Open AccessInternational Brazilian Students: Motivators, Barriers, and Facilitators in Higher Education
Author(s) -
Carla C. Borges do Amaral,
Marcello Romani-Dias,
Seimor Walchhutter
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
sage open
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.357
H-Index - 32
ISSN - 2158-2440
DOI - 10.1177/21582440221088022
Subject(s) - internationalization , globe , international education , internationalization of higher education , psychology , study abroad , higher education , pedagogy , public relations , medical education , political science , business , medicine , neuroscience , international trade , law
International students have an increasing economic and cultural impact: In 2011 there were 4.3 million international students around the globe, and this number is expected to exceed 8 million by 2025. From this scenario, this article aims to discern the main barriers, facilitators, and motivators for the internationalization of students. In-depth interviews were conducted with 17 international students at different academic levels. The results indicate that the barriers to internationalization are intrinsic and extrinsic to individuals. The main facilitators of internationalization were networking training and access to student resources; and the main motivators were personal development and career opportunities. Therefore, this article brings three main contributions: (a) academically vis-à-vis the theme, (b) managerially, for institutions, and (c) for students, especially those at the master’s and PhD level. Findings from Brazilian students may also apply to different academic contexts, especially those from emerging countries.