Contributing Factors to Migration Growth Among Iranian Students: Drivers of Migration to Malaysia

Ali Kazemi (), Abdolvahab Baghbanian (), Mohammad Mahmoudi Maymand () and Hojjat Rahmani ()
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Ali Kazemi: Kish International Azad University
Abdolvahab Baghbanian: The University of Sydney
Mohammad Mahmoudi Maymand: Payame Noor University
Hojjat Rahmani: Tehran University of Medical Sciences

Journal of International Migration and Integration, 2018, vol. 19, issue 3, No 14, 757-770

Abstract: Abstract It is estimated that almost 244 million people have migrated around the world for a variety of complex reasons. For some, (tertiary) education has been the primary motivating factor. Countries that experience a brain drain as a result of migration may suffer a population and cultural loss. Iran is believed to suffer from such a brain drain in their skilled-labour market, otherwise known in many areas as education immigration. This study was undertaken to explore why Iranian students emigrate to Malaysia and what are the most common causes of migration growth that have accompanied this trend. A descriptive analytical research method, cross-sectional in nature, was applied. A sample of 250 Iranian post-graduate and undergraduate students—who were studying in Malaysia—was selected randomly to participate in this study. A self-administered questionnaire was adapted to collect data, which was tested for validity and reliability based on the research scholars’ advice and calculating Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (α = 0.90). ‘SPSS’ v. 19.0 was used to analyse the data. The significance level was set at 0.05. In total, 219 questionnaires were completed. The majority of students (73.5%) were male, and most of them (62.1%) belonged to the age group of 25–30 years. Nearly 65% of the students had been living in Malaysia for 3 years or more. Low tuition fees and living costs (68%), exceptional educational technologies at Malaysian universities (54.3%), the existence of international companies in Malaysia (65.3%), easy entry to Malaysian universities (70.3%), high rankings of Malaysian universities in the world (58%) and greater freedom in social interaction for respondents compared to Iran (49.3%) were the most compelling reasons for these students’ emigration to Malaysia. Further analysis revealed that Iranian students’ intention to emigrate to Malaysia was significantly correlated with socio-political factors and religious concerns in Iran, reasonable tuition fees in Malaysia and access to advanced technologies and international cooperation in Malaysia. Other contributing factors included the simple process of obtaining an entry visa and subsequent resident visa or work permits for Malaysia and the high rankings of Malaysian universities among international institutions (P value

Keywords: Emigration; Immigration; Iran; Malaysia; Migration; Push-pull factors; Student (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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DOI: 10.1007/s12134-018-0567-z

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