Factors Affecting the Migration Intention for Higher Studies a Case Study of Management Undergraduates in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Sri Lanka is a developing country and the unemployment rate among graduates is relatively high. There is limited access to tertiary education in state universities. On the other hand, dynamic changes could be observed in its education system over time with the effect of the initiation of new private universities. However, the number of Sri Lankan students moving to developed countries is continuously increasing. Most undergraduates have an intention to migrate upon the completion of their degree program. Why do they migrate? What are the factors influencing their migration intention? This skill and professional drain hinder the country’s economic growth. This study explores the factors of the desire to study at a world-class university, finding an international career, gaining international experience, political instability, social capital, family influence, and human capital. The number of works that specifically address the Sri Lankan context is inadequate despite substantial growth in research in this field. For this study, the simple random selection method was used to choose 100 management undergraduates from both public and private universities. Data was gathered through an online questionnaire and quantitative techniques were used to analyze the data. The overall result revealed that the desire to study at a world-class university has only a minor impact on Sri Lankan management undergraduates' migration intentions. Other than that, political unrest, desire to acquire international experience, a global career, social capital, and human capital significantly influence the migration intentions of management undergraduates in Sri Lanka. The findings of this study will provide information about migration intention among management undergraduates in Sri Lanka and the factors that influence migration intention which will be helpful for better the understanding of government and other stakeholders such as private institutions about future student migration.