International student scholarships aimed at encouraging a more equitable world
- The international education community is increasingly interested in more mutually beneficial student mobility dynamics
- We look at a few major government scholarship programmes that are grounded in that aim, as well as China’s requirements for TNE arrangements
Our recent article, East African student mobility: Current trends and future possibilities, focuses on the need for more mutually beneficial relationships between leading study abroad destinations and countries where outbound student mobility is high due to education capacity and/or quality issues. Improvement in this area would enhance the ethical framework for international education and promote the best aspects of globalisation.
A natural extension of this is encouraging more students (and academics and researchers) to:
- Study in their home countries in programmes improved by transnational partnerships (TNE) between domestic institutions and foreign institutions;
- Return to their home countries after receiving scholarships and completing eligible programmes with direct relevance to their country’s economic and development needs.
This would a long way towards reducing brain drain, and to moving away from any colonialist underpinnings of Global South to Global North student mobility. It would also:
- Enhance security and political/economic stability in less prosperous or conflict-prone regions – which is good for the whole world.
- Allow education institutions to attract international students without needing to leverage immigration benefits (which are shrinking in many Western destinations).
With that in mind, this article looks at progressive and interesting scholarship programmes geared at more balanced mobility, as well as the similarly intentioned transnational education framework in China. There are many more examples out there, but these can serve as examples and inspiration.
The Australia Awards Scholarships
These are long-term awards administered by Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. They are given to emerging leaders from developing countries for study, research, and professional development in Australia and the region. Their goals are to:
- Contribute to the development of Australia's partner countries in line with bilateral and regional agreements.
- Allow leaders to return home and contribute to their nations’ development. All awardees return home on completion of their studies so they can contribute to development in their country for at least two years.
For more information, visit this website.
The Emerging Leaders in the Americas Scholarships (Canada)
These are aimed at providing students from post-secondary institutions located in Latin America and the Caribbean with short-term exchange opportunities for study or research at Canadian post-secondary institutions. A goal is also to strengthen the linkages between post-secondary institutions in Canada and the Americas.
For more information, visit this website.
Study Scholarships - Master Studies for All Academic Disciplines (Germany)
These provide funding for a postgraduate or master's degree programme completed at a state or state-recognised university in Germany or one year of study in Germany as part of a second or master's degree completed at students’ home university. Academic credits gained in Germany are recognised by students’ home university.
For more information, visit this website.
Manaaki New Zealand Scholarships
The New Zealand government, though New Zealand Aid Programme funding, offers both full academic scholarships and short training scholarships to international students from Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America. Students from Pacific countries (Kiribati, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu) have the option of studying at a New Zealand institution or a Pacific university in one of the following regions: Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji (postgraduate only), Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
Awardees are required to return to their home country for at least two years after the completion of their scholarship to apply the new skills and knowledge they have gained through their Manaaki New Zealand scholarships in government, civil society, or private business organisations.
New Zealand also offers English-language training scholarships to officials from Africa (10 weeks) and Asia (5 months).
For more information, visit this website.
Commonwealth Scholarships (UK)
The Commonwealth Scholarships programme is aimed at students from across the Commonwealth who would not otherwise be able to afford to study in the UK. By funding postgraduate studies in a range of different study formats, the scheme is meant to support future innovators and leaders. All Commonwealth Scholarships are offered under six CSC development themes:
- Science and technology for development
- Strengthening health systems and capacity
- Promoting global prosperity
- Strengthening global peace, security, and governance
- Strengthening resilience and response to crises
- Access, inclusion, and opportunity
There is no restriction on what students can study but the Commonwealth Scholarships Commission gives priority to applicants whose studies are most relevant to their development criteria.
For more information, visit this website.
China’s TNE foundations
Along with scholarships, transnational education arrangements can also be designed to be more mutually beneficial. For example, as reported in University World News in August 2024:
“In China, TNE is termed ‘Chinese-Foreign Cooperation in Running Schools’ and emphasises ‘cooperation’ between the two parties, while requiring degree-awarding from the international partner to be part of the essential requirements.
Critically, a genuine and often equitable collaborative partnership with the international institutional partner is a prerequisite in TNE delivery and success nowadays in China, manifested in the four one-third rules (stipulating the requirement for international partners to commit no less than one-third of teaching and education resources) relating to the whole running of TNE, from teaching and learning, staffing, curriculum development, administration, resources and quality control for all levels of education.”
The article is well worth reading, and examines the question: “Despite its complex requirements and resource investment from UK universities, why does this set-up still attract UK universities or international universities?”
This year, we are seeing a trend where in destinations characterised by tightened immigration settings, more institutions are exploring TNE, whether through joint degrees, exchanges, or branch campuses. China’s requirements offer an indication of the likely evolution of how TNE agreements will be structured around the world.
For additional background, please see:
