dissertation, higher education student migration (HESM) is examined at global, sub-national and regional spatial scales. The research begins with an analysis of the intersectional effect of students’ gender and field of study on interprovincial HESM patterns in Canada. Using statistical z-testing of Statistics Canada’s Postsecondary Student Information System (PSIS) dataset, the study finds compelling evidence of significantly more migration among women pursuing STEM studies. Building on the intersectional effect and incorporating additional predictors of migration, the second study uses gravity modelling analysis applied to multisource linked data to examine the patterns of HESM in 17 Canadian city-regions. Results from the study reveal that urban university prestige may be an initial attraction force and, depending on the location (i.e. origin or destination), its effect compensates for regional attractiveness. In the third study, the thesis investigates the social network structure of international HESM among traditional, emerging and planned destination countries. The study underscores the utility of social media data for HESM research and evidence of an emerging global multipolar structure of international HESM.
This thesis contributes to the broader understanding of HESM by highlighting the need for a holistic approach that integrates micro-, meso- and macro-level factors in migration frameworks. Additionally, the insights of the research have implications for regions in attracting and retaining talented individuals and also lays foundation for future research.
Summary for Lay Audience
Every year, a significant number of students attending university or college relocate from their usual places of residence to new locations. The process whereby students move from one place to another, involving a change in where they stay and crossing borders, is referred to as higher education student migration (HESM). There are many reasons why students move to pursue higher education, and the dynamics and processes may vary from one student and location to another. This research examines the various factors that influence students to migrate as well as the structures and processes involved in these movements.
The research begins with an analysis of migration factors that are directly related to the students themselves. The first research aims to find whether the choice of field of study influences women or men to migrate for their studies. Using students’ gender and their field of study, the analysis shows that in Canada, women who are pursuing studies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics are more likely to move to new locations for higher education. The second research examines whether university prestige and the economic and environmental conditions of locations are important factors that influence the migration in addition to students’ gender and field of study. The study finds that students are attracted to Canadian urban regions with highly prestigious universities and the effects of economic and environmental factors may change depending on the reputation of universities in those locations. Finally, the third research investigates the connections that countries form on the basis of exchanging international migrant students. Usually, countries that share some similarities may form strong ties through migration. The research found diversity in the destination choices of students, although countries that students have longstanding preference for were still the dominant destinations. In summary, this dissertation adds to our understanding of the complex factors that drive HESM.
Recommended Citation
Narh, Ebenezer, "Higher Education Student Migration: Socio-spatial Structures and Processes in Canada and Abroad" (2024). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 10463.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/10463
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