Time: 4:00pm (HKT) / 9am (GMT)
Date: April 24, 2025
Mode: by ZOOM
Speakers: Dr Maia Chankseliani (University of Oxford); Dr Joonghyun Kwak (University of Oxford)
Chair: Professor Jisun Jung (The University of Hong Kong)
Registration link: https://hku.zoom.us/meeting/register/WGxvwFhqRhGiMxbhV4yIBQ
ABSTRACT: Poverty eradication is UNESCO’s foremost Sustainable Development Goal, and expanding educational opportunities is widely recognised as essential for achieving this aim. Yet, the role of student returnees educated abroad in reducing poverty in their home countries remains underexplored in policy and educational discourse. As part of the larger International Mobility and World Development project, this study examines the impact of international student mobility on poverty alleviation and explores the mechanisms connecting overseas educational experiences to societal poverty reduction outcomes. To address these objectives, we propose a systemic theory of change related to international student mobility, integrating transformative learning, critical realism, and transnationalism as theoretical frameworks. Employing a mixed-methods approach, we first analyse quantitative cross-national time-series data to identify broader trends associating international education participation with poverty reduction in low- and middle-income countries. We then deepen our analysis through qualitative interviews with returnees, revealing specific mechanisms through which personal transformations experienced abroad translate into actionable poverty-reduction initiatives upon return. Our findings highlight international student mobility’s potential to drive social change and sustainable development, particularly in an era of increasing global protectionism.
Bio: Dr Joonghyun Kwak is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Oxford, working on the International Mobility and World Development project. His research focuses on globalisation, international development, social and educational inequalities, and quantitative research methods. He recently co-edited the special issue, ‘The Ripple Effect: Understanding the Societal Implications of International Student Mobility,’ published in the International Journal of Educational Research.
Dr Maia Chankseliani is an Associate Professor of Comparative and International Education at the University of Oxford where she leads the Comparative and International Education Research Group in the Department of Education. She works at the intersection of tertiary education and development. Maia serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Educational Research and as Chair of the UKFIET Executive Committee.