The Effect of Learning Abroad on the Students’ Career Direction and Employability through Australian-Indonesian Student Mobility Programs

Abstract

Among key features of the internationalization of higher education, student mobility has been given a big attention by universities and relevant stakeholder to achieve advance knowledge, intercultural skills, intellectual capital, and prospective labour market benefit. The increasing number of Indonesian students studying in Australian universities indicates the development of student mobility collaboration between both nations. Australia has become the most popular destination country for Indonesian students to pursue better education and Indonesia also become one of the destination countries for Australian students to participate in international student mobility program under the New Colombo Plan (NCP). Yet, little is known, about the impact of student mobility program or learning abroad on students’ career direction and employability within the context of both nations. This article is aimed to address this gap by examining the perspectives of participating students and other relevant stakeholders from both countries. It uses Bourdieu’s thinking tools of capital, habitus, field, and the idea of cultural and social reproduction, to capture the picture of how this student mobility program affects the students in relation to their career direction and employability. Findings generated from this research will be beneficial to HEIs and policy makers in Indonesia and Australia so that all involving parties can acquire expected outcomes of this student mobility program.