Ex Writer 38 | - ✏ Freelance Writer
May 30, 2016 | #1
Formulation of the Problem
UK universities are a growing source of education for foreign students. According to a 2009 Report in The Guardian, international student enrollment doubled between 1998 and 2008, with over 229,000 non-EU students (approximately 10% of students) enrolled in 2008. Many of these students (around 20,000) came from China, but other developing countries also played a significant role in this increased enrollment. This is in part due to the state of development of higher education in developing countries, which is often not clearly focused and defined and may not be a priority. This is particularly true in areas such as technology-based education (engineering, computer science, and other sciences), where education in foreign universities is a key source of technology transfer to developing nations and a significant means of increasing economic growth. According to a 2003 World Bank report, the demand for foreign education in developing countries is driven by factors including lack of capacity and excess demand for domestic university education, the demand for international qualifications for graduates, and highly skilled labour demands (Bashir). Overall, there are considerable advantages to foreign education in terms of development, as it encourages technology transfer and increases the human resource stocks of the developing economy (De Ferranti). In many cases, developing countries prioritize the use of foreign tertiary education as a policy measure to improve human resource stocks and technological capabilities of the country. Overall, tertiary education in foreign countries is considered to be a positive factor for students.
However, the use of foreign education as a means of improving human resource stocks has some potential difficulties for developing countries that engage in it. One difficulty is lost revenues and potential development of the domestic educational system. One estimate indicates that Nigeria's domestic university system loses between N200 billion and N300 billion annually due to the loss of students to foreign institutions (which is largely driven by neglect and underdevelopment of the tertiary education sector). However, another difficulty is that students may not choose to return to their countries of origin. This is often encouraged by the immigration policies of the host country. For example, the United Kingdom offers a Tier-1 Post Study Visa, which allows international students to gain access to a one-year specialty visa allowing them to work without a work permit. This scheme focuses on medical and nursing, science and engineering graduates - in other words, exactly those workers that are most required by their home countries. This is part of along-observed phenomenon known as the 'brain drain'; workers that can gain access to higher wages in developed countries, encouraged by immigration policies that give them priority, will often leave developing countries permanently, reducing human resources stocks and impeding further development. There are some positive effects from this brain drain, including increased integration into global networks. This effect has historically been a problem for development. An International Labour Organisation (ILO) report indicated that between 10% and 30% of skilled workers migrated from developing countries during the 1990s (OECD). African losses to the brain drain phenomenon are estimated to be in the billions, and over 30% of skilled workers were seen to migrate during the 1980s and 1990s. Brain drain is more recently seen in migration of central and eastern European migrants to the UK. A 2008 estimate by the Home Office indicated that some 45,000 applications for the Worker Registration Scheme were seen from the A8 nations in 2008. However, what is not known is how many potential workers do not choose to return to developing countries following their foreign education, in effect permanently removing their potential labour from the capital market. This research will examine the connection between foreign education and the brain drain and examine the effects on the home country's economy.Aims and Objectives
The aim of this research is to quantify economic migration of highly skilled individuals from one developing country and identifying the effects of this migration on the developing economy. The objectives include:
1. Quantification of the likelihood of economic migration for highly skilled individuals.
2. Identification of reasons why highly skilled individuals migration.
3. Determination of ways to prevent some portion of this migration from occurring.
3. Research Design and Methods.
The research design chosen is a quantitative methodology, which will rely on primary data collection and statistical analysis. The quantitative method chosen was the survey. A survey, or series of quantitative questions designed to elicit information that can be analyzed statistically, is commonly used in social sciences research because it is relatively simple to construct and inexpensive to distribute to the target population. A survey makes it possible to examine a much wider sample of the population as well, which will be to the advantage of this research project.
Data Collection and Analysis
Instrument
There are no instruments that currently exist that study the area of interest of this research. The researcher will construct an instrument consisting of a planned 30 items, addressing the experience of respondents, educational levels, and other issues related to the intent to migrate. It will also collect demographic information and information on area of study. This will be pilot tested using a small sample (N=60) in order to confirm the construct validity of the survey using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), ensure there are no confusing or poorly worded questions that will elicit incorrect responses from survey respondents, and ensure reliability of the survey. The survey will be designed for email collection in order to increase uptake and reduce cost.
Population and Sample
The population will be foreign students from developing countries studying in the UK. For the sample, a total of 1,500 students from universities across the UK will be randomly selected.
Data Collection
The link to the survey will be distributed electronically via a number of methods, including email lists, Web pages, and academic communities of the target audience. The researcher will establish a home page that describes the reason for the survey, and then gains consent prior to completion. Data will be collected automatically using an online survey collection site such as Google Docs survey generator or Survey Monkey.
The survey will run for three months or until the target number of surveys (1,000) have been collected. The survey collection point will then be closed and data will be prepared for analysis. This preparation will include scrubbing of any incomplete surveys and preparation for analysis in SPSS.
Analysis
The analysis of the data will take place in SPSS. The main analysis techniques will be inferential statistical techniques including ANOVA, linear and multiple regression, and other techniques (which will be chosen following consideration of survey design, item data types, and the type of relationship being considered). The researcher will also use descriptive statistics in order to provide a brief data profile of respondents.
Potential Users and User Engagement
Potential users for this research include education authorities, political workers and policymakers in developing countries, economists, and the student population that is being studied itself. Educational authorities in developing countries will be able to consider the research in terms of the role of foreign education in their development schemes, and determine whether changes should be made. Politically, this report will be able to inform policymakers of the effects of foreign education on the brain drain and identify any potential issues or problems that they may face. It may also be able to identify areas of concern for these countries. The study will also provide economic information regarding the connection between foreign education and the brain drain. Finally, students will be able to see the general effects of their decision to either remain in the UK or to return to their home country in the study.
Potential Difficulties
The main difficulties seen in this study are the potential for Type I and II error (which will be mitigated by study design principles) and the selection of students. The large sample is larger than required for statistical validity, however, and as such if the sample size is reduced the research will remain valid.
Ethical Considerations
The main ethical consideration in this case is the potential for repercussions for respondents to the survey, particularly those that may be receiving funding from their governments and identify themselves as intending to migrate. In order to protect respondents from this potential negative outcome, the researcher will conduct the study in anonymity, and will not include any follow-up research into the questions raised by the study with individual respondents.
Bibliography
Bashir, S. (2003). Trends in international trade in higher education: Implications and options for developing countries. Genev: The World Bank.
BBC News. (2001). Brain drain costs Africa billions.
Brace, I. (2008). Questionnaire design (2nd ed.). London: Kogan Page.
De Ferranti, D. M. (2003). Closing the gap in education and technology. Geneva: World Bank.
Entzinger, H. B., Martiniello, M., & de Wenden, C. W. (2004). Migration between states and markets. London: Ashgate.
Ewuzie, K. (2007). Neglect of tertiary edcuation robs Nigeria huge foreign exchange.
Grubel, H. G., & Scott, A. (1977). The brain drain: determinants, measurement, and welfare effects. Waterloo, Canada: Wilfrid Laurier University Press.
Healey, J. F. (2005). Statistics: A Tool for Social Research. London: Cengage.
Home Office. (2008). Eastern European immigration statistics released by the UK.
OECD. (2008). Cross-border higher education and developing. Policy Brief.
OECD. (2003). Migration and the labour market in Asia: Recent trends and policies. Geneva: OECD Publishing.
Staines, G. M., Johnson, K., & Bonacci, M. (2007). Social sciences research. London: Rowman & Littlefield.
The Guardian. Twice as many foreign students at UK universities.
UK Border Agency. (2010). Post-study workers. Retrieved from Home Office.