Careers on the Move: International Doctoral Students at an Elite British University

International student mobility, especially at doctoral level, is a largely under-researched component of international migration. This is in stark contrast with the case of credit mobility where much research has been undertaken on Erasmus students. The aim of this paper is to remedy the situation by focusing on international doctoral students who chose to study at an elite higher education institution in the UK. By analysing the role of – local, national and international – schemes of funding in shaping individual mobility decisions, the author argues against the portrayal of international students as ‘rational decision makers’ in favour of a more contextualised approach to mapping the graduate student migratory phenomenon. By contrasting the ‘entry channels’ of students with their future plans – in terms of the nature of future career and geographic location – the author challenges the assumption that internationally mobile students are coming with the intention of settling down in their study destination. The study cannot uphold the view of international students as a ‘migratory elite’ either; although some postgraduate students are indeed from more privileged backgrounds, many individuals undertake international doctoral mobility with the explicit aim of capital accumulation. Last but not least, the paper strongly argues for abandoning the term ‘spontaneous mobility’ in student mobility research because a significant proportion of degree mobility does not occur spontaneously but is a result of organised schemes of funding

‘It’s like two Europes here, the West and the East’. Belonging and fitting in at an elite graduate school

While there has been a proliferation of research on the experiences of nonelite students in elite settings, scholarly attention has predominantly focused on institutions like the Ivy League or Oxbridge, leaving other geographical locales, notably in Europe, understudied. Past research has primarily concentrated on the initial entry to higher education, with limited attention given to postgraduate levels, which this study aims to remedy. Through interviews with a cohort of final-year Ph.D. students at a highly prestigious European graduate school, this paper specifically delves into the social integration of Eastern European students navigating their fit among a predominantly Western European, elite- university-educated student body. Employing the concept of 'segregated inclusion,’ the study illustrates how cultural and socio-economic differences contribute to stratified social relationships, ultimately impacting the extent to which Eastern European students can leverage their membership in an elite university

‘This is how the game works’

Drawing on Bourdieu’s field theory the study describes access to transnational mobility as a contextual process to which transnational and location-specific capitals make joint contributions. In doing so, the paper responds to calls against methodological nationalism, i.e. confining research to national boundaries, which is becoming increasingly inadequate in a global world where capital may be produced and subsequently utilised in different countries (Weiss [2021]. “Re-thinking society: How can sociological theories help us understand global and crossborder social contexts?” Current Sociology 69 (3): 333–351.). Using in-depth interviews with international students the paper illustrates the complexities of ‘choice’ and the intricacies of ‘playing the game’ in transnational spaces while exposing how nations structure and (re)produce social inequality in access to educational opportunities

Article: All PhDs are equal but.... Institutional and social stratification in access to the doctorate

Based on in-depth interviews with doctoral students across different types of English higher education institutions, this study explores existing and perceived barriers to entering doctoral study. Previous research in widening participation and higher education access has neglected this level. Although the PhD is the highest educational qualification, there appear to be quite distinct, classed pathways in access to and through the doctorate corresponding to patterns of institutional stratification. PhD students do not comprise a homogenous elite; rather we detect at least three ideal-typical pathways to the doctorate. These pathways illustrate disparities among the community of PhD students, both between and within universities. Marked differences in funding, facilities and support carry consequences for individual chances of completion and the doctoral experience. Social and institutional stratification appear to work hand-in-hand in determining one’s chances for achieving the ‘promise’ of the PhD, such as secure university employment and similar highly-skilled work

Imagined futures: why business studies dominate the higher education choices of second-generation Turks in the Netherlands

Relying on in-depth interviews with higher education students and young graduates the study investigates the factors underpinning the participation patterns of second-generation Turks in the Dutch higher education system. The paper highlights how ethnic minority students accommodate the constraints faced by the Dutch educational system by rationalizing economics at professional colleges as a suitable alternative to studying medicine at university, an alternative that will meet both their aspirations for a more successful and secure life than their parents’ while maintaining the traditional family ties in line with the work-life balance offered by a ‘nine-to-five job’

The Netherlands : from diversity celebration to a colorblind approach

This chapter offers a systematic review of sociological research in the Netherlands on the relationship between race/ethnicity and educational inequality between 1980 and 2017. Six major research traditions are identified: (1) political arithmetic; (2) racism and ethnic discrimination; (3) school characteristics; (4) school choice; (5) family background and (6) an institutional approach, with research on ‘family background’ and ‘political arithmetic’ being the most dominant research traditions. Most of the research conducted in the Netherlands focuses on explaining ‘underachievement’ in relationship to ‘Turkish’, ‘Moroccan’ and ‘Surinamese’ minority students and is characterized by the use of quantitative research methods and a more positivistic approach to social sciences. This rich body of research is written mainly in Dutch and developed in a context characterized by a close collaborative relationship between educational sociologists and the government in conducting research in this area and a shift in policy that emphasises assimilation over multiculturalism