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Half of Kenyan students wish to study abroad, survey reveals
The students planning to pursue higher education in the future, said the ability to gain work experience during their studies, is a main priority when choosing which university or college to apply to.
Half of Kenyan students would wish to study abroad, with a significant number of them not willing to come back after their studies, according to a new report released by the African Leadership University (ALU).
The students planning to pursue higher education in the future, said the ability to gain work experience during their studies, is a main priority when choosing which university or college to apply to.
Other top priorities are finances and scholarship opportunities as well as having the opportunity to gain experience outside of Africa.
The survey also found out that the majority of Kenyan students aspire to work in the government and non-governmental Organisations upon completion of their studies.
The report launched Friday indicates that 44 percent of Kenya students want to pursue higher education abroad, USA, Canada, the United Kingdom and Europe, in general being the most favoured destinations.
“Just 52 percent of students surveyed in Kenya said they plan on staying in Africa after completing their education. This partly reflects Kenya’s high youth unemployment rate, which sits at 67 percent,” reads the report.
Although the government has been organising programmes for unemployed Kenyans to find jobs abroad, the report observes that a majority of employers (64 percent) are worried that the migration of talent is a significant concern for the future.
However, Dr Milton Njuki, the deputy director, Higher Education and Research at the Ministry of Education downplayed the migration.
“Is brain drain about movement of the people or movement of ideas? Movement isn’t an issue but the management of knowledge,” he said. He represented the Principal Secretary For Higher Education Dr Beatrice Inyangala.
“One of students’ top concerns was finding a job after graduating. So, a key way to combat brain drain is to ensure our graduates are workforce ready,” said Veda Sunassee, the CEO of the African Leadership University.
The ALU commissioned the survey that targeted employers and school leavers across nine countries (Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe). It was conducted between March 15 and June 13 2024.
It received 3,953 responses from students and 3,927 others from employers. 1,008 were from Kenya. The majority of the students surveyed were between 15 and 22 years old and in their final year of study.
60 percent of students from Ghana and 45 percent from Nigeria are the most likely to want to study abroad. At the opposite end of the spectrum, students from Ethiopia and Zimbabwe (both 82 percent), followed by Uganda (71 percent), are most likely to stay in Africa for higher education.
A third (35 percent) of all students surveyed said they do not plan on staying in Africa after completing their education.
“To mitigate the effects of ‘brain drain’ and enhance the continent’s future economic prospects, it is essential for governments, employers and universities to develop strategies that can retain talent and create attractive opportunities within Africa,” the report recommends.
