CONTEXT
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Project
Summary
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The VIRMOBS project is the first substantial study comparing the dynamics underpinning the virtual mobility of international students enrolled in distance learning programmes in the United Kingdom, France, and Canada.
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The British system introduced differentiated tuition fees for international students as early as the 1980s and is now by far the most market-driven. In contrast, following a soft power approach until the 2000s, France only implemented differentiated fees for non-EU students in 2020, with a renewed focus on selective immigration principles and labour market adjustment. Canada occupies an intermediate position, pursuing international strategies aimed at recruiting foreign students to generate revenue and mitigate demographic decline, with variations across provinces.
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The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on student mobility worldwide, accelerating the emergence of virtual mobility as either a substitute for or a complement to physical mobility abroad. This shift has offered students a new perspective on the international experience, prompting a rethinking of mobility to include virtual and hybrid formats. Yet, the opportunities and experiences of international students enrolled in distance learning programmes remain insufficiently documented and understood.
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AN INTERROGATION IN PROGRESSENT
The virtual mobility of international students raises critical questions relating to:
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learning,
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cultural experience,​
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social inclusion,
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quality assurance,
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qualification recognition,
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funding, and
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reduction of environmental impact.
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At first glance, these educational innovations appear to lower territorial barriers, foster intercultural dialogue, and hold great potential for promoting social inclusion. However, they must be carefully examined and evaluated.
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Indeed, they may give rise to new inequalities among international students, with significant variations based on gender, socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. Moreover, they only superficially blur the boundaries between students, leaving intact the obstacles faced by actors from the Global South in their efforts to pursue physical mobility for study purposes.
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VIRMOBS’s primary objective is to support higher education institutions in assisting their international students enrolled in distance learning programmes.
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OBJECTIVES
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To offer new conceptual and theoretical perspectives for understanding the dynamics of international students’ virtual mobility;
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To elucidate the political, policy-related, and academic significance of virtual mobility across diverse higher education contexts by analysing the implementation of virtual mobility policies at the institutional level in the three countries;
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To identify the actors involved in the development and dissemination of virtual mobility programmes within universities, and to examine the strategies, power dynamics, and controversies that have emerged during the implementation of these programmes;
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To identify the characteristics of international students enrolled in online programmes and to better understand the implications of virtual mobility for their academic trajectories, experiences, and perceptions in various international and intercultural contexts, while also examining the impact of virtual mobility on inequalities in international student mobility.
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To achieve this, the project will help policymakers ground their analyses and actions in a deeper understanding of virtual student mobility within public policy frameworks, including those related to funding, immigration, and accreditation.
In order to explore the underlying dynamics of international students’ virtual mobility to the United Kingdom, France, and Canada, 4 specific objectives will be pursued:
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These countries rank among the top six destinations for international students worldwide. Nevertheless, their recruitment strategies differ significantly, providing ideal conditions for a comparative study.
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Within and across the countries under study, the project seeks to compare the institutional dynamics and policy choices underpinning the development of virtual mobility, using a macro-level sociohistorical methodology.
At the meso level, fieldwork will focus on case studies of universities and their online programmes enrolling international students, in order to better understand the strategies for implementing and operating these forms of education.
Finally, at the micro level, the methodology will combine a survey and biographical interviews with international students enrolled in the online programmes of the selected institutions.
By combining mixed methods and adopting an international comparative perspective, the project will provide conceptual clarity and a rich picture of this rapidly growing phenomenon.
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METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH
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