Transnational student mobility in a globalizing world
https://doi.org/10.20913/2224-1841-2026-2-7
Abstract
Introduction. Transnational student mobility is an integral part of the academic and economic spheres, which necessitates the study of its development trends.
Purpose setting. The relevance of the topic is due to the increasing transnational geographical and digital student mobility in a globalizing world. The aim of the study is to identify trends in geographical and digital transnational student mobility in higher education, as well as to identify problems associated with these forms of mobility.
Methodology and methods of the study. The article uses statistical data on transnational student mobility in higher education from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics and «Project Atlas». The article presents and analyzes a number of official state decrees and inter-state conventions in the field of transnational higher education. A comparative analysis of scientific articles on the topic of modern transnational student mobility in higher education is also conducted.
Results. Between 1975 and 2024, the number of students enrolled in higher education institutions outside their home country increased from 800,000 to 6.9 million people. Currently, there is a shift in the political paradigm of a unipolar Western-centric world order due to the rapid economic growth of several «Global South» countries, which leads to the formation of new global academic centers. Mass digitalization, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, have led to the development of online higher education, which reinforces the trends of transnational student mobility. Countries such as India and China are examples of successful creation of extensive state digital infrastructure for the implementation of online learning, as well as for the dissemination of digital and general education literacy among their citizens.
Conclusion. The study identified the origins and current trends of transnational student mobility, as well as a number of problems for both in-person and digital transnational higher education. The results obtained can be used for making management decisions.
About the Authors
M. V. Rushenko
Novosibirsk State University of Economics and Management
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Mikhail V. Rushenko – postgraduate student
56 Kamenskaya Str., Novosibirsk, 630099
E. A. Pecherina
Novosibirsk State University of Economics and Management
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Ekaterina A. Pecherina – postgraduate student
56 Kamenskaya Str., Novosibirsk, 630099
References
1. Merton R. Science and technology in a democratic order. Journal of Legal and Political Sociology, 1942, Vol. 1, pp. 115–126.
2. Croix D., Docquier F., Fabre A., Stelter R. The Academic Market and the Rise of Universities in Medieval and Early Modern Europe (1000–1800). Journal of the European Economic Association, November 2023, no. 22 (5). DOI:10.1093/jeea/jvad061
3. Rashdall Hastings. The universities of Europe in the Middle Ages. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1895, 533 p.
4. Voskoboinikov O. Friedrich II and his intellectual world. Moscow, AST, 2025. 464 p. (In Russ.).
5. Andreev A. University in the Russian Empire of the 18th – first half of the 19th century. Ed. by A.Yu. Andreev and S. I. Posokhov. Moscow: ROSSPEN, 2012, 671 p. (In Russ.).
6. Hoa D. Tran, Phuong Bui L.A. Higher Education and Student Short-Term Mobility in ASEAN Countries: Current Trends and Priorities – A Case of Passage to ASEAN. EAI Endorsed Transactions on Tourism, Technology and Intelligence, July 2025, no. 2 (2). DOI:10.4108/eettti.8844
7. One Belt, One Road Project Website. URL: https://rus.yidaiyilu.gov.cn/ (accessed 03.03.2026).
8. Council of Europe. 2001. Code of Good Practice in Transnational Education Provision. URL: https://rm.coe.int/090000168097c674 (accessed 03.03.2026).
9. UNESCO Institute for Statistics. URL: https://www.uis.unesco.org/en (Accessed: 03.03.2026)
10. Project Atals. Transnational Student Mobility Data for 2024. URL: https://www.iie.org/research-initiatives/projectatlas/ (accessed 03.03.2026).
11. Günay A. Global Market Trends in Open and Distance Higher Education. Journal of University Research, 2025, volume 8, Issue 4, pp. 585–593.
12. Kirloskar P., Inamdar N. Shifting international student mobility directions and factors influencing students’ higher education destination choices. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Leadership Studies, 2021, no. 2 (3), pp. 160–178. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.52547/johepal.2.3.160
13. Altbach P., De Wit H.Are we facing a fundamental challenge to higher education internationalization? International Higher Education, 2018, no. 93, pp. 2–4.
14. World University Rankings 2026. URL: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/latest/world-ranking (accessed 03.03.2026).
15. Waters D., Brooks R. Student migration and contemporary educational mobility. Palgrave Macmillan Cham, 2021, 264 pp.
16. Kaplan A., Haenlein M. Higher education and the digital revolution: About MOOCs, SPOCs, social media, and the Cookie Monster. Business Horizons, May 2016, no. 59 (4). DOI: 10.1016/j.bushor.2016.03.008
17. European Digital Education Action Plan 2021–2027 in Response to COVID-19. URL:https://education.ec.europa.eu/focus-topics/digital-education/plan (accessed 03.03.2026).
18. EMBED+ Project Website. URL: https://embedplus.eu (accessed 03.03.2026).
19. Palvia S. and other. Online Education: Worldwide Status, Challenges, Trends, and Implications. Journal of Global Information Technology Management, 2018, no. 21:4, pp. 233–241. DOI: 10.1080/1097198X.2018.1542262
20. Li Y. Managing Continuing Education in the Digital Age: A Case Study of Online Programs in China. The Development of Humanities and Social Sciences, 2025, no. 1 (4), pp. 93–109. DOI: https://doi.org/10.71204/gv0jjc72
21. Recommendations of the Ministry of Education [China] on the Implementation of the Continuous Education Reform for Improving Academic Qualifications in Public Higher Education Institutions in the New Era. URL: http://www.moe.gov.cn/srcsite/A07/moe_743/202208/t20220816_653132.html (accessed 03.03.2026).
22. Abola P. Predictors of student disengagement in fully online higher education programs. PUPIL: International Journal of Teaching, Education and Learning, 2026, pp. 27–45. DOI: https://doi.org/10.20319/ictel.2026.2745
23. Kondrashov A.O., Grunt E.V. Opinion of consumers of online courses of large educational platforms. Theory and practice of social development, 2025, no. 12, pp. 24–29. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24158/tipor.2025.12.2. (In Russ.)
Review
For citations:
Rushenko M.V., Pecherina E.A. Transnational student mobility in a globalizing world. Professional education in the modern world. 2026;16(2):232-240. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.20913/2224-1841-2026-2-7
Views:
79
JATS XML
Email this article 