Unlikely Faces in Unlikely Places: Making Sense of Student Migration to the Periphery

Studies on international student migration have mainly centered on the experiences of prestigious universities within wealthy nations like the US. Largely ignored are how institutions in the Global South can also take advantage of worldwide demands for international degrees, catering specifically to students with less economic and social capital. In this presentation, I share findings from a qualitative study on the emergence of an unlikely education hub in the Philippines, a country widely regarded for sending migrant workers overseas, yet relatively unknown as a destination for international students. In the years before the pandemic, the Philippines received an influx of students from India, China, and the Middle East, with the vast majority enrolling in low tier, for-profit universities. This project investigates the structural barriers that channel international students towards these institutions. I explore how such seemingly unlikely destinations reveal the diverse ways that global changes affect the purpose of higher education as a whole.

SPEAKER

Yasmin Ortiga 

Assistant Professor of Sociology

Remarks:

Light refreshment will be provided. Please take note of safe management measures:

i. Attendees are required to keep their face masks on for the duration of the event.

ii. Attendees should be seated while consuming food and beverages and should minimise the time that they are unmasked while eating.