Author: Satwinder Rehal.

Scope: International student mobility has been a topic of renewed interests in the global education arena with many studies undertaken to understand reasons why students opt to leave their countries of origin to pursue education abroad. Africa is acknowledged for its high a share of outbound student mobility with the Philippines witnessing its share of this student population. As the western world witnesses a steady decline in the number of African students, institutions in Asia and the Philippines in particular, are experiencing a surge of this niche student market. Purpose: This paper demonstrates the need for research on international student mobility in the Philippines using predominantly the case of African students in setting an agenda towards priorities in the provision of globally competitive academic programs. Research design: This study is exploratory in design, informed by a thematic content analysis of reviewed literature on international student mobility and a case study on African student mobility in the Philippines. Results: Seeking tertiary education with worldwide recognition stood out as the most important factor attracting African students to the Philippines. As international student marketplace is ever growing, a number research and policy implications arise on the need to market the Philippines as a choice destination for international students beyond its traditional markets of Asia and the West. Conclusion: Since international student recruitment is becoming integral to the financial health of many institutions of higher education, effective international recruitment practices are dependent on a deep understanding of student mobility patterns and student decision-making processes in the global market for higher education. With limited research in the country, this paper makes a call for systematic multidisciplinary research studies on international student mobility in the Philippines in order to effectively respond to challenges in global excellence in higher education.