COVID-19 Pandemic and its Effects on the Future of Study-abroad programmes at Selected Universities in South Africa

Abstract

This study seeks to explore the early considerations that COVID-19 induced mobility restrictions placed on study-abroad programmes at universities in South Africa. The study considers how, given the negative impacts that were felt with international travel being largely restricted, universities in the Western Cape province approached study-abroad programmes during the restrictions and post restriction considerations. Data for this pilot study were collected via a mixed-method approach targeting international students and key resource persons through the international offices at four universities in the Western Cape. Twenty-three international students and two key resource persons responded to the pilot. Key indications highlight a European dominance in the demographic distribution of participants while illustrating a steady interest in the study-abroad programmes irrespective of the challenges induced by the pandemic. While the anxieties and uncertainties induced by the evolving nature of the pandemic were noted, emerging trends from the data highlighted areas of focus for future resilience strategies to shore up the sector from future crises, the scale and nature of COVID-19. As a pilot to a broader empirical study, it is hoped that the outcomes will contribute towards the development of conceptual tenets for the sustainable development of the study-abroad programme segment within the international higher education nexus while providing context for proposing mitigating actions and strategies which would help higher education institutions move from a crisis management situation to more long-term resilience planning.

Motives for Participating in Study-Abroad Programmes and the Impact of the Pandemic on Selected Universities in South Africa

“…In a report published by Wesgro (2020), the global student travel market was valued at $33 billion, representing 23% of the global travel market in 2019. According to the International Education Association of South Africa (IEASA), mobility for international students to universities in South Africa was seriously affected by the pandemic restrictions imposed by the government (IEASA, 2020), with a 100% drop in the early stages of the pandemic (Abrahams & Bama, 2022). To curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the South African government implemented a 5-level alert lockdown regulation (Cape Town Travel, 2021;Nyikana & Bama, 2023).…”

“…According to UNESCO, internationally mobile students are those who cross international boundaries to participate in educational activities at receiving destinations (Tomasi, Paviotti & Cavicchi, 2020). Consequently, educational tourism (edu-tourism) has emerged as one of the fastest-growing sectors of the travel and tourism industry, since study-abroad programmes offer benefits not only to students but also to host destinations (Abrahams & Bama, 2022) in the form of additional revenue from international students' expenditures on accom-modation, food and beverages, entertainment, and leisure activities, and, in certain programmes, tuition fees and taxes (Tomasi, Paviotti & Cavicchi, 2021;Samah & Ahmadian, 2013). Benefits derived by international students are not limited to their educational activities, but also include interactions with local communities and experiences that foster their personal and professional growth.…”

“…Though not ranked in the top 2000, another university situated in the Western Cape province of South Africa is the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT). These institutions are frequently selected by international students wishing to study in South Africa (Abrahams & Bama, 2022).…”