Paper short abstract:

This paper investigates the global phenomenon of African students migrating for higher education through sponsorship from home countries, with a focus on African governments' expectations and the subsequent brain drain caused by shifting motivations and socioeconomic challenges in African nations.

Paper long abstract:

Globally, migrating across international borders for higher education is a recurring theme in migration literature. Over the years, numerous young Africans have been sponsored by countries of origin to study in foreign countries. Despite the prevalence of this practice, limited research and scholarly discussions have delved into the dwindling of these anticipated returns on national investment. This paper aims to elucidate the expectations of African governments when sponsoring their nationals to study abroad while shedding light on the experiences of African educational migrants, culminating in the subsequent phenomenon of brain drain that occurs after channelling substantial resources towards human and national development. The study endeavours to identify the complexities leading to scholarship awards, the motivations of the sponsoring entities, explore the preferences of the beneficiaries in choosing to study abroad, and assess the overall impact on the sending countries. Employing a qualitative research design, the paper collects, analyses, and presents data obtained from 35 returned educational migrants and 30 non-returned educational migrants of Ghanaian origin. The findings unearth a breach in agreements attributed to shifts in initial motivations and aspirations, compounded by socio-economic challenges prevalent in African countries. While these alterations pose adverse consequences for sending African nations, they concurrently contribute to the enhancement of the quality and quantity of the receiving countries. The paper underscores the need for a nuanced understanding of the complexities surrounding international educational migration, advocating for policies that address both the aspirations of the individuals and the broader developmental goals of the nations involved.