ORCID
https://orcid.org/0009-0005-8653-5894
Keywords
Academic Diplomacy, Knowledge Diplomacy, Soft Power, International Students
Special Issue
EMERGING SCHOLARS Research Summaries 2026 Issue 18(3)
Abstract
This article examines the evolving rationales underlying government strategies to attract international students, with a particular focus on their role as vectors of informal diplomacy. While existing scholarship has largely analyzed international student mobility through individual motivations or institutional strategies, this study highlights the state-level logics that frame student mobility as a tool of soft power. Drawing on policy documents, political speeches, and scholarly literature, the article analyzes the approaches of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council—countries that remain among the world’s top destinations for international students—across three historical periods: 1945–1990s, 1990s–2010s, and 2010s–2025. Findings reveal that political rationales dominate in contexts of geopolitical tension (Cold War and the current multipolar era), whereas economic rationales gained prominence in the more stable post-Cold War decades. Despite variations, governments consistently present international students as passive instruments of either economic benefit or informal diplomacy, overlooking their agency and diverse experiences. This analysis underscores the contingent nature of governmental rationales, shaped by shifting global dynamics, and calls for further research into the extent to which international students actively contribute to public and cultural.
Abstract - Translated
Cet article analyse l’évolution des logiques gouvernementales qui sous-tendent les stratégies d’attraction des étudiants internationaux, en mettant particulièrement l’accent sur leur rôle en tant que vecteurs de diplomatie informelle. Alors que la littérature existante s’est principalement intéressée aux motivations individuelles ou aux stratégies institutionnelles, cette étude met en lumière les logiques étatiques qui conçoivent la mobilité étudiante comme un instrument de soft power. À partir de documents de politique publique, de discours politiques et de travaux académiques, l’article examine les approches des cinq membres permanents du Conseil de sécurité des Nations unies — qui comptent parmi les principales destinations mondiales d’étudiants internationaux — au travers de trois périodes historiques : 1945–1990, 1990–2010 et 2010–2025. Les résultats montrent que les logiques politiques dominent dans les contextes de tension géopolitique (guerre froide et ère multipolaire actuelle), tandis que les logiques économiques ont gagné en importance dans les décennies plus stables de l’après-guerre froide. Malgré certaines variations, les gouvernements présentent systématiquement les étudiants internationaux comme des instruments passifs de bénéfices économiques ou de diplomatie informelle, en négligeant leur agentivité et la diversité de leurs expériences. Cette analyse souligne la nature contingente des motivations gouvernementales, façonnées par l'évolution de la dynamique mondiale, et appelle à poursuivre les recherches sur les façons dont les étudiants internationaux contribuent activement à la diplomatie publique et culturelle.
Abstract - Translated
Este artículo analiza la evolución de las lógicas gubernamentales que sustentan las estrategias de atracción de estudiantes internacionales, con un énfasis particular en su papel como vectores de diplomacia informal. Mientras que la literatura existente se ha centrado principalmente en las motivaciones individuales o en las estrategias institucionales, este estudio destaca las lógicas estatales que conciben la movilidad estudiantil como un instrumento de Soft Power. A partir de documentos de política pública, discursos políticos y trabajos académicos, el artículo examina los enfoques de los cinco miembros permanentes del Consejo de Seguridad de las Naciones Unidas —que figuran entre los principales destinos mundiales de estudiantes internacionales— a lo largo de tres periodos históricos: 1945–1990, 1990–2010 y 2010–2025. Los resultados muestran que las lógicas políticas dominan en contextos de tensión geopolítica (la Guerra Fría y la era multipolar actual), mientras que las lógicas económicas adquirieron mayor relevancia en las décadas más estables posteriores a la Guerra Fría. A pesar de ciertas variaciones, los gobiernos presentan sistemáticamente a los estudiantes internacionales como instrumentos pasivos de beneficios económicos o de diplomacia informal, ignorando su agencia y la diversidad de sus experiencias. Este análisis pone de relieve la naturaleza contingente de las motivaciones gubernamentales, moldeadas por la evolución de la dinámica mundial, y aboga por seguir investigando las formas en que los estudiantes internacionales contribuyen activamente a la diplomacia pública y cultural.
Recommended Citation
Carriere, Alexis
(2026)
"International Students as Vectors of Informal Diplomacy : Does Soft Power Matter More than Dollars?,"
Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education: Vol. 18:
No.
3, Article 4.
DOI: 10.64899/2151-0407.1875
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.lib.uconn.edu/jcihe/vol18/iss3/4
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