Finding their way in the world: international students and identity
As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, young people are using university as an opportunity to cross borders and create opportunities. An estimated five million students are currently studying abroad; predicted to rise to eight million by 2025. Each of these students is unique, and carries with them their identity. It’s their personality, their style, their roots, their ambitions. It’s what defines them individually, what enables them to interact with the world around them. But it doesn’t always guarantee access.
The OECD defines an international student as someone who has crossed a border specifically to study. They’re a subset of foreign students, who study in a country different to their citizenship. Over half of these students come from Asia: the majority from China, India and South Korea. They tend to go to English-speaking countries, to study STEM subjects, business or law.
They’re a diverse group, but united by one challenge: the complex process of studying abroad. From procuring a range of documents, and translating them, to securing a place at university, it is a process mired in bureaucracy. That’s not to mention the change in culture — and the eventful journey between school and adulthood.
Applying is the easy part
An international student’s citizenship differs from their country of study. Their country of residence may be another country entirely. They have to meet certain requirements to gain a visa. Additionally, they may have to meet targets to keep scholarships, or limit their work to maintain their immigration status. This requires a lot of organisation.
To obtain visas requires proof of travel rights, such as a passport. Applying for a passport requires proof of address, like bank statements, and proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate. These documents that underpin an identity are often kept by parents. Parents who may not live together, who may have lost them, who may have fled or lost their homes.
Enrolling into a course and getting a visa is only the starting point: once students move to a new country, there are new laws and regulations to adhere to. Arranging accommodation, finding work and accessing funding or healthcare all vary between countries. These often require proof of identity, and proof of continued existence, to start the process.
For example, Emil graduated with a Bachelor’s in Business Studies from the University of Gloucestershire in the UK. His family are from Kyrgyzstan, but except for two years in his teens, he was raised in Russia. Whilst applying for his course wasn’t complicated, the visa application was.
To apply for a student visa, he had to provide bank statements, school certificates, his English Language test score, a University acceptance letter, and proof of his parents’ income. All had to be translated into English.
Arranging numerous documents in order to apply is hard enough. Living internationally can be complex — especially for someone just starting out independently.
It’s not (only) about the money
Studying abroad was once the reserve of the wealthy, but it’s becoming a way to secure a better future; and not just on a personal level. Data suggests that a flow of students out of a country is a “good predictor of future scientist flows in the opposition direction.”
Most international students are charged fees higher than home students. Yet as universities become increasingly competitive, and research into innovation requires more brainpower, the number of scholarships to support international study is growing.
There is also an increase in displaced people; which means an increase in people unable to study in their home country. The OECD highlights in its Education at a Glance report, “the decision to study abroad may be determined by non-economic factors, such political stability.” As we’ve previously noted, maintaining an identity in an unstable situation — as a refugee or natural disaster survivor — isn’t always possible.
The challenge for all international students lies in taking responsibility over their complex collection of identity documents, across multiple countries and time zones, with different laws and regulations to adhere to.
What happens after graduation?
An international degree was once a guarantee for a good job in future, but due to over-saturation it is no longer a certain ticket to success.
China sends the highest number of students to study abroad. Yet returnees often find it difficult to secure graduate-level jobs. The complexities of international study have lead to a new language of metaphors in China. ‘Sea turtles’ are students who study abroad, whilst ‘bathing crabs’ spend only a short time abroad, and aren’t sure of their career path.
Work experience and internships are becoming more important. American universities have reported more students taking part in Optional Practical Training. Students are using their time at university to prepare for their careers, or even as a route to permanent residency.
Having struggled to identify as Russian or Kyrgz growing up, Timur has been working in the UK for 4 years now, and considers it home. “It wasn’t massively complicated to find a job or internship … but it takes a lot of effort to meet with people, apply for internships and pass assessments … Not many international students are used to this experience when looking for a job.”
He’s far from alone in feeling at home where he studied: as of 2013, 85.6% of Chinese science & engineering doctorate students studying in America planned to stay there.
For students who do return home, there’s an additional burden of proof to carry. They may need a translation of their degree certificate, or it may not be recognised by employers unfamiliar with international universities. Moving countries requires, once again, a continued proof of existence to fill the gaps.
Additionally, there’s the certificate itself. Do you know where your degree is right now? As an international student, storing it is even more important, as replacing a degree is notoriously difficult. It’s important to keep it safe in order to provide the correct information to future workplaces. Education is the most commonly embellished section on a CV, a falsification that is seen as quite serious or very serious by 92% of employers.
Digital Identity
The key to unifying an individual’s tangle of identity documents lies in digital identity. Uploading documents to a secure digital location provides a safe, accessible version, no matter what happens to hard copies in the real world.
The most secure forms of digital identity are decentralised, like those secured by the Blockchain. As there is not one central server storing the documents, they’re less likely to be hacked into or accessed illegally.
Perhaps the most exciting aspect of digital identity is the concept of self-sovereignty. Rather than provide an employer with a copy of a university certificate, showing a top grade BSc, a person could issue proof to their employer that their grade is above a certain level, or they attended a top-tier institution. They would be in total control of the information they chose to share, which is more secure. If your information isn’t publicly available, it cannot be copied and used without consent — and gives power back to the person whose data it is.
Your education should fit in seamlessly with your identity, whether you studied from your bedroom or on the other side of the world. Which is why we have developed an identity management platform that allows individuals to secure and maintain their own identity. It’s a distributed platform, underpinned by Blockchain technology. Our solution lets users keep all their important documents in one place: passports, degrees, test scores, proof of address, proof of earnings, anything that is important to them.
Sign up for updates from Sphere Identity by clicking here.
