International collaboration has arguably never been easier than it is today. Technology, transport, and connectivity have—in theory at least—shrunk our world, creating platforms through which ideas and knowledge can be freely shared and exchanged. But alongside this interconnectedness exists a sense of division. In many countries, the rhetoric of “every country for itself” has taken hold, as national interests seem increasingly to trump the greater good.
These two forces—the vast potential for international collaboration and the seeming shift away from it—demand that we defend and champion what cross-border cooperation can do for the world. And this is equally true in higher
education.
In university research, for example, international collaboration will be vital to solving the most pressing global challenges of our time. It enables fresh ideas, new perspectives, and faster progress. It allows institutions to share expertise, data and resources, and is more likely to lead to groundbreaking science.
Another compelling example is that of international student mobility. In a message to the first 12 Marshall Scholars in 1954, General George Marshall spoke of the need for understanding between nations, describing it as “essential to the good of mankind in this turbulent world of today”. Scholarships, he wrote, pointed the way to the continuation and growth of understanding —a remark which is as true now as it was then.
India, like much of the Commonwealth, has a soaring youth population. Some 600 million people—more than half its population—are under the age of 25. Reports predict that, by 2024, India will be home to the largest tertiary-aged population, numbering over 119 million. These young people have the potential to become India’s greatest asset. They are the leaders, entrepreneurs, researchers, teachers and health workers of the future. They are the ones who will move the world forward, if we empower them to do so. So where does international experience come in?
First, student mobility builds human capital. In other words, the skills and knowledge that a student gains through studying abroad is then applied, shared and multiplied in the country to which they return. It can open the door to cutting-edge technology or expertise that might not be available in a student’s home institution. And it strengthens universities themselves, bolstering their ability to educate future generations.
Second is the power of international experience to broaden the minds and horizons of those who undertake them—and at a critical and formative time in their lives. International study and exchange has been shown to generate a more expansive worldview, greater intercultural awareness, and a sense of solidarity. Whatever the power of the Internet to connect us, cultural differences and local contexts can often be understood only by living and learning among those from different backgrounds to our own.
Third is the power of international experience to enhance employability. Between 2015 and 2030, 600-800 million more young people will enter the job market—nearly 1 million a month in India alone. As universities prepare their graduates for the world of work, this must now include an ever more globalised labour market. Here, cross-cultural skills can offer an important advantage—one study, undertaken by the Erasmus programme, found that more than two thirds of employers consider international experience to be a valuable asset.
Finally, cooperation within higher education can be a powerful tool in building international relations and “soft-power”. A survey of alumni of the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan found that up to 92% of scholars return to live in the region in which they grew up. These returnees go on to become decision-makers and influencers in their home countries— leading political and educational systems, business, and civil society. But they also remain ambassadors for the countries in which they’ve lived and studied, and are more inclined to connect and collaborate with these nations in the future.
India is arguably already wise to these far-reaching benefits: an estimated 5.53 million Indian students currently study abroad in 86 different countries. Inbound mobility, however, is substantially less—around 45,000 foreign students currently study in India, around 1% of global student mobility. This looks set to change, however. Earlier this year, the government set a goal to quadruple its foreign student numbers.
Promoting international student movement has long been a priority for the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), too. With 160 member institutions in India alone, its mobility schemes widen access to study opportunities all over the world—from summer schools and conference grants to full postgraduate scholarships.
The ACU’s work to promote a more diverse range of study destinations was boosted earlier this year, when Prince Harry unveiled the newly re-named Queen Elizabeth Commonwealth Scholarships. These prestigious awards are not only available to, but are also tenable within, low and middle income countries. In this, they recognise the quality of education right across the Commonwealth.
As custodians of this important scheme, the ACU is working closely with international governments to expand it still further. By taking part, nations demonstrate their commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, in particular “Goal 4b”: to substantially expand the number of scholarships available to developing countries. But they also recognise that scholarships create valuable opportunities for diplomatic dialogue, with students at
its heart.
Every one of these relationships—from research collaboration between institutions to enduring friendships between students—helps to advance knowledge, promote understanding, broaden minds and improve lives. And in this, higher education has an opportunity to lead the way, and build a brighter future.
The author is chief executive and secretary general, Association of Commonwealth Universities