Beyond $300 Billion: The Global Impact of International Students

[REPORT] Our latest research estimates the global economic impact of international students to the tune of US$300 billion in 2016. This economic impact includes direct, indirect and induced effect, but does not capture the intangibles such as learning experiences, soft power, intercultural relations, and innovation.

The report authored by Dr. Rahul Choudaha calls for welcoming national policies and responsive institutional strategies to attract and retain global talent. It provides insights for universities and policymakers under three primary sections:

• Estimates of the global economic impact of international students
• Trends and patterns of international student mobility
• Leadership perspectives of university vice-chancellors/rectors/presidents

The following university leaders share their perspectives on the importance of international students:

• K.M. (Koen) Becking, President, Tilburg University, The Netherlands
• Dawn Freshwater, Vice-Chancellor, The University of Western Australia, Australia
• Graham Galbraith, Vice Chancellor, University of Portsmouth, UK
• Inge Jan Henjesand, President, BI Norwegian Business School, Norway
• Marvin Krislov, President, Pace University, US
• Mohamed Lachemi, President and Vice-Chancellor, Ryerson University, Canada
• Torbjörn von Schantz, Vice-Chancellor, Lund University, Sweden
• Elizabeth (Beth) J. Stroble, President, Webster University, US
• Thomas Strothotte, President, Kühne Logistics University, Germany
• Ashish Vaidya, President, Northern Kentucky University, US
• Youmin Xi, Executive President, Xi’an Jiaotong Liverpool University, China

The report recognizes the global impact of international students pursuing tertiary education. It calls for intentional and welcoming national policies to attract and retain global talent. Likewise, there is an urgency to act among higher education institutions to reinvest in strategies that grow the international student body while balancing goals of diversity, quality, access, and success.

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