Increasing numbers of students are choosing to study abroad. To what extent does this trend benefit the students themselves and the countries involved? What are the drawbacks?

It is increasingly clear that more and more students prefer studying overseas to continuing their higher education in local schools. While this trend can bring about advantages to the students and their home countries, there will also be some disadvantages. On the one hand, there are several reasons why studying abroad is beneficial to both students and their home countries. Firstly, foreign universities with prestigious position may offer better facilities and lecturers equipped with professional knowledge, which could open the door for a better career opportunity. Secondly, countries who sponsor students to study in the developed countries would expect those students would bring advanced technique back to their hometown to develop national economy, especially in science and technology fields. For example, according to some observers, the rapid development of Chinese economy primarily thanks to Chinese overseas students studying in the advanced countries. On the other hand, it is obvious that disadvantages could arise to both international students and their own governments. One clear evidence is that if students study in another country without funding from government, they will have to bear all the financial burdens, which forces them to work harder in their free time and spend less time on their studies. Furthermore, offering scholarship will increase national economy pressure and take the risk of facing the “brain drain” problems. Take Vietnam as an example, in recent years, it is common that mostly half of Vietnamese international students decide to stay abroad instead of return their home country. In conclusion, the number of international students in the developed countries is increasing. This trend could benefit the students themselves and their home countries, but also bring about some drawbacks for both sides.