INTERNATIONAL STUDENT MIGRATION TO THE GCC STATES: A CASE OF QATAR

Abstract

Over the past couple of decades, there has been a discernible and upward swing in 'student mobility' throughout the world. It is evident from various statistics that Western/European universities remain the most popular destinations for international students. It is interesting to note that the GCC states, with their renewed emphasis on education as a long-term investment, are gaining momentum in this regard. These traditionally oil/gas rich nations have built high-end infrastructure and brought measured changes to their educational policies that serve well to attract students from abroad. Qatar, one of the first countries in the region to embrace this change, is expanding its finest educational institutions as well as accommodating foreign university campuses, which are attracting students from around the world. In the light of the growing number of international students in Qatar, this dissertation examines the factors that attract international students to Qatar, as well as the lived experiences of students and the integration of foreign graduates into the Qatari labor market. The study draws on interviews with international students who study at universities in Qatar and hail from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. The study reports that international students are mainly attracted to Qatar because of the quality of education, state-of-the-art infrastructure, and availability of scholarships, as well as the country's stability and welcoming culture. As a result of their residency in Qatar, students are exposed to a variety of cultures and develop the social skills necessary to live in a multicultural environment. As international students tend to seek employment after graduation, the social skills they acquire during their residency and the network they form facilitate their integration into the labour market. A number of policy reforms are suggested in this study in order to increase the number of foreign students and facilitate the transition of international students into skilled, resourceful employees in the local labor market. In addition, this study suggests that further research will be necessary in order to gain a deeper understanding of the international student mobility process as well as the social and economic factors affecting student migration, including the question of settlement.