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Family, Not Study Abroad, Aids Asian Job Seekers More
And while most of those students may think study abroad helped to launch their career path, researchers for the Centre for Global Higher Education found that family connections counted for more.
Because career opportunities are tightly linked to family connections and privileged students are more likely to study abroad, the researchers suggested that overseas study may perpetuate social inequality.
“The young people from these families were able to capture the opportunity to study in overseas or transnational higher education institutions,” the study said, “and the majority of them obtained their first job through their family’s social networks.”
The students polled reported a different perception.
They said hard skills, such as classroom instruction, and soft skills, such as mastering English and sharing cultural experiences, were key lessons for international students and employment.
Xufei Geng, a Chinese student at Northwestern University, said she felt studying abroad exposed her to diverse groups and experiences.
“Studying at Northwestern University was a very diverse platform for every student, especially international students, because we are encouraged to have a voice and to express ourselves and our culture,” Geng said. “Also, I think we have more opportunities to learn about different cultures.”
Geng said that these social connections, although important, aren’t the only thing that matters during the job search process.
“It really depends on how you define social connections and whether you define them as good or bad,” she said. “I think in any country we need to value the relationships we have with people.
“In the past, maybe some people paid more attention to social connections, but now I think the country is changing and people value how capable you are.”
So what does this mean for students who don’t study abroad?
Because these students are usually from families with fewer financial resources, they do not have the same social connections and often struggle to compete for the same jobs as a more privileged student.
“We must realize that students and families who cannot afford to pay for studying abroad or enrolling [in these] programs will encounter far more difficulty in job searches and graduate employment,” the study said.
The study authors came from Lingnan University in Hong Kong and Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University in China. The Centre for Global Higher Education is headquartered in London with offices worldwide.
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Trump administration opens antisemitism inquiries at 5 colleges, including Columbia and Berkeley
The Trump administration is opening new investigations into allegations of antisemitism at five U.S. universities including Columbia and the University of California, Berkeley, the Education Department announced Monday.
It's part of President Donald Trump's promise to take a tougher stance against campus antisemitism and deal out harsher penalties than the Biden administration, which settled a flurry of cases with universities in its final weeks. It comes the same day the Justice Department announced a new task force to root out antisemitism on college campuses.
In an order signed last week, Trump called for aggressive action to fight anti-Jewish bias on campuses, including the deportation of foreign students who have participated in pro-Palestinian protests.
Along with Columbia and Berkeley, the department is now investigating the University of Minnesota, Northwestern University and Portland State University. The cases were opened using the department's power to launch its own civil rights reviews, unlike the majority of investigations, which stem from complaints.
Messages seeking comment were left with all five universities.
A statement from the Education Department criticized colleges for tolerating antisemitism after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and a wave of pro-Palestinian protests that followed. It also criticized the Biden administration for negotiating "toothless" resolutions that failed to hold schools accountable.
"Today, the Department is putting universities, colleges, and K-12 schools on notice: this administration will not tolerate continued institutional indifference to the wellbeing of Jewish students on American campuses," said Craig Trainor, the agency's acting assistant secretary for civil rights.
The department didn't provide details about the inquiries or how it decided which schools are being targeted. Presidents of Columbia and Northwestern were among those called to testify on Capitol Hill last year as Republicans sought accountability for allegations of antisemitism. The hearings contributed to the resignation of multiple university presidents, including Columbia's Minouche Shafik.
An October report from House Republicans accused Columbia of failing to punish pro-Palestinian students who took over a campus building, and it called Northwestern's negotiations with student protesters a "stunning capitulation."
House Republicans applauded the new investigations. Representative Tim Walberg, chair of the Education and Workforce Committee, said he was "glad that we finally have an administration who is taking action to protect Jewish students."
Trump's order also calls for a full review of antisemitism complaints filed with the Education Department since Oct. 7, 2023, including pending and resolved cases from the Biden administration. It encourages the Justice Department to take action to enforce civil rights laws.
Last week's order drew backlash from civil rights groups who said it violated First Amendment rights that protect political speech.
The new task force announced Monday includes the Justice and Education departments along with Health and Human Services.
"The Department takes seriously our responsibility to eradicate this hatred wherever it is found," said Leo Terrell, assistant attorney general for civil rights. "The Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is the first step in giving life to President Trump's renewed commitment to ending anti-Semitism in our schools."
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